Virginia 2027 Regular Session Status: Passed House Of Delegates

HB 92 — Public schools; At-Risk Program established, Standards of Quality.

Last action — Continued from last session

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House of Delegates
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has passed the House of Delegates. Introduced January 02, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the Senate.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 36% · moderate confidence

  • Passed House of Delegates

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 44 sponsors

    1 primary, 43 co-sponsors signed on.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

Establishes an At-Risk Program and funding formulas for public schools.

This bill creates an At-Risk Program aimed at supporting special education and at-risk students in public schools, along with funding formulas for these initiatives. It also mandates an annual report on school expenditure trends to specific legislative committees.

What this means for you
  • Workers: School workers may see changes in staffing and resource allocation as a result of the new funding initiatives.
  • Families: Families with special education or at-risk children may benefit from increased support in public schools.
  • Consumers: {}

Summary

Equity in public school funding and staffing; special education students; at-risk students; annual report. Establishes in Standard of Quality 2 the At-Risk Program and a state-supported add-on for special education students and requires corresponding formulas for the funding of such initiatives to be established in the general appropriation act. The bill also requires the Department of Education to report annually to the House Committees on Education and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and on Education and Health the total and per pupil annual operating expenditures from local, state, and federal sources in each school division and the change in expenditures from each such source over the immediately preceding two-year, three-year, and five-year timeframes, expressed in both dollar amounts and percentages.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

344 added · 386 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendment to Bill HB 92 removes a section about the calculation and reporting of local education expenditures and focuses on establishing a statewide program to reduce pupil-to-teacher ratios in schools with high concentrations of at-risk students. This change emphasizes the importance of improving educational opportunities for disadvantaged children by supporting smaller class sizes. The shift in focus could lead to more effective funding and resources aimed at enhancing academic performance among those most in need, ultimately aiming to narrow the achievement gap.

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OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/11/2026 + + + + + + + + HOUSE BILL NO.
OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/26/2026 + + + + + + + + HOUSE BILL NO.
92 + + AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE + + (Proposed by the House Committee on Education + on ________________) + + (Patron Prior to Substitute—Delegate Rasoul) + A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-97, 22.1-199.1, 22.1-253.13:2, as it shall become effective, and 51.1-617 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public schools;
92 + + AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE + + (Proposed by the Senate Committee on Education and Health + on February 26, 2026) + + + (Patron Prior to Substitute—Delegate Rasoul) + A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-199.1, 22.1-253.13:2, as it shall become effective, and 51.1-617 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public schools;
certain calculations;
state-funded special education add-on.
state- funded special education add-on.
That §§ 22.1-97, 22.1-199.1, 22.1-253.13:2, as it shall become effective, and 51.1-617 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
That §§ 22.1-199.1, 22.1-253.13:2, as it shall become effective, and 51.1-617 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 22.1-97.
Calculation and reporting of required local expenditures;
procedure if locality fails to appropriate sufficient educational funds.
A.
The Department of Education shall collect annually the data necessary to make calculations and reports required by this subsection.
At the beginning of each school year, the Department shall make calculations to ensure that each school division has appropriated sufficient funds to support its estimated required local expenditure for providing an educational program meeting the prescribed Standards of Quality, required by Article VIII of the Constitution of Virginia and Chapter 13.2 (§ 22.1-253.13:1 et seq.) of this title.
At the conclusion of the school year, the Department shall make calculations to verify whether the locality has provided the required expenditure, based on average daily membership as of March 31 of the relevant school year.
The Department shall report annually to the House Committees on Education and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and on Education and Health (i) the results of such calculations and, (ii) the degree to which each school division has met, failed to meet, or surpassed its required expenditure, and (iii) the total and per pupil annual operating expenditures from local, state, and federal sources in each school division and the change in expenditures from each such source over the immediately preceding two-year, three-year, and five-year timeframes, expressed in both dollar amounts and percentages.
The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall report annually to the House Committees on Education and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and on Education and Health the state expenditure provided each locality for an educational program meeting the Standards of DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/11/2026 Quality.
The Department and the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall coordinate to ensure that their respective reports are based upon comparable data and are delivered together, or as closely following one another as practicable, to the appropriate standing committees.
B.
Whenever such calculations indicate that the governing body of a county, city or town fails or refuses to appropriate funds sufficient to provide that portion of the cost apportioned to such county, city or town by law for maintaining an educational program meeting the Standards of Quality, the Board of Education shall notify the Attorney General of such failure or refusal in writing signed by the president of the Board.
Upon receipt of such notification, it shall be the duty of the Attorney General to file in the circuit court for the county, city or town a petition for a writ of mandamus directing and requiring such governing body to make forthwith such appropriation as is required by law.
The petition shall be in the name of the Board of Education, and the governing body shall be made a party defendant thereto.
The court may, in its discretion, cause such other officers or persons to be made parties defendant as it may deem proper.
The court may make such order as may be appropriate respecting the employment and compensation of an attorney or attorneys for any party defendant not otherwise represented by counsel.
The petition shall be given first priority on the docket of such court and shall be heard expeditiously in accordance with the procedures prescribed in Article 2 (§ 8.01-644 et seq.) of Chapter 25 of Title 8.01 and the writ of mandamus shall be awarded or denied according to the law and facts of the case and with or without costs, as the court may determine.
The order of the court shall be final upon entry.
Any appeal therefrom shall be heard and disposed of promptly by the Court of Appeals.
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 DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/11/2026 schools with high or moderate concentrations of at-risk students, consistent with the provisions provided in the appropriation act.
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.
By March 31 of each year, school divisions shall forward data substantiating that each participating school has a complying pupil/teacher ratio.
By March 31 of each year, school divisions shall forward data substantiating that each DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/26/2026 participating school has a complying pupil/teacher ratio.
Each qualifying school board shall establish an individualized technology plan, which shall be approved DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/11/2026 by the Superintendent, for integrating technology into the classroom and into schoolwide instructional programs, including career and technical education programs.
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.
and (iii) assisting school divisions in developing integrated voice-, video-, and data-connectivity to local, national and international resources.
and (iii) assisting school divisions in developing integrated voice-, DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/26/2026 video-, and data-connectivity to local, national and international resources.
With such funds as are provided in the appropriation act, the Department shall distribute block grants to localities to enable compliance with the Commonwealth's requirements for school divisions in effect DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/11/2026 on January 1, 1995.
With such funds as are provided in the appropriation act, the Department shall distribute block grants to localities to enable compliance with the Commonwealth's requirements for school divisions in effect on January 1, 1995.
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.
In order to reduce pupil/teacher ratios and class sizes in elementary schools, from such funds as may be DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/26/2026 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.
The contract between such persons and the relevant local DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/11/2026 school board shall specify that the contract is for service in the middle school teacher corps.
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.
Each school board shall assign licensed instructional personnel in a manner that produces divisionwide ratios of students in average daily membership to full-time equivalent teaching positions, excluding special education teachers, principals, assistant principals, school counselors or certain other licensed individuals as set forth in subdivision H 4, and librarians, that are not greater than the following ratios:
Each school board shall assign licensed instructional personnel in a manner that produces divisionwide ratios of students in average daily membership to full-time equivalent teaching positions, excluding special education teachers, principals, assistant principals, school counselors or certain other licensed individuals as DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/26/2026 set forth in subdivision H 4, and librarians, that are not greater than the following ratios:
DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/11/2026 E.
E.
School divisions using the Standards of Learning Algebra Readiness Initiative funding in this manner shall only employ instructional personnel licensed by the Board.
DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/26/2026 School divisions using the Standards of Learning Algebra Readiness Initiative funding in this manner shall only employ instructional personnel licensed by the Board.
In addition, each such reading specialist shall have training in the identification of and the appropriate interventions, accommodations, and teaching techniques for students with dyslexia or a related disorder and shall serve as DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/11/2026 an advisor on dyslexia and related disorders.
In addition, each such reading specialist shall have training in the identification of and the appropriate interventions, accommodations, and teaching techniques for students with dyslexia or a related disorder and shall serve as an advisor on dyslexia and related disorders.
School divisions using the Early Reading Intervention Initiative funds in this manner shall employ only instructional personnel licensed by the Board.
School divisions using the Early Reading Intervention Initiative funds in this manner shall employ only instructional personnel licensed by the DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/26/2026 Board.
and DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/11/2026 4.
and 4.
However, in order to meet the staffing requirements set forth in this subdivision, any local school board (i) may employ, under a provisional license issued by the Department for three school years with an allowance for an additional two-year extension with the approval of the division superintendent, any professional counselor licensed by the Board of Counseling, clinical social worker licensed by the Board of Social Work, psychologist licensed by the Board of Psychology, or other licensed counseling professional with appropriate experience and training, provided that any such individual makes progress toward completing the requirements for full licensure as a school counselor during such period of employment or (ii) in the event that the school board does not receive any application from a licensed school counselor, professional counselor, clinical social worker, or psychologist or another licensed counseling professional with appropriate experience and training to fill a school counselor vacancy in the school division, may enter into an annual contract with another entity for the provision of school counseling services by a licensed professional counselor, clinical social worker, or psychologist or another licensed counseling professional with appropriate experience and training.
However, in order to meet the staffing requirements set forth in this subdivision, any local school board (i) may employ, under a provisional license issued by the Department for three school years with an allowance for an additional two-year extension with the approval of the division superintendent, any professional counselor licensed by the Board of Counseling, clinical social worker licensed by the Board of Social Work, psychologist licensed by the Board of Psychology, or other licensed counseling professional with appropriate experience and training, provided that any such individual makes progress toward completing the requirements for full licensure as a school counselor during such period of employment or (ii) in the event DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/26/2026 that the school board does not receive any application from a licensed school counselor, professional counselor, clinical social worker, or psychologist or another licensed counseling professional with appropriate experience and training to fill a school counselor vacancy in the school division, may enter into an annual contract with another entity for the provision of school counseling services by a licensed professional counselor, clinical social worker, or psychologist or another licensed counseling professional with appropriate experience and training.
School divisions using these funds in this manner shall employ only DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/11/2026 instructional personnel licensed by the Board.
School divisions using these funds in this manner shall employ only instructional personnel licensed by the Board.
The Board may grant waivers from these staffing levels upon request from local school boards seeking to implement experimental or innovative programs that are not consistent with these staffing levels.
The Board may grant waivers from these staffing levels upon request from local school boards seeking to implement experimental or innovative programs that are not consistent with these DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/26/2026 staffing levels.
Show all 47 changed rows (7 more)
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DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/11/2026 O.
O.
In order to fill vacant school psychologist positions, any local school board may employ, under a provisional license issued by the Department for three school years with an allowance for an additional two- year extension with the approval of the division superintendent, clinical psychologists licensed by the Board of Psychology, provided that any such individual makes progress toward completing the requirements for full licensure as a school psychologist during such period of employment.
In order to fill vacant school psychologist positions, any local school board may employ, under a provisional license issued by the Department for three school years with an allowance for an additional two- year extension with the approval of the division superintendent, clinical psychologists licensed by the Board of Psychology, provided that any such individual makes progress toward completing the requirements for full DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/26/2026 licensure as a school psychologist during such period of employment.
part-time to 299 students, one full-time at 300 DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/11/2026 students;
part-time to 299 students, one full-time at 300 students;
School divisions may use the state and local funds for support services to provide additional instructional services.
School divisions may use the state and local funds for support services to provide additional instructional DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/26/2026 services.
and programs relating to increasing the success of disadvantaged students in completing a high school degree and providing DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/11/2026 opportunities to encourage further education and training.
and programs relating to increasing the success of disadvantaged students in completing a high school degree and providing opportunities to encourage further education and training.
As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/26/2026 As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
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Action History

  1. Continued from last session

  2. Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

  3. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB92)

  4. Committee substitute printed 26108137D-S1

  5. Reported from Education and Health with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)

  6. Senate committee offered

  7. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB92)

  8. Referred to Committee on Education and Health

  9. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  10. Read third time and passed House (94-Y 3-N 0-A)

  11. Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  12. committee substitute agreed to

  13. Read second time

  14. Read first time

  15. Committee substitute printed 26106124D-H1

  16. Reported from Education with substitute (19-Y 2-N)

  17. House committee offered

  18. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB92)

  19. Referred to Committee on Education

  20. Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101723D

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 43 co-sponsors · 104 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (43)

Not signed on (104)

104 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 104 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HB 92 do?
Equity in public school funding and staffing; special education students; at-risk students; annual report. Establishes in Standard of Quality 2 the At-Risk Program and a state-supported add-on for special education students and requires corresponding formulas for the funding of such initiatives to be established in the general appropriation act. The bill also requires the Department of Education to report annually to the House Committees on Education and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and on Education and Health the total and per pupil annual operating expenditures from local, state, and federal sources in each school division and the change in expenditures from each such source over the immediately preceding two-year, three-year, and five-year timeframes, expressed in both dollar amounts and percentages.
Who sponsors HB 92?
HB 92 is sponsored by Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Lamont Bagby, Rodney T. Willett, Jeion A. Ward, Kathy K.L. Tran, Virgil Thornton, Joshua E. Thomas, Shelly A. Simonds, Irene Shin, Holly M. Seibold, Charlie Schmidt, Atoosa R. Reaser, May Nivar, Delores L. McQuinn, Garrett McGuire, Adele Y. McClure, Marty Martinez, Paul E. Krizek, Karen Keys-Gamarra, Patrick A. Hope, Charniele L. Herring, Phil M. Hernandez, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., Dan I. Helmer, C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr., Lindsey Dougherty, Rae Cousins, Joshua G. Cole, Laura Jane Cohen, Mike A. Cherry, Betsy B. Carr, Katrina Callsen, Alex Q. Askew, Bonita G. Anthony, Barbara A. Favola, Nicole Cole, Sam Rasoul, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Gretchen M. Bulova, Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie, Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler, Mark C. Downey, Elizabeth R. Guzman, and Destiny LeVere Bolling.
What is the current status of HB 92?
This bill has passed the House of Delegates. Introduced January 02, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track HB 92?
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