School Board Policy Update

At the Alexandria City School Board meeting on April 3, 2025, the School Board amended six policies, the superintendent established one new regulation and amended three regulations. The following is a summary of the key changes, details are available on BoardDocs.

JFB - Student Involvement in Decision-Making

JFB-R - Student Involvement in Decision-Making Regulations

• Five-year review.
• Standard changes.
• Added that the superintendent develops regulations to implement the policy.
• Moved the Student Council Association (SCA) content to the new regulation.
• Added additional areas of student involvement in decision-making to the regulation.
  • Student reps to the School Board; surveys; course Selection; listening sessions.

JHC - Student Health Services and Requirements

• Five-year review.
• Standard changes.

JHCCA - Bloodborne Contagious or Infectious Diseases

JHCCA-E - Guidelines for School Attendance for Students with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

• Standard changes.
• Virginia School Board Association (VSBA) Model policy alignment.
• Added a clause permitting the superintendent to determine if a student may attend activities during the evaluation process.
• Struck a clause that possibly conflicted with other content in the policy.
• Added specificity that training occurs annually and should include information about stigmas.
• Retitled the guideline to a regulation.

JHCD - Administering Medicines to Students.

JHCD-R - Regulations for the Administration of Medications to Students

• Requested change.
• Standard changes.
• Added a provision and process permitting students to self-carry Naloxone.
• Added that emergency rescue medications are stored in an unlocked location.
• Added that key documents are scanned and stored in the student information system.
• Added a section on medications for overnight field trips.

JHCE - Recommendation of Psychotropic Medication by School Personnel

• Five-year review.
• Added a provision that recommending evaluation must be based on data and requires parental consent.

JHH - Suicide Prevention

JHH-R - Suicide Prevention/Intervention Guidelines

• Five-year review.
• Standard changes.
• Clarified that the parent/legal guardian should be notified when a risk assessment has occurred.
• Added content relating to parental/legal guardian right to review audio/visual materials that contain graphic content in anti-bullying and suicide prevention programs. This change reflects updated Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Model Policies released July 18, 2023, in accordance with Virginia Code § 22.1-23.3. Treatment of transgender students; policies.
• Transitioning JHH-R from a regulation to a standalone guidance document.

ACPS has over 400 policies and regulations, which are systematically revised prior to being presented to the School Board for information. The revision process includes alignment with the associated VSBA model policy, alignment with the Code of Virginia, an equity review, a legal review, revisions by a team of staff members, a Senior Leadership Team review and a School Board Policy Committee review. Public input on proposed revisions is taken at School Board Policy Committee meetings and regular School Board meetings.