The Richmond School Board on Monday became first in the state to approve collective bargaining. In an 8-1 vote, the board formally recognized teachers' rights to negotiate contracts, ending a decades-long restriction. Jonathan Young cast the lone dissenting vote in a meeting that was at times contentious.

John Reaves works as a high school English teacher in Henrico County but commutes 30 miles to work from his home in Louisa. The drive takes time away from his kids, including his young daughter, and the current school year has been tough on him.

A petition to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for school employees and all eligible students failed this week when the Virginia Department of Health opted to take no action on the request. In a decision posted Monday, the agency stated that it lacked the "clear statutory authority" to mandate the shots for employees.

"Because of those different options City Council asked us to consider, I think that's where the confusion came from that our board was trying to choose between closing Stonewall or not," Perrigan said. "That was an option City Council asked us to consider, we provided all the information from that, and, really, that is not something directed by our board.

The Loudoun County, Virginia, judge overseeing an advocacy group's effort to recall School Board Chair Brenda Sheridan has preemptively said she expects the politically charged civil action will not devolve into threats. In October, Leesburg representative Beth Barts resigned from the board during a similar recall proceeding in Loudoun County Circuit Court.

A parent was told by Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia that it would cost tens of thousands of dollars to gain access to all the public records relating to sexual assault and rape incidents across several months this year.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - Virginia Beach school officials say a threat made by a student on Friday against Independence Middle School was unsubstantiated, meaning the student did not have the means to carry out the threat. Virginia Beach City Public Schools sent two messages to families about the incident on Saturday and Sunday.

"In order to make sure we are a participant of this we have to join by Jan. 2, 2022," Morris said. The settlement will be allocated after the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority and Opioid Abatement Fund are created with 15% to participating localities that will be unrestricted and 15% to participating localities for abatement purposes, such as the effort to treat, prevent or reduce opioid use.

SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - Several businesses in Suffolk will be ready to bring the holiday cheer with the help of talented art students from Suffolk Public Schools. Many local businesses will have their storefront windows decorated by 118 students from elementary through high school on Tuesday, December 7, and Thursday, December 9.

In a bid to improve Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) learning opportunities for K-12 students, Alexandria City, Va., Public Schools (ACPS) and Virginia Tech have expanded their partnership to both enhance STEM opportunities for students and create potential pathways to higher education.