NORFOLK, Va. — Virginia school boards have until the end of the year to adopt policies to inform parents if any instructional materials contain sexually explicit content, the latest step in the debate over what and how children should be taught.
The mandate is the result of legislation passed by the General Assembly earlier this year and signed into law by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who made expanding parents’ influence over public education a centerpiece of his campaign. The process will be similar to another mandate from the state last year — requiring school boards to pass policies that protect transgender students.
As it did in 2021, the state Department of Education is working on a final draft of its model policies for school boards to consider.
