Bill Text: VA SB275 | 2022 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Public school libraries; printed and audiovisual materials, selection, evaluation, checkout, etc.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-27 - Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (8-Y 7-N) [SB275 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2022-SB275-Prefiled.html
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §22.1-253.13:7 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§22.1-253.13:7. Standard 7. School board policies.
A. Each local school board shall develop policies and procedures to address complaints of sexual abuse of a student by a teacher or other school board employee.
B. Each local school board shall maintain and follow up-to-date policies. All school board policies shall be reviewed at least every five years and revised as needed.
C. Each local school board shall ensure that policies are developed giving consideration to the views of teachers, parents, and other concerned citizens and addressing the following:
1. A system of two-way communication between employees and the local school board and its administrative staff whereby matters of concern can be discussed in an orderly and constructive manner;
2. The selection and evaluation of all instructional materials purchased by the school division and all printed and audiovisual materials purchased by, donated to, or otherwise made available to the school division that will be available to students in school libraries, with clear procedures for (i) (a) parental involvement in and a reasonable opportunity for public comment before the selection and evaluation of printed and audiovisual materials that will be available to students in school libraries; (b) mandatory prior written parental consent before a student is permitted to check out from the school library any such printed or audiovisual materials that could be considered grooming video or materials, as that term is defined in §18.2-374.4; and (c) the removal from the school library of any such printed or audiovisual materials that could be considered grooming video or materials, as that term is defined in §18.2-374.4 and (ii) handling challenged controversial instructional materials;
3. The standards of student conduct and attendance and enforcement procedures designed to provide that public education be conducted in an atmosphere free of disruption and threat to persons or property and supportive of individual rights;
4. School-community communications and community involvement;
5. Guidelines to encourage parents to provide instructional assistance to their children in the home, which may include voluntary training for the parents of children in grades K through three;
6. Information about procedures for addressing concerns with the school division and recourse available to parents pursuant to §22.1-87;
7. A cooperatively developed procedure for personnel evaluation appropriate to tasks performed by those being evaluated; and
8. Grievances, dismissals, etc., of teachers, and the implementation procedure prescribed by the General Assembly and the Board of Education, as provided in Article 3 (§22.1-306 et seq.) of Chapter 15, and the maintenance of copies of such procedures.
D. A current copy of all school division policies and regulations approved by the local school board, including the Student Conduct Policy, shall be posted on the division's website and shall be available to employees and to the public. School boards shall ensure that printed copies of such policies and regulations are available as needed to citizens who do not have online access.
E. An annual announcement shall be made in each division at the beginning of the school year and, for parents of students enrolling later in the academic year, at the time of enrollment, advising the public that the policies are available in such places.
