Virginia K‑12 subcommittee advances testing, attendance, curriculum and safety measures; several bills reported to full committee

The K‑12 Education Subcommittee of the Virginia House of Delegates on an unspecified date advanced a package of bills addressing school attendance and accountability, curriculum adoption, student discipline and safety, and college credit access for high school students. Lawmakers voted on multiple measures and reported several to the full committee for further consideration.

Most prominently, the panel folded Delegate Israel O'Rourke’s HB 1788 into Delegate Ruben Martinez’s HB 1769 (chronic‑absence adjustments) and reported the combined measure to the full committee by a recorded report vote of 6‑2 after testimony from school‑board members and teachers. Members said the bills seek to exclude planned and documented long‑term absences — including medical and IEP‑related absences — from chronic‑absenteeism calculations used in Virginia’s standards of accreditation.

The subcommittee also moved forward bills on curriculum, assessment and student supports. Delegate Helmer’s HB 1957 on assessment reform (substitute) — which would require better alignment of Standards of Learning (SOL) tests, add local‑assessment guardrails and make SOLs a modest component of student grades in grades 7‑12 — was reported as substituted after an amendment for delayed enactment, 6‑2. Supporters urged measures to reduce grade inflation and to restore instructional time; opponents raised concerns about cost and implementation timelines.

Restorative practices drew substantial testimony. Delegate Lashrecse McQuinn’s HB 2196 to establish a pilot restorative schools program (grant awards to divisions in each superintendent region) was reported 5‑3 after discussion on ensuring accountability alongside restorative approaches. Witnesses from New Virginia Majority, the League of Women Voters, the Virginia Education Association and the Board for People with Disabilities described evidence that restorative approaches reduce exclusionary discipline and racial disparities in suspensions.

On school safety and suicide prevention, the…