Virginia Lab Schools Expand, Face State Budget Uncertainty

As additional funding for lab schools hangs in jeopardy ahead of the state budget’s finalization, the Virginia Board of Education on Thursday voted to advance the University of Virginia and Mountain Gateway Community College’s lab school applications, slated to provide students tuition-free, specialized instruction for high-demand careers like teaching, computer science and technology.

In 2022, the General Assembly appropriated $100 million to support the Virginia College Partnership Laboratory School Fund, established 12 years ago.

In the state budget that he put forward last December, Gov. Glenn Youngkin proposed dedicating $60 million to the fund over the next two years, but lawmakers cut the request from their budget proposal, released last month. The governor has until lawmakers return to Richmond on April 17 to negotiate changes to the two-year budget.

While Lisa Coons, superintendent of public instruction, did not directly respond to a board member’s question about the change to the governor’s budget request, she said the governor is still committed to lab schools’ development and to providing students opportunities to learn vital skills that will help them “contribute to Virginia’s thriving workforce after graduation.”

Board members waived the first reading of the two applications and voted to accept them.

Board member Anne Holton, an appointee of former Govs. Terry McAuliffe and re-appointed by Ralph Northam, opposed the votes, urging the board to wait until the budget was certain.

While she was excited about the applications, Holton said, “I think it’s frankly unfair to UVA and Charlottesville to give them false expectations and I also think that it could be counterproductive in the ongoing discussions over the budget.”

Board Vice President Bill Hansen, a Youngkin appointee, disagreed, stating “I think it would actually be helpful in the conversations if we continue to proceed and I see no reason to not receive it.”

Since January 2022, Youngkin has been a strong advocate for education, including prioritizing laboratory schools. However, he has faced opposition from Democrats, who feared lab schools could siphon funding from already underfunded public schools.

In push for school choice, Youngkin’s hope may lie in a lesser-known option

Laboratory schools, which operate like charter schools, develop their own curriculum and help connect higher education institutions and students to local employers and community organizations.

Enrollment is based on a lottery system for students in pre-K through high school. Coons said Virginia has nearly 4,000 students on track to attend lab schools, representing 60 school divisions and 25 higher education institutions.

The Board of Education has already accepted four lab school applications from Germanna Community College, James Madison University, the University of Mary Washington and Virginia Commonwealth University, which opened in January.

After UVA and Mountain Gateway Community College’s lab school applications got the green light from the Board of Education, Youngkin praised the decision in a statement released Thursday evening.

“These lab schools provide exciting options for children to explore STEM, computer science, and IT skills as they think about their futures,” Youngkin said, adding that he was grateful for the community and Board’s support of the schools.

In 2022, the General Assembly passed legislation that expanded the opportunity to create lab schools to any higher education institution and private companies. Under the previous law, the fund only applied to colleges and universities with teacher education programs.

Coons said since 2022, 21 lab school applications have either been approved or are in the process of being accepted.

Lab school expansion continues

The University of Virginia and Mountain Gateway Community College joined the short list of colleges and universities poised to offer educational services west of Richmond.

According to Stephanie Rowley, dean of the University of Virginia’s School of Education and Human Development, Charlottesville Middle School students at the UVA Innovation Hub will use computational methods in partnership with UVA, starting with science and expanding to other subjects such as social sciences and health.

“Ultimately, it’s a way to help students become more confident in STEM areas, but to not segregate that work only to the science classes,” Rowley said on Thursday.

According to VDOE, UVA Innovation Hub will receive $7 million over the next four years.

In the western part of the commonwealth, Mountain Gateway Community College will launch the Mountain Gateway Technology Education Center, which will offer students credentials in information technology, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and pathways to higher education.

According to agency staff, the laboratory school —which will receive $3 million over four years — will serve students from Alleghany, Bath, James River, Parry McCluer, and Rockridge High Schools.

The lab school will partner with the Virginia Military Institute, Washington and Lee University, Amazon Web Services, Cengage Group, The Computing Technology Industry Association, Carilion Rockbridge Community Hospital and Virginia Technology Services.

Ben Worth, vice president of academic affairs at Mountain Gateway Community College, described the forthcoming lab school as the result of a strong community partnership and a “valuable asset for students.”

“MG-TEC ensures our region has the skilled workforce needed while offering students impressive starting wages and in-demand industry credentials.”

by Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com. Follow Virginia Mercury on Facebook and Twitter.