Public elementary and secondary school students; parents' bill of rights established.
HB2373 would add a new section to the Virginia Code establishing a “parents’ bill of rights” for parents of public elementary and secondary school students. The bill lists a series of parental rights related to access and oversight of school activities, including the ability to review books, curricula, and instructional materials; opt children out of sexually explicit content; know who is teaching or presenting to their child; visit the school and meet with staff; and review school records about their child.
The bill also gives parents rights concerning student data, surveys, safety notifications, counseling services, and medical decisions. In particular, it would require schools to inform parents about data collection and transmission, allow opt-outs from data collection and surveys without penalty, notify parents of safety issues affecting their child, disclose counseling services being received at school, and affirm that parents make all medical decisions for their child.
If enacted, HB2373 would create a new statutory parental-rights framework in Virginia law applicable to public elementary and secondary schools. It would expand parental access to instructional materials and student records, impose notification and opt-out obligations on schools, and potentially affect school policies on curriculum transparency, student surveys, data privacy, counseling confidentiality, and communication with outside presenters. The bill would also reinforce parental authority over medical decisions involving minors in the school context.
The bill’s text reflects a strongly pro-parent, transparency-focused approach, and its overall framing suggests support for greater parental control and access in public schools. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no documented legislative debate or formal vote history to indicate broader support or opposition. Based on the bill language alone, the measure appears designed to appeal to concerns about school transparency, student privacy, and parental oversight.
The most likely points of contention are the scope of parental access to school materials and records, the requirement to disclose counseling services, and the breadth of the opt-out rights for surveys and data collection. School officials, privacy advocates, and supporters of student confidentiality may object to provisions that could limit educator discretion, complicate student support services, or require disclosure of sensitive information. Supporters would likely emphasize parental rights, transparency, and the ability to protect children from inappropriate content or unwanted data practices.