Virginia’s Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane promised swift action Friday on granting waivers as authorized by budget amendments approved by the General Assembly during its April 22 reconvened session.

The waivers will relieve students, teachers and schools of requirements that are impossible to meet with the closure of state schools as a public health measure due to the coronavirus epidemic.

Two of the waivers will allow students in the class of 2020 to graduate on time despite being unable to meet two diploma requirements found in state law.

One requires students to complete training in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator. The second requires students to complete a virtual course.

Lane will also waive accreditation for each public school for the 2020-2021 school year. Local school boards are also relieved of the requirements to administer Standards of Learning end-of-course and end-of-grade assessments, as well as alternative assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities, for the 2019-2020 school year.

School divisions are additionally relieved from the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program spring testing requirements for the 2019-2020 school year.

In addition to the waivers, Lane said students will not be required to make up SOL tests in the fall, including for diagnostic purposes, that they were unable to take this spring due to school closures.

Students who need to take end-of-course SOL tests to earn diploma credits will be able to do so once school re-opens if they did not earn a locally verified credit through the flexibility previously provided.

“I believe the primary focus of schools, whenever we can return to school, should be on the wellness of students and reestablishing school communities and cultures, and not on preparing students for state tests immediately upon their return to school,” Lane said.