Virginia Public Schools Add COVID-19 Testing to SOLs, Must Score at Least 80% to Pass

RICHMOND, Va. — In an effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic among Virginia’s youth, today the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) announced plans to add COVID-19 testing to the end-of-year SOL testing for K-12 grades beginning in 2021.

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“We want to ensure that our students are not only getting the education they need, but also the healthcare they need,” Susan Dexter, a spokesperson for the VDOE, explained, adding that going forward, healthy practices such as how to properly sanitize a desk, coughing etiquette, and eyeballing six feet of distance will be added to the curriculum.

Beginning next year, teachers will prepare students for a COVID-19 test which will require a passing grade of 80% in order to advance to the next grade level. “Just like with SOLs, we plan on putting as much unnecessary stress into the classroom for both the students and teachers alike with this new test,” Dexter said.

When asked if teachers would be given additional supplies and resources to bring students up to a passing level, Dexter noted that it would be unlikely, given that most of the extra spending cash for the schools had been set aside for active shooter drills.