(The Center Square) - The National School Boards Association late Friday apologized to its members for a letter it sent to the Biden administration that compared parents protesting local school policies such as COVID-19 mask mandates and the teaching of critical race theory to acts of "domestic terrorism."

BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL) - In an effort to make getting COVID-19 booster shots easier for employees, Bristol Virginia Public Schools will be making some schedule changes. The school system plans to make the Moderna booster available to their employees on Friday, Oct. 29 at Virginia High School once the shot is authorized.

Enrollment in Fairfax County's public schools continues to dip, having now fallen more than 10,000 students since the onset of the pandemic. County school leaders are banking that at least some of those students will be back once the pandemic blows over, assuming that it does.

by: Emma North Posted: / Updated: AMELIA COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) - Amelia County Public Schools students will have three extra days off this school year. The school district announced the calendar changes on Friday. Teachers and staff will report to schools for a workday. There will be no virtual learning during these days.

A recent rise in student behavior issues and a call from Amherst County Public Schools' chief official to enact measures to address students' mental health needs was heavily discussed during the county school board's Oct. 14 meeting.

DANVILLE, Va. (WFXR) - The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) was recently awarded over $581,000 to lead ExperienceWorks, a work-based learning (WBL) system that leverages Go VirginiaRegion 3 and Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission (TRRC) investments. The system connects students and young adults to high-skill, high-wage employment opportunities through a variety of career development [...]

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC)- Virginia saw a huge spike in homeschooling during the coronavirus pandemic and many parents are planning to stick with it long-term. Virginia Department of Education data from the 2020-2021 school year shows 59,638 students were enrolled in home education. That's up from 38,282 in the year prior.

Prince William County Public Schools will offer extra pay for staff who are staying with students who are waiting for their buses at the end of the day. Some students have had to stay later for school bus pick-up due to a nationwide bus driver shortage.

LOW MOOR - A teacher representative is asking the Alleghany County School Board to compensate educators for additional time spent in the classroom. Dorothy Carter with the Virginia Education Association made the request during the Alleghany County School Board meeting, held Monday at the Central Office Complex.

SALEM, Va. - From repair shop foreman to award-winning teacher - that's the story of Derek Wray. In 2004, Wray took a call asking him to become the automotive teacher at Salem High School, a role he still fills to this day.

Montgomery County school officials are asking the locality for $5 million to take the next step on the long-awaited plan to renovate and expand Christiansburg High School. The request was voiced last week during a joint meeting of the county School Board and Board of Supervisors, the latter of which must approve the debt needed for school construction projects.

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - This week the Lynchburg City School Board approved an array of 2-hour early dismissals in the upcoming months. This comes as they also reviewed data showing many students are still behind. They credit the pandemic for those results. Friday, administration addressed the dismissals and the data.

Alexandria, Virginia, launched an on-site COVID-19 testing program in its public schools this week, with plans to expand the program to all schools in the city by next week. The goal is to test 30% of the student population every week. The program is voluntary.