Advocacy in action for Virginia’s independent schools
This annual newsletter informs VAIS member schools about advocacy initiatives the Association has undertaken on your behalf.
How VAIS defines advocacy
Helping to protect member schools’ independence
While the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE) lobbies and sometimes introduces legislation to protect private and independent schools’ independence, VAIS appoints an Advocacy Advisory Committee to help the staff monitor potentially concerning legislation.
More than 75 bills reviewed
This year the Committee reviewed 75+ bills. With a diverse membership of 93 candidate and member schools, we do our best to understand legislation that may impact the majority of our schools. We’re especially grateful to committee member and Collegiate Schools’ Lower School Admission Coordinator Laura Godwin for her involvement in guiding the review process.
If you would like to be involved in the review process in the future, or if you’d like to suggest someone from your school, please let us know.
Bills of note from the 2026 General Assembly session
The defeat of HB359: A critical victory for private education
The defeat of House Bill 359, introduced by Delegate Dan Helmer, marks a significant reprieve for Virginia’s independent schools. The legislation sought to mandate that any private institution accepting public tuition assistance — including tax credit scholarships — comply with all Virginia public school regulations.
Such a shift would have effectively dissolved the operational distinction between public and private, triggering a cascade of requirements for all students in a participating school, including:
- Standard of Learning (SOL) testing and curricular alignment.
- Participation in the state’s public school accountability system.
- Mandatory state teacher licensing.
During the 2026 General Assembly session, VCPE vehemently opposed and ultimately succeeded in killing Delegate Helmer’s House Bill 359, which would have imposed rigid public-school mandates on private schools, undermining educational diversity and freedom, parental choice, and the ability of independent institutions to serve Virginia families. VCPE will continue to oppose any similar efforts that seek to remove the autonomy of private schools to operate their private businesses, which benefit nearly 500 accredited private schools in Virginia, serving over 125,000 students.Grace Creasey, VCPE Executive Director
While HB359 was defeated this session, similar legislative efforts are expected to resurface next year. This serves as a vital reminder to evaluate the “strings” attached to any government funding. VAIS encourages every member school to carefully weigh the long-term costs of public subsidies. If your institution has grown reliant on these funds, now is the time to audit your budget and ensure your mission remains sustainable without compromising your autonomy.
These bills which passed will have a direct impact on your school
| Bill | Brief summary | Question(s) to consider |
|---|---|---|
| HB1 SB1 |
Minimum wage.The bill codifies the adjusted state hourly minimum wage of $12.77 per hour that was effective January 1, 2026, and increases the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour effective January 1, 2027, and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2028. Effective January 1, 2029, and annually thereafter, the bill requires the minimum wage to be adjusted to reflect increases in the consumer price index. | Which employees will be impacted? How will the budget be adjusted in advance to prepare for this increase? |
| HB894 SB341 |
Charlie’s Law to Protect All Students.This bill requires each private elementary or secondary school to include in codes of student conduct policies and procedures for addressing and handling instances of bullying and cyberbullying. It also requires a prohibition against bullying and notification to the parent of any student involved in a confirmed incident of bullying within 24 hours of confirming the incident. | Schools should review applicable policies, including the Acceptable Use Policy and Student Handbook, to ensure compliance with the law. School personnel should be trained in or informed of the appropriate management of student conduct and student offenses that violate school policies. School policies should be designed to reduce bias and harassment in the enforcement of any code of student conduct. Do your schools’ policies:
|
| SB2 HB1207 |
Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action.The Virginia Employment Commission will establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning April 1, 2028. Paid leave for family and medical reasons will be capped at 12 weeks per year, and funding for the program will be provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning April 1, 2028. Self-employed individuals also have the option of participating in the program. | Does your budget need to be adjusted to accommodate paid family and medical leave insurance? Do your employee handbooks need to be updated to reflect how this benefit interacts with existing short-term disability or school-provided paid leave? |
These bills which passed may have an impact on your school
| Bill | Brief summary | Question(s) to consider |
|---|---|---|
| HB171 | Student instruction; internet safety; certain topics.The bill requires internet safety instruction on key modern digital safety topics, including online scams, misinformation, and content generated by artificial intelligence. | While this bill only applies to public schools, the following questions are worth considering: When did you last review your school’s acceptable internet use policy? Does your policy account for more modern digital safety topics such as those listed in the bill? |
| SB215 HB636 |
Prohibiting employer seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees.Employers are now prohibited from asking for or using a candidate’s salary history to determine pay. Additionally, all job postings, internal and external, must now include a “good faith” salary range. Non-compliance can carry significant statutory damages. | Have you reviewed your job descriptions and interview protocols in order to be in compliance with wage or salary range transparency? |
| SB3 HB18 |
Employee Child Care Assistance Program established.This legislation establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Program to provide matching funds in order to incentivize employers to contribute to the child care costs of their employees. | If you have fewer than 50 employees, which the bill requires, would this be something to consider to help support the child care costs of your employees? |
| HB255 | Interstate Compact for School Psychologists; membership of the Commonwealth.Virginia has officially joined a multi-state agreement designed to streamline how school psychologists practice across state lines. This means that if a school psychologist is licensed in another member state, they may be able to get a license to work in Virginia schools more quickly, thereby helping to address the shortage of school psychologists and provide students with better access to help. | Will your school now have greater access to a licensed psychologist to support your counseling office? |
| HB468 | State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; guidelines for developing a transition IEP.This requires the State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV) to create a set of statewide guidelines to help students with IEPs transition into and receive services in their higher education. | For your students with IEPs, how will this impact their college search in considering higher education in Virginia? |
| HB220 SB630 |
Health insurance; tobacco surcharge.Effective for insurance plans started, renewed, or amended on January 1, 2027, health insurance carriers will no longer be allowed to charge higher premiums based on an individual’s tobacco use. The provisions of the bill apply to health benefit plans providing individual or small group health insurance coverage. | How will this shift in premium costs impact your small group health plan renewals and employee wellness incentives? |
| HB38 | Public schools; mental health awareness training and instruction.This enhances the requirements for public school teachers and other relevant public school personnel, requiring them to complete mental health awareness training that addresses the needs of youth populations that are at a high risk of experiencing mental health challenges and disorders in accordance with evidence-based best practices developed by the American Psychological Association. | While this bill is a requirement for public schools, how is your school ensuring that professional learning translates into equitable support for your most vulnerable students? How is your school maintaining and ensuring the efficacy of the BTAM (Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management) Team? How are meeting records kept and the chain of command implemented? |
| HB182 SB427 |
High school graduation requirements; history and social studies credits; certain substitutions permitted.Public school students are now permitted to substitute African American History, Standard or AP, for World History I or World Geography for the purpose of satisfying the history and social studies credit requirements. | Does this shift prompt you to re-evaluate whether your academic requirements reflect the diverse academic pathways modern families may be looking for? |
| HB1186 SB394 |
Department of Education; artificial intelligence system use in instructional settings.New legislation requires the Department of Education (VDOE) to develop comprehensive safety guidance and launch a pilot program to evaluate AI’s impact on public school instruction and operations. The guidance will address the safe, ethical, and equitable use of artificial intelligence systems. There will also be an AIS Innovation in Education Pilot Program to support innovative uses of AIS in instruction, tutoring, student engagement, operational efficiency, and teacher support. | Has your school articulated an AI policy for both classroom and administrative use? Once the VDOE releases its guidance, how will you audit your own school’s AI policies to ensure that the school meets or exceeds those standards? Do your current enrollment and employment contracts explicitly address how student and staff data can and cannot be used by AI platforms? |
| SB108 | School boards; student cell phone and smart device possession and use policies.Public school students are now prohibited from cell phone and smart device use on school property from bell to bell. | With new prohibitory language for public schools, do your school’s cell phone and smart device policies need updating? |
This news release from Governor Spanberger’s office is worth a glance in case any other bills that she signed into law are of particular interest to you. As a reminder, we pay closest attention to the bills that will impact the most, if not all, member schools.
Important reminders about VCPE and legal requirements
Your school is a member of and pays annual dues to VCPE. In order to maintain your approved accredited status, we remind you of the following:
- Employment: All employees are required to complete a fingerprint background check as a condition of employment.
- Employment: All employees are required to submit to a search of the Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry as a condition of employment. This includes conducting a search in any state where the employee resided in the last 5 years.
- Early childhood: Schools that use the Certified Preschool Exemption for their early childhood program must submit the paperwork by the end of August.
- Student safety: All schools must post the Mandatory Reporter notice in a prominent location that all employees can easily see.
- School safety: All schools are required to have a Behavioral Threat Assessment Management Team. The team should have at least one fully trained member who has trained the whole team in protocol and procedure.
- Accreditation addendum: Your visiting team will submit an accreditation addendum at the conclusion of your evaluation visit. This addendum includes verification of your compliance with state regulations such as those listed in #1–5.
- Annual dues: VAIS facilitates the annual VCPE dues process by collecting and passing these funds directly to the VCPE.
- Annual report: Your on-time and full completion of the VCPE Annual Report, administered each fall, provides VCPE with data that assists in lobbying efforts, supporting the significance of independent schools within Virginia’s educational landscape.
- VCPE Annual Law and Private Schools Guide: This Guide is updated each year by VCPE and is available by member log-in on the VCPE website. For assistance with log-in, please email office@vcpe.org. VAIS accreditation requires verification that you and/or your business office review the guide on an annual basis.
Promoting careers
Encouraging potential employees to consider VAIS schools for employment
2025-2026 has been a busy year for the VAIS Career Center. As a reminder, each member and candidate school receives five free postings during the academic year.
In addition, VAIS has reached out for the second year to all 39 of Virginia’s colleges and universities to urge them to share the VAIS Career Center with their students and alumni. This effort has proven fruitful: 15 responses to engage with VAIS were received, an increase over only four responses received in 2025.
We are currently working through those responses to set up meetings to provide greater understanding of the benefits of working in our independent schools, as well as to open doors for possible internships in our member schools. This survey remains open and helpful for learning about possible internship opportunities at your school.
Supporting families
Encouraging families to consider VAIS schools for their children
As we prepare for a new website to launch this summer, an exciting feature we plan to bring back is a clickable avenue to each of our member schools’ websites. We want families who explore our website to be able to reach your school’s information with as few clicks as possible in order to help them begin exploring their options.
While we celebrate the diversity of our member schools — co-ed/single gender, boarding/day, religious/non-religious, grades served, military, Montessori, and more — one thing that distinguishes all of them is their earned accreditation.
Mark your distinction
The “Accredited by VAIS” logo is available for you to use on your website and your school publications. Please contact Lelia Grinnan for more information.
Note: Some schools have an older VAIS logo on their website. Please update!
What accreditation means for our school
When communicating with families, the following information about accreditation may be helpful:
Safe and credible
Accreditation requires us to meet rigorous standards for student safety, well-being, and school operations.
Mission-driven
Accreditation confirms we are living up to our promises as defined by our own mission and values.
Held accountable
Accreditation is the result of a regular review process by trained peers from other schools, overseen by VAIS, which is approved by VCPE, the Virginia Council for Private Education, and recognized by ICAISA, the international authority on independent school accreditation.
Continuously improving
Accreditation is not a one-time stamp of approval. It requires ongoing reflection, peer review, and growth so we adapt and stay strong for the future.
Protecting independence
Accreditation safeguards our ability to remain an independent school, while proving our quality to families and the community.
This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
