by Stephanie Lundquist-Arora

As Virginia’s public schools fail at their core mission—educating children—state legislators are expanding their role in ways that encroach on parental rights.

Debra Gardner, a former social worker who was first elected to Virginia’s House of Delegates in 2023, introduced HB 355 in January. Beginning in the 2028–2029 school year, the bill would require Virginia’s public schools to administer annual mental health screenings to all students in grades 6–12, unless parents choose to opt out their children. The legislation has passed both chambers of the General Assembly and is now awaiting action from Governor Abigail Spanberger, who faces an April 13 deadline to sign, veto, or amend the bill.

Virginia’s public schools are failing at teaching children basic subjects. The table below shows that over a quarter of children in the state’s public schools are failing their Standards of Learning (SOLs) tests. Rates of failure are significantly higher among economically disadvantaged students.

Read the whole column at The Daily Signal.