republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2022/sb-490.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Standards of Quality; employment of principals and assistant principals."
description: "Standards of Quality; work-based learning; teacher leaders and mentors; principal mentors; certain personnel positions and initiatives. Makes several changes to the Standards of Quality, including requiring the establishment of units in the Department of Education to oversee work-based learning and principal mentorship statewide and requiring the Board of Education to establish and oversee the local implementation of teacher leader and teacher mentor programs in Standard 5. The bill also makes several changes relating to school personnel in Standard 2, including (i) establishing schoolwide ratios of students to teachers in certain schools with high concentrations of poverty and granting flexibility to provide compensation adjustments to teachers in such schools; (ii) requiring each school board to assign licensed personnel in a manner that provides an equitable distribution of experienced, effective teachers and other personnel among all schools in the local school division; (iii) requiring each school board to employ teacher leaders and teacher mentors at specified student-to-position ratios; (iv) requiring state funding in addition to basic aid to support at-risk students and granting flexibility in the use of such funds by school boards; (v) lowering the ratio of English language learner students to teachers; (vi) requiring each school board to employ reading specialists and establishing a student-to-position ratio for such specialists; (vii) requiring school boards to employ one full-time principal in each elementary school; (viii) lowering the ratio of students to assistant principals and school counselors in elementary, middle, and high schools; and (ix) increasing from at least three to at least four the required number of specialized student support positions, including school social workers, school psychologists, school nurses, licensed behavior analysts, licensed assistant behavior analysts, and other licensed health and behavioral positions, per 1,000 students."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2022"
identifier: "SB 490"
citation: "Virginia SB 490 (2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Jennifer L. McClellan"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 95
vote_count: 24
first_action: "2022-01-11"
last_action: "2022-08-04"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f92d2959-23f9-445a-bd1c-ba92ee3df330"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+sum+SB490"
source_hash: "501095b309c53eb616af8f4569d1cc785dd6a948ffa4cf397991e630ce9a18c6"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia SB 490 (2022) — Standards of Quality; employment of principals and assistant principals.

Standards of Quality; work-based learning; teacher leaders and mentors; principal mentors; certain personnel positions and initiatives. Makes several changes to the Standards of Quality, including requiring the establishment of units in the Department of Education to oversee work-based learning and principal mentorship statewide and requiring the Board of Education to establish and oversee the local implementation of teacher leader and teacher mentor programs in Standard 5. The bill also makes several changes relating to school personnel in Standard 2, including (i) establishing schoolwide ratios of students to teachers in certain schools with high concentrations of poverty and granting flexibility to provide compensation adjustments to teachers in such schools; (ii) requiring each school board to assign licensed personnel in a manner that provides an equitable distribution of experienced, effective teachers and other personnel among all schools in the local school division; (iii) requiring each school board to employ teacher leaders and teacher mentors at specified student-to-position ratios; (iv) requiring state funding in addition to basic aid to support at-risk students and granting flexibility in the use of such funds by school boards; (v) lowering the ratio of English language learner students to teachers; (vi) requiring each school board to employ reading specialists and establishing a student-to-position ratio for such specialists; (vii) requiring school boards to employ one full-time principal in each elementary school; (viii) lowering the ratio of students to assistant principals and school counselors in elementary, middle, and high schools; and (ix) increasing from at least three to at least four the required number of specialized student support positions, including school social workers, school psychologists, school nurses, licensed behavior analysts, licensed assistant behavior analysts, and other licensed health and behavioral positions, per 1,000 students.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **CHAP0021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+CHAP0021)
2. **SB490** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+SB490)
3. **SB490ER** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+SB490ER)
4. **SB490H1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+SB490H1)
5. **SB490S1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+SB490S1)

## Votes

- Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 0-N) — **8–0** (pass) · lower
- Senate acceded to request (40-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (16-Y 0-N) — **16–0** (pass) · upper
- Conference report agreed to by Senate (22-Y 17-N) — **21–19** (pass) · upper
- Read third time and passed Senate (27-Y 13-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- VOTE: Passage (90-Y 8-N) — **89–8** (pass) · lower
- Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- Read third time and passed Senate (27-Y 13-N) — **27–13** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Reconsideration of conference report agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Education and Health (10-Y 4-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- Reported from Appropriations (21-Y 0-N) — **21–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Education and Health (10-Y 4-N) — **10–4** (pass) · upper
- House substitute rejected by Senate (5-Y 34-N) — **5–34** (fail) · upper
- Reported from Education with substitute (15-Y 7-N) — **15–7** (pass) · lower
- House substitute rejected by Senate (5-Y 34-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- VOTE: Passage (90-Y 8-N) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- Senate acceded to request (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- Conference report agreed to by Senate (33-Y 6-N) — **35–5** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Appropriations (21-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- Reported from Education with substitute (15-Y 7-N) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- VOTE: Adoption (92-Y 2-N) — **80–19** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (16-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper

## Sponsors

- Jennifer L. McClellan — primary (person)
- Betsy B. Carr — cosponsor (person)
- Jeffrey M. Bourne — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2022-01-11** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/12/22 22102879D `introduction`
- **2022-01-11** Referred to Committee on Education and Health `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-01** Assigned Education sub: Public Education `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-03** Reported from Education and Health (10-Y 4-N) `committee-passage`
- **2022-02-03** Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-04** Impact statement from DPB (SB490)
- **2022-02-08** Senate subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
- **2022-02-09** Senate committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
- **2022-02-09** Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (16-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2022-02-09** Committee substitute printed 22106274D-S1 `substitution`
- **2022-02-10** Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
- **2022-02-11** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2022-02-11** Reading of substitute waived
- **2022-02-11** Committee substitute agreed to 22106274D-S1
- **2022-02-11** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB490S1
- **2022-02-14** Read third time and passed Senate (27-Y 13-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2022-02-21** Placed on Calendar
- **2022-02-21** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2022-02-21** Referred to Committee on Education `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-22** Assigned Education sub: Early Childhood/Innovation `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-23** House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
- **2022-02-23** Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 0-N)
- **2022-02-23** Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee on Appropriations
- **2022-02-28** Reported from Education with substitute (15-Y 7-N) `committee-passage`
- **2022-02-28** Committee substitute printed 22106876D-H1 `substitution`
- **2022-02-28** Referred to Committee on Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2022-03-02** Reported from Appropriations (21-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2022-03-03** Impact statement from DPB (SB490H1)
- **2022-03-04** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2022-03-07** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2022-03-07** Committee substitute agreed to 22106876D-H1
- **2022-03-07** Engrossed by House - committee substitute SB490H1
- **2022-03-07** Passed House with substitute (90-Y 8-N) `passage`
- **2022-03-07** VOTE: Passage (90-Y 8-N)
- **2022-03-08** House substitute rejected by Senate (5-Y 34-N)
- **2022-03-09** House insisted on substitute
- **2022-03-09** House requested conference committee
- **2022-03-10** Senate acceded to request (40-Y 0-N)
- **2022-03-10** Conferees appointed by Senate
- **2022-03-10** Conferees appointed by House
- **2022-03-12** Continued to 2022 Sp. Sess. 1 pursuant to HJR455
- **2022-06-01** Amended by conference committee
- **2022-06-01** Conference report agreed to by House (92-Y 2-N)
- **2022-06-01** VOTE: Adoption (92-Y 2-N)
- **2022-06-17** Conference report agreed to by Senate (22-Y 17-N)
- **2022-06-17** Reconsideration of conference report agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N)
- **2022-06-17** Conference report agreed to by Senate (33-Y 6-N)
- **2022-07-20** Enrolled
- **2022-07-20** Signed by Speaker
- **2022-07-21** Signed by President
- **2022-07-28** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on July 28, 2022
- **2022-07-28** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., August 4, 2022
- **2022-08-04** Approved by Governor-Chapter 21 (effective on the 1st day of the 4th month following the month `executive-signature`
- **2022-08-04** of adjournment of the 2022 Special Session l)
- **2022-01-11** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/12/22 22102879D `introduction`
- **2022-01-11** Referred to Committee on Education and Health `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-01** Assigned Education sub: Public Education `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-03** Reported from Education and Health (10-Y 4-N) `committee-passage`
- **2022-02-03** Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-04** Impact statement from DPB (SB490)
- **2022-02-08** Senate subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
- **2022-02-09** Senate committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
- **2022-02-09** Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (16-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2022-02-09** Committee substitute printed 22106274D-S1 `substitution`
- **2022-02-10** Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
- **2022-02-11** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2022-02-11** Reading of substitute waived
- **2022-02-11** Committee substitute agreed to 22106274D-S1
- **2022-02-11** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB490S1
- **2022-02-14** Read third time and passed Senate (27-Y 13-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2022-02-21** Placed on Calendar
- **2022-02-21** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2022-02-21** Referred to Committee on Education `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-22** Assigned Education sub: Early Childhood/Innovation `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-23** House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
- **2022-02-23** Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 0-N)
- **2022-02-23** Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee on Appropriations
- **2022-02-28** Reported from Education with substitute (15-Y 7-N) `committee-passage`
- **2022-02-28** Committee substitute printed 22106876D-H1 `substitution`
- **2022-02-28** Referred to Committee on Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2022-03-02** Reported from Appropriations (21-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2022-03-03** Impact statement from DPB (SB490H1)
- **2022-03-04** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2022-03-07** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2022-03-07** Committee substitute agreed to 22106876D-H1
- **2022-03-07** Engrossed by House - committee substitute SB490H1
- **2022-03-07** Passed House with substitute (90-Y 8-N) `passage`
- **2022-03-07** VOTE: Passage (90-Y 8-N)
- **2022-03-08** House substitute rejected by Senate (5-Y 34-N)
- **2022-03-09** House insisted on substitute
- **2022-03-09** House requested conference committee
- **2022-03-10** Senate acceded to request (40-Y 0-N)
- **2022-03-10** Conferees appointed by Senate
- **2022-03-10** Conferees appointed by House
- **2022-03-12** Continued to 2022 Sp. Sess. 1 pursuant to HJR455

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f92d2959-23f9-445a-bd1c-ba92ee3df330`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).