                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

APPROVAL OF MULTIDIVISION ONLINE PROVIDERS; CONTRACTS WITH LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS
(§ 22.1-212.24)

A. The Superintendent shall develop, and the Board shall approve, (i) the
criteria and application process for approving multidivision online providers;
(ii) a process for monitoring approved multidivision online providers; (iii) a
process for revocation of the approval of a previously approved multidivision
online provider; and (iv) an appeals process for a multidivision online provider
whose approval was revoked or whose application was denied. The process
developed under this subsection shall require approvals and revocations to be
determined by the Superintendent, and either the denial of an application or
revocation of approval may be appealed to the Board for review. The approval of
a multidivision online provider under this section shall be effective until the
approval is revoked, for cause, pursuant to the terms of this section. Any
notice of revocation of approval of a multidivision online provider or rejection
of an application by a multidivision online provider shall state the grounds for
such action with reasonable specificity and give reasonable notice to the
multidivision online provider to appeal.

B. In developing the criteria for approval pursuant to subsection A, the
Superintendent shall (i) require multidivision online providers to be accredited
by a national, regional, or state accreditation program approved by the Board;
(ii) require such courses or programs, pupil performance standards, and
curriculum to meet or exceed any applicable Standards of Learning and Standards
of Accreditation; (iii) require any educational objectives and assessments used
to measure pupil progress toward achievement of the school&#8217;s pupil
performance standards to be in accordance with the Board&#8217;s Standards of
Accreditation and all applicable state and federal laws; (iv) require such
courses or programs to maintain minimum staffing requirements appropriate for
virtual school programs; and (v) publish the criteria for approval of
multidivision online providers on its website, including any applicable
deadlines, fees, and guidelines.

C. The Department may charge a multidivision online provider applicant or a
local school board requesting to offer a course through Virtual Virginia a fee
not to exceed the costs required to ensure proper evaluation and approval of
such requests. The Department shall establish and publish a fee schedule for
purposes of this subsection.

D. Local school boards may enter into contracts, consistent with the criteria
approved by the Board pursuant to this section, with approved private or
nonprofit organizations to provide multidivision online courses and virtual
school programs. Such contracts shall be exempt from the Virginia Public
Procurement Act (&#xA7; 2.2-4300 et seq.).

HISTORY: 2010, cc. 537, 817; 2014, c. 436; 2022, c. 355.