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It’s a boon to military families, but how much does tuition benefit program cost Va. colleges?
While it has served thousands of military families, the cost of operating the Virginia Military Survivors and Education Program has grown, from about $19 million annually in 2019 to over $65 million in 2023, according to recent data provided by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). Data is still being collected for VMSDEP […]
Virginia’s school bus driver vacancy rate improves
Virginia’s school bus driver vacancy rate has decreased by five percent over the past three school years, according to the Virginia Department of Education. After the legislature amended its reporting requirements, the agency started collecting bus driver vacancy data two years ago. Factors like pay and recruitment challenges, and drivers leaving for the private sector, […]
Virginia’s sales tax holiday is this weekend. Here are the products that qualify.
Virginia’s sales and use tax holiday for school supplies, clothing and energy-efficient goods begins on Friday, Aug. 2 at 12:01 a.m. and runs through Sunday, Aug. 4 at 11:59 p.m. Typically, consumers pay a 4.3% state tax on qualifying products, whether they purchase them in-store or online. During the holiday, the state tax or any […]
ACLU of Virginia sues Liberty University for firing transgender employee
Liberty University, a private institution in Lynchburg, is facing a lawsuit for allegedly firing an employee after she disclosed her identity as a trans woman. On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia announced that it and the law firm Butler Curwood filed the lawsuit on behalf of Ellenor Zinski, who they claim was […]
‘Disappointed’: Black students suing Shenandoah school board for restoring Confederate names
After a Virginia school district made headlines around the world for rebranding two schools with Confederate leaders’ names, two rising seniors at one of the schools are leading community opposition to that decision. The two said they were “disappointed” after the school system voted to rebrand schools with Confederate names on May 10, four years after […]
Va. education board adopts new school accreditation regulations
After a years-long input process, the Virginia Board of Education approved its newly designed Standards of Accreditation regulations on Thursday. These regulations simplify how schools are rated and allow the state to separate accountability from accreditation. A final vote on the accountability system is expected at next month’s board meeting. The accountability system includes Virginia’s […]
Daughter of former Supreme Court justice appointed to Virginia Board of Education
Meg Bryce, a daughter of the late conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, has been appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to serve as the newest member of the Virginia Board of Education. The governor has yet to fill the second seat on the nine-member board after two seats became available earlier this month. “We are […]
Va. plans to create cell phone-free education guidelines. Developing them will be complex.
As concerns mount over student performance, echoed in an executive order from Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Virginia is developing policies and guidelines to restrict students’ use of cell phones during school hours. Some educators and advocates question the effort and believe that cell phone-free policies could be hard to enforce and may harm certain students. Research shows […]
Va. law enforcement leaders ‘confident’ in public safety coverage plans for future campaign rallies
Former President Donald Trump rallied in Chesapeake, Virginia about two weeks before a nationally-televised assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally left him and two others wounded, and one person dead. While it’s unclear whether there will be more presidential rallies here before the November election, amid heightened public safety concerns, local and state police agencies […]
FOIA Friday: Records show years-long history of overdue balances of ex-Richmond city official
One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While the Virginia Freedom of Information Act presumes all government business is by default public and requires officials to justify why exceptions should be made, too many Virginia leaders in […]
Va. transportation board approves railway sale to support Southwest Va. passenger rail expansion
On Tuesday, Virginia reached another stop towards expanding passenger rail by authorizing the sale of the Virginian Line to Norfolk Southern Railway Company, for $54 million. The Commonwealth Transportation Board authorized the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority to sell approximately 28 miles of track back to Norfolk Southern. By state law, the board is required to […]
Va. AG Jason Miyares leads 16 states asking Supreme Court to hear parental rights case
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares is spearheading an amicus brief requesting the U.S. Supreme Court hear a case centered on protecting parental rights to “make decisions concerning the care, custody, and control of their children.” A coalition of 15 other states has joined Miyares on the brief including Alaska, Florida and Texas. If successful, the […]