The Law Defines the Lanes of School Board’s in Virginia

The School Board Member Alliance of Virginia (SBMA) is a dedicated organization for Virginia’s school board members, aiming to enhance their professional development in alignment with the constitutional and statutory requirements of Virginia.

In recent decades, the functioning of local school boards has leaned more on tradition and hearsay than on the actual legal mandates from the codes and statutes of Virginia. An opinion on the purpose and function of school boards was offered by a member of the Warren County School Board at their recent meeting.  Unfortunately, this comment left out most of the mandated responsibilities required in Virginia law.

Rooted in both the U.S. and Virginia Constitutions, local school boards are endowed with comprehensive governance powers over local school districts. They are the principal authority, charged with the duty to ensure the adherence, enforcement, and comprehension of school laws as also outlined in the statute (§ 22.1-79.1), granting them a broad scope of authority.

According to (§ 22.1-79), local school boards have explicitly defined Powers and Duties, encompassing thirteen distinct areas. Specifically, in 22.1-79.2 the law mandates boards to “Secure, by visitation or otherwise, as full information as possible about the conduct of the public schools in the division and take care that they are conducted according to law and with the upmost efficiency.” No permission is needed for any board member to follow this law.  It is a non-negotiable mandate, immune to override by any policy or employee within the school division. This is but one area of law that guarantees the breadth of local board authority, reaffirmed by a plethora of VA case law.

Additionally, the statutes of Virginia State, specifically § 22.1-253.13.1-9, referred to as the Standards of Quality (SOQs), highlight the extensive range of duties and requirements imposed on local school boards, many of which must be met yearly. The combined authority of the state Board of Education and the local board is overwhelming emphasized. Directives toward local boards are mentioned over 170 times in the SOQs underscoring their extensive jurisdiction. Local boards are expected to fulfill these obligations.  Unfortunately, a board’s effective governance for students is often hindered by a lack of awareness of these laws, preferring to follow and repeat traditional talking points versus the law.

The School Board Member Alliance, an approved agency of the VDOE, dedicates itself to providing effective board training for Virginia’s school board members, emphasizing their roles as defined by law to promote productive governance and transparent accountability.

Sherri Story
School Board Member Alliance, Chair
Executive Director Former Suffolk School Board Member, 2019-2022