Last month, nine students overdosed at a Loudoun County high school.
The Loudoun County Public School division reportedly waited more than 20 days to notify parents of the incident, but Gov. Glenn Youngkin is taking immediate action to enhance prompt parental notification.
Executive Order Twenty-Eight was issued today and directs the Virginia Department of Education to issue guidance ensuring school divisions notify all parents of school-connected overdoses within 24 hours, work closely with law enforcement to prevent overdoses, and enhance student education about the dangers of abusing drugs.
“Parents have a right to know what’s going on in their child’s lives, especially in schools. Overdoses that occur on school grounds or are connected to the school must lead to an immediate parental notification,” Youngkin said. “School administrators’ first instinct when there is a problem cannot be to delay relevant information on critical children’s health and safety matters – it must be passed on to parents immediately. Opioid overdoses have claimed the lives of far too many Virginians, devastating families and communities across the Commonwealth and we must continue to combat opioid abuse and overdoses with action and transparency.”
The order instructs Virginia’s Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Department of Education to notify parents within 24 hours of a student overdose that occurred within a school system. New guidance is issued in coordination with law enforcement to prevent student overdoses and address the scourge of fentanyl on Virginia’s families and communities.
The order also instructs the issuance of information to local school divisions and parents about drug education and prevention programs for students. The One Pill Can Kill campaign led by the First Lady of Virginia and the Attorney General, along with the Attorney General’s Virginia Rules program, will develop critical decision-making skills in Virginia’s children and help generate conversations around the dangers of counterfeit drugs and fentanyl.
Youngkin signed Executive Order Number 2 on his first day as governor of the Commonwealth to reaffirm the fundamental rights of parents in the upbringing, education, and care of their children. In May 2023, he issued Executive Order Number Twenty-Six to strengthen Virginia’s interdiction and response to the ongoing fentanyl and opioid crisis.
The Governor’s Right Help, Right Now plan addresses the ongoing behavioral health crisis and provides support for individuals in crisis.
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Rebecca Barnabi
