SB815 • 2026

School bds.; opening of school year, certain alternative schedules & schedule flexibility permitted.

An Act to amend and reenact § 22.1-79.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to school boards; opening of the school year; certain alternative schedules and schedule flexibility permitted.

Education

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Suetterlein
Last action: 2026-04-08
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

School Year Start Dates and Alternative Schedules

This act changes when Virginia schools can start their year and allows for more flexible schedules.

What This Bill Does

Extends the earliest date that school boards can schedule the first day of school to no earlier than two weeks before September 1 each year.
Requires school boards to close schools from the Friday before Labor Day through Labor Day if they start school before Labor Day.
Allows local school boards to approve alternative schedules, like a four-day week, as long as students get at least 990 hours of instruction.
Permits certain school divisions in Planning District 16 and those with students attending Northern Neck Technical Center to open earlier than two weeks before Labor Day.

Who It Names or Affects

Local school boards
School districts in Virginia

Terms To Know

Labor Day: A national holiday celebrated on the first Monday of September each year.
Planning District 16: An area in Virginia that includes specific school divisions with special rules for starting the school year.

Limits and Unknowns

The act does not specify an effective date.
It only applies to schools and districts within Virginia.

Bill History

2026-04-08 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 522 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-08 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0522)
2026-03-14 Senate
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026
2026-03-14 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-13 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-03-13 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-13 Senate
Enrolled
2026-03-13 Senate
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB815ER)
2026-03-13 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB815)
2026-03-09 House
Read third time
2026-03-09 House
Passed House Block Vote (96-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-06 House
Read second time
2026-03-04 Education
Reported from Education (21-Y 0-N)
2026-02-20 House
Placed on Calendar
2026-02-20 Education
Referred to Committee on Education
2026-02-20 House
Read first time
2026-02-16 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-16 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-16 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-16 Senate
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute
2026-02-16 Senate
Engrossed by Senate
2026-02-16 Senate
Blank Action
2026-02-16 Senate
Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-16 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-16 Senate
Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-13 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-13 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-02-13 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (36-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-13 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-13 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (35-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-13 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-12 Education and Health
Reported from Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)
2026-02-05 Public Education
Assigned Education sub: Public Education
2026-01-30 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB815)
2026-01-23 Senate
Presented and ordered printed 26104363D
2026-01-23 Education and Health
Referred to Committee on Education and Health

Official Summary Text

School boards; opening of the school year; certain alternative schedules and schedule flexibility permitted.
Extends from no earlier than 14 days before Labor Day to no earlier than 14 days before September 1 of each year the requirement relating to the earliest date that each school board is permitted to schedule as the first day on which students are required to attend school each year. This bill is identical to HB 1455.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to amend and reenact §
22.1-79.1
of the Code of Virginia, relating to school boards; opening of the school year; certain alternative schedules and schedule flexibility permitted.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
22.1-79.1
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
22.1-79.1
. Opening of the school year; approvals for certain alternative schedules.
A. Each local school board shall set the school calendar so that the first day students are required to attend school shall be no earlier than 14 days before
Labor Day
September 1 of each year
. In each school division in which the school board sets the school calendar so that the first day students are required to attend school is before Labor Day, such school board shall close each school in the school division from the Friday immediately preceding Labor Day through Labor Day. The Board of Education may waive this requirement based on a school board certifying that it meets the good cause requirements of subsection B.
B. For purposes of this section, "good cause" means a school division is providing its students, in the school year for which the waiver is sought, with instructional programs that are offered on a year-round basis by the school division in one or more of its elementary or middle or high schools. Any waiver provided pursuant to this subsection shall only apply to the opening date for those schools where such year-round instructional programs are offered.
C. Individual schools may propose, and local school boards may approve, pursuant to guidelines developed by the Board of Education, alternative school schedule plans providing for the operation of schools on a four-day weekly calendar, so long as a minimum of 990 hours of instructional time is provided for grades kindergarten through 12.
D. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section or any other provision of law, the school board of any school division located in Planning District 16 that was not granted a good cause waiver pursuant to this section for the 2018-2019 school year but would qualify for such a waiver pursuant to this section as it was in effect prior to July 1, 2019, for the 2019-2020 school year may set the school calendar so that the first day students are required to attend is earlier than Labor Day, including earlier than 14 days before Labor Day. Additionally, the school board of any school division located in Planning District 16 that is entirely surrounded by two school divisions that either were granted a waiver pursuant to Chapter 3 of the Acts of Assembly of 2012, Special Session I, or would qualify for a good cause waiver pursuant to this section as it was in effect prior to July 1, 2019, for the 2019-2020 school year may open schools on the same opening date as either such surrounding school division.
E. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section or any other provision of law, the school board of any school division from which students attend Northern Neck Technical Center may set the school calendar so that the first day that students are required to attend school is earlier than Labor Day, including earlier than 14 days before Labor Day.