Board approves school construction awards and multiple department items, waives first review on several proposals

The Virginia Board of Education took a series of votes on operational and funding items, approving grant and loan actions and final regulations while waiving first review on documents the department said were time-sensitive.

Key votes and approvals - Governor’s-school application procedures: The board approved final procedures for initiating an academic-year governor school. Staff said the revisions remove language about department contracts that did not comply with code, add expectations for technical support and evaluation timelines for new programs, and reorganize the document to improve usability. (Vote: unanimous on record; procedural final approval.)

- VQB5 (Early childhood unified measurement and improvement system) guidelines for 2025–26: The board approved proposed VQB5 guidelines for 2025–26. Department presenters said Virginia’s investment in early learning has expanded substantially since 2018 and that the program will involve more classroom observations, more site reviews and an expanded quality-measurement footprint. (Vote: unanimous recorded yes votes.)

- Final regulation: general procedures and background checks for child day centers: The board approved final regulations combining prior rules on licensure and background checks for child day centers and delegated authority to department staff to make technical edits to comply with the Administrative Process Act and the Virginia Register Act. Staff said this action eliminated duplication and clarified appeals procedures. (Vote: unanimous recorded yes votes.)

- Literary Fund loan: Bedford County — Stanton River High School auditorium renovation: The board approved release of a Literary Fund loan for Bedford County for an auditorium renovation and additions at Stanton River High School. The requested loan amount is $14,680,000 payable over 20 years; Bedford is eligible for a 3% annual loan interest rate. (Vote: unanimous recorded yes votes.)

- School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) reallocations, fiscal years 2022 and 2024: The department reported that previously awarded projects were scaled back or canceled (Petersburg reduced project costs, Southampton County declined to implement an approved project and Lynchburg City canceled a previously awarded project). Staff reported the releases yielded approximately $8,000,008.15 available for reallocation across the two award years. The board approved reallocations to several previously undersupported projects, including $555,004.96 to Pennsylvania County (Union Hall Elementary) and full awards to other qualifying projects. Staff said they are holding one Richmond City project (Woodville Elementary) for separate full funding in a 2025 application round. (Vote: unanimous recorded yes votes.)

- SCAP 2025 allocation awards: The board approved recommended grant awards from the 2025 SCAP allocation. Department staff said 28 applications were received (25 from school divisions, 3 from regional CTE programs) and recommended awarding a total of $80,000,000 to 10 school projects and one regional CTE center that met the board’s scoring and eligibility criteria. Staff explained grant award percentages vary with local fiscal capacity. (Vote: unanimous recorded yes votes.)

What this means Department officials said the approvals will move construction projects forward, free previously tied-up funds for additional smaller projects and allow the 2025 awards to begin. The Bedford loan will allow Stanton River High School to proceed with auditorium renovations under a 20-year repayment schedule at a 3% interest rate. The department also said it will schedule additional webinars and trainings for applicants to improve clarity and transparency in future SCAP application rounds.

Board procedure and next steps Most of these items were presented as final actions or as waivers of first review; the department expects to publish updated documents and to return to the board with additional final refined materials where statutory or regulatory action is required. Staff emphasized communication with divisions about application processes and timelines.