I would ask that you would stop passing bills without considering the time it will take away from school personnel by adding another task to their already full plate. It is also not helpful to burden taxpayers in local communities with all the unfunded mandates. Also, why would we allow any Virginia students replace Virginia history and civic requirements with International Baccalaureate coursework? If they are students in Virginia, they should know the history of their state and their civic duties as a citizen of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Thank you for your consideration. Karen M Wirsing

Language access plans and reporting, if this is going to be a requirement then the state needs to fund it.

Opposition to SB685 While supporting meaningful communication with all families, SB685 imposes a costly and unnecessary mandate on school boards by requiring formal language access plans, annual reporting, and state compliance monitoring. Most divisions already provide translation and interpretation services as needed. This bill adds layers of bureaucracy such as website postings, detailed reports, and state oversight. All of this increases administrative burden without providing funding. In large divisions like Fairfax County Public Schools, where families speak 194 languages, compliance could require translating materials into an overwhelming number of languages, creating significant logistical and financial strain. Even smaller divisions would face costly requirements that divert resources away from classrooms. By turning a locally managed practice into a state-monitored mandate, SB685 reduces flexibility and imposes a one-size-fits-all approach on diverse communities. While supporting families is important, unfunded mandates and excessive reporting requirements do not improve communication; they only expand bureaucracy.