A new policy on notifying parents about confirmed and suspected drug overdoses could be going into effect at Arlington Public Schools.
To comply with a new state law that went into effect July 1, the Arlington School Board is considering a new policy statement requiring the notification of all parents or guardians at a school within 24 hours of a school-connected student overdose.
The proposed change, which School Board members will consider at a Thursday, July 24 meeting, would require the notification to include the name or features of the substance involved, and to say whether the overdose occurred during school hours or school-sanctioned activities.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) had previously issued an executive order related to school systems’ reporting on overdoses. Legislation to codify portions of that order into law was sponsored during the 2025 session by Sen. Glen Sturtevant Jr. of Midlothian (R), Del. Geary Higgins of Waterford (R) and Del. JJ Singh of South Riding (D).
Quite a few overdoses have taken place at APS in recent years. In January 2023, a student who overdosed at Wakefield High School later died in the hospital. Another incident at Wakefield later that year sent two girls to the hospital and led to arrests.
Also at the July 24 meeting, School Board members are slated to make relatively minor adjustments to the school system’s restrictions on student cell-phone use.
The policy revision would continue the current exception for students to use their phones during brief periods during the school day at times and in areas designated by the principal. A staff report says state law allows for that type of use.
As with the overdose policy, changes to the student cellphone-use policy are happening in response to a new state law.
New budget director appointed: School Board members appointed Jorge Velázquez as the school system’s budget director last week.
Velázquez has been part of the APS staff since 2011, beginning as a senior budget analyst.
In another finance-related staff pick, School Board members appointed Jeremy Speikes as assistant director of finance.
Speikes most recently served as budget officer in the office of the chief financial officer in the D.C. city government.
Taylor Elementary gets new principal: School Board members also appointed Megan Lynch as the new principal of Taylor Elementary School.
Lynch most recently served as assistant principal at Nottingham Elementary School.
