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Bill

SB 518

Public high schools; college and career specialist required.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Nadarius Clark and 5 co-sponsors

Virginia would mandate all public high schools employ one full-time college and career specialist to provide post-secondary pathway guidance and planning.

Left in Education and Health
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Bill Summary · SB 518

Legislative bill overview

SB 518 requires Virginia public high schools to employ at least one full-time college and career specialist. This specialist would be responsible for advising students on post-secondary pathways, including college preparation, career training, and workforce development opportunities.

Why is this important

High school counselors often manage 400-500+ students each, limiting their ability to provide individualized college and career guidance. Dedicated specialists could improve college enrollment rates, reduce achievement gaps, and better connect students to career pathways aligned with workforce demands—particularly important as many students pursue non-traditional post-secondary routes.

Potential points of contention

  • Fiscal burden: Requires schools to hire additional staff during budget constraints; unfunded or partially-funded mandates strain district resources, potentially forcing trade-offs with other educational priorities
  • Implementation variability: Small rural schools may struggle to hire qualified specialists; urban districts may absorb costs more easily, creating equity concerns across regions
  • Overlap with existing roles: Questions whether this duplicates guidance counselor functions or requires fundamentally different expertise, and whether training/certification standards are clearly defined

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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