Virginia Weighs Requiring Licensed Nurse in Every Public School as Lawmakers Examine Health Gaps

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia lawmakers are considering whether every public school in the Commonwealth should be required to have a full-time licensed nurse, as education and health officials warn that thousands of students continue attending schools without guaranteed access to a medical professional.

Just under 10 percent of Virginia public schools operate without a licensed nurse, according to state data cited in a new report examining school health services. Current Virginia law allows school divisions to employ nurses but does not mandate that every individual school building have one.

State Sen. Barbara Favola, an Arlington Democrat who chairs both the Senate Education and Health Committee and the state School Health Services Committee, is among lawmakers supporting stronger statewide requirements.

The debate comes as schools are being assigned increasing responsibilities for student health and emergency response, including access to epinephrine for severe allergic reactions, naloxone for opioid overdoses and automated external defibrillators for cardiac emergencies.

Advocates say those responsibilities make the absence of licensed medical personnel particularly concerning.

Virginia Department of Health data from the 2024–25 school year showed approximately 90.1 percent of public schools had a licensed nurse. Roughly 69.9 percent were served by registered nurses and another 20.1 percent by licensed practical nurses. Statewide, the staffing level amounted to roughly one full-time nurse for every 619 students.

Supporters of a mandate argue school nurses perform far more than emergency first aid. They monitor students with chronic medical conditions, administer medications, develop individual health plans and help schools respond when students experience physical or mental-health emergencies.

The primary obstacle is likely to be cost. Previous attempts to require a registered nurse in every Virginia school failed in part because local governments would be responsible for sharing the expense.

A new proposal could address the matter through Virginia’s Standards of Quality, the funding and staffing framework governing public schools. Such a change would require approval from the General Assembly and the governor.

The Virginia School Health Services Committee is expected to receive a report on the proposal on September 23, potentially setting the stage for another legislative effort.

As the 2026–27 school year begins, the issue places student health, local school budgets and state education requirements on a collision course that lawmakers will likely have to address in Richmond.