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School board reviews code-driven policy changes on emergency response, opioid-antagonist notifications and more
Summary
Administrators reviewed about 40 policy updates driven by recent Virginia code changes, including new requirements for cardiac emergency plans and bleeding-control kits, opioid-antagonist (Narcan) notification procedures with FERPA protections, threat assessment family resources, substitute-teacher limits, telehealth options (left optional), and student athlete heat-safety procedures.
District administrators briefed the board on approximately 40 policy updates reflecting changes in the Virginia code. The presentation highlighted several substantive changes trustees should expect to see in draft policy language:
- School crisis/emergency medical response (policy EB): school divisions must adopt athletic cardiac emergency action plans, ensure AEDs are accessible, train staff, identify a cardiac response team, and conduct cardiac emergency drills; administrators also recommended adopting bleeding-control (Stop the Bleed) kits and training.
- Threat assessment teams (policy EBB): parents must be notified when a threat assessment involves their child and administrators must provide resource materials addressing recognition and response strategies for concerning behavior.
- Opioid antagonist policy (policy EBBC): a new policy requires school-level notice to parents if an overdose or suspected overdose occurs on school property or at a school event; notices may state whether an opioid antagonist was administered but privacy must be preserved in compliance with FERPA.
- Substitute teachers and professional development: the draft allows long-term substitutes up to 180 days with qualifications for degree/eligibility and places limits on nonacademic PD (capped at 25 hours every five years for required nonacademic training).
- Telehealth services: administrators recommended leaving optional the policy language that would permit students to participate in telehealth or teletherapy sessions during school hours because of current space and privacy constraints; the board agreed to keep the option out for now while monitoring developments.
- Student health policies: optional provisions for seizure rescue medications and expanded guidance on EpiPen possession and administration were highlighted; draft guidance on extreme-heat procedures for student athletes was discussed with plans to insert tiered interventions based on wet-bulb globe-temperature guidance pending Board of Education guidelines.
Administrators said some optional sections are being left out of the draft policy versions for now but can be added later; trustees asked staff to continue refining language and return with redline and clean drafts. No final board votes on the package were recorded tonight; several items will return for formal action.
