                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES (§ 22.1-199.1)

A. The General Assembly finds that Virginia educational research supports the
conclusion that poor children are more at risk of educational failure than
children from more affluent homes and that reduced pupil/teacher ratios and
class sizes result in improved academic performance among young children; to
this end, the General Assembly establishes a long-term goal of reducing
pupil/teacher ratios and class sizes for grades K through three in those schools
in the Commonwealth with high or moderate concentrations of at-risk students.
			With such funds as are provided in the appropriation act for this purpose,
there is hereby established the statewide voluntary pupil/teacher ratio and
class size reduction program for the purpose of reaching the long-term goal of
statewide voluntary pupil/teacher ratio and class size reductions for grades K
through three in schools with high or moderate concentrations of at-risk
students, consistent with the provisions provided in the appropriation act.
			In order to facilitate these primary grade ratio and class size reductions,
the Department shall calculate the state funding of these voluntary ratio and
class size reductions based on the incremental cost of providing the lower class
sizes according to the greater of the division average per-pupil cost of all
divisions or the actual division per-pupil cost. Localities shall provide
matching funds for these voluntary ratio and class size reductions based on the
composite index of local ability to pay. School divisions shall notify the
Department of their intention to implement the reduced ratios and class sizes in
one or more of their qualifying schools by August 1 of each year. By March 31 of
each year, school divisions shall forward data substantiating that each
participating school has a complying pupil/teacher ratio.
			In developing each proposed biennium budget for public education, the Board
shall include funding for these ratios and class sizes. These ratios and class
sizes shall be included in the annual budget for public education.

B. The General Assembly finds that educational technology is one of the most
important components, along with highly skilled teachers, in ensuring the
delivery of quality public school education throughout the Commonwealth.
Therefore, the Board shall strive to incorporate technological studies within
the teaching of all disciplines. Further, the General Assembly notes that
educational technology can only be successful if teachers and administrators are
provided adequate training and assistance. To this end, the following program is
established.
			With such funds as are appropriated for this purpose, the Board shall award
to the several school divisions grants for expanded access to educational
technology. Funding for educational technology training for instructional
personnel shall be provided as set forth in the appropriation act.
			Funds for improving the quality and capacity of educational technology shall
also be provided as set forth in the appropriation act, including (i) funds for
providing a technology resource assistant to serve every elementary school in
this Commonwealth and (ii) funds to maintain the currency of career and
technical education programs. Any local school board accepting funds to hire
technology resource assistants or maintain currency of career and technical
education programs shall commit to providing the required matching funds, based
on the composite index of local ability to pay.
			Each qualifying school board shall establish an individualized technology
plan, which shall be approved by the Superintendent, for integrating technology
into the classroom and into schoolwide instructional programs, including career
and technical education programs. The first priority for funding shall be
consistent with those components of the Board&#8217;s revised six-year
technology plan that focus on (i) retrofitting and upgrading existing school
buildings to efficiently use educational technology; (ii) providing (a) one
network-ready multimedia microcomputer for each classroom, (b) a five-to-one
ratio of pupils to network-ready microcomputers, (c) graphing calculators and
relevant scientific probes/sensors as required by the Standards of Learning, and
(d) training and professional development on available technologies and software
to all levels and positions, including professional development for personnel
delivering career and technical education at all levels and positions; and (iii)
assisting school divisions in developing integrated voice-, video-, and
data-connectivity to local, national and international resources.
			This funding may be used to implement a local school division&#8217;s
long-range technology plan, at the discretion of the relevant school board, if
the local plan meets or exceeds the goals and standards of the Board&#8217;s
revised six-year technology plan and has been approved by the Superintendent.
			The Department of Education, the Department of General Services, and the
Virginia Information Technologies Agency shall coordinate master contracts for
the purchase by local school boards of the aforementioned educational
technologies and reference materials.
			A technology replacement program shall be, with such funds as may be
appropriated for this purpose, implemented to replace obsolete educational
hardware and software. As provided in subsection D of &#xA7; 22.1-129, school
boards may donate obsolete educational technology hardware and software that are
being replaced. Any such donations shall be offered to other school divisions
and to preschool programs in the Commonwealth or to public school students as
provided in guidelines to be promulgated by the Board. Such guidelines shall
include criteria for determining student eligibility and need, a reporting
system for the compilation of information concerning the number and
socioeconomic characteristics of recipient students, and notification of parents
of the availability of such donations of obsolete educational hardware and
software.

C. The General Assembly finds that local autonomy in making decisions on local
educational needs and priorities results in effective grassroots efforts to
improve education in the Commonwealth&#8217;s public schools only when coupled
with sufficient state funding; to this end, the following block grant program is
hereby established. With such funds as are provided in the appropriation act,
the Department shall distribute block grants to localities to enable compliance
with the Commonwealth&#8217;s requirements for school divisions in effect on
January 1, 1995. Therefore, for the purpose of such compliance, the block grant
herein established shall consist of a sum equal to the amount appropriated in
the appropriation act for the covered programs, including the at-risk add-on
program; dropout prevention, specifically Project YES; Project Discovery;
English as a second language programs, including programs for overage,
nonschooled students; Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID); the
Homework Assistance Program; programs initiated under the Virginia Guaranteed
Assistance Program, except that such funds shall not be used to pay any expenses
of participating students at institutions of higher education; and
school/community health centers. Each school board may use any funds received
through the block grant to implement the covered programs and other programs
designed to save the Commonwealth&#8217;s children from educational failure.

D. In order to reduce pupil/teacher ratios and class sizes in elementary
schools, from such funds as may be appropriated for this purpose, each school
board may employ additional classroom teachers, remedial teachers, and reading
specialists for each of its elementary schools over the requirements of the
Standards of Quality. State and local funding for such additional classroom
teachers, remedial teachers, and reading specialists shall be apportioned as
provided in the appropriation act.

E. Pursuant to a turnaround specialist program administered by the Department,
local school boards may enter into agreements with individuals to be employed as
turnaround specialists to address those conditions at the school that may impede
educational progress and effectiveness and academic success. Local school boards
may offer such turnaround specialists or other administrative personnel
incentives such as increased compensation, improved retirement benefits in
accordance with Chapter 6.2 (&#xA7; 51.1-617 et seq.) of Title 51.1, increased
deferred compensation in accordance with &#xA7; 51.1-603, relocation expenses,
bonuses, and other incentives as may be determined by the board.

F. The General Assembly finds that certain schools have particular difficulty
hiring teachers for certain subject areas and that the need for such teachers in
these schools is particularly strong. Accordingly in an effort to attract and
retain high quality teachers, local school boards may offer instructional
personnel serving in such schools as a member of a middle school teacher corps
administered by the Department incentives such as increased compensation,
improved retirement benefits in accordance with Chapter 6.2 (&#xA7; 51.1-617 et
seq.) of Title 51.1, increased deferred compensation in accordance with &#xA7;
51.1-603, relocation expenses, bonuses, and other incentives as may be
determined by the board.
			For purposes of this subsection, &#8220;middle school teacher corps&#8221;
means licensed instructional personnel who are assigned to a local school
division to teach in a subject matter in grades six, seven, or eight where there
is a critical need, as determined by the Department. The contract between such
persons and the relevant local school board shall specify that the contract is
for service in the middle school teacher corps.

HISTORY: 1995, c. 852; 1996, c. 974; 1997, cc. 357, 394, 617, 686, 923; 1998,
cc. 828, 901, 902; 1999, cc. 456, 680; 2000, cc. 93, 506; 2001, cc. 483, 484;
2004, c. 436; 2011, c. 216; 2020, cc. 860, 861; 2022, cc. 61, 355.