Powhatan County School Board Says No To Spanberger’s “Overly Prescriptive” LGBTQ+ Mental Health Mandate

SUMMARY

On May 12, 2026, the Powhatan County School Board – located in Powhatan, Virginia – adopted a resolution in opposition to Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger’s new law HB38. The School Board believes that this state-level push is an “overly prescriptive” mandate, which jeopardizes local decision-making.

Virginia’s HB38, approved on April 2, 2026, amends and reenacts the Code of Virginia by mandating mental health awareness training for school personnel, specifically training that focuses on “high risk” youth populations such as students who “identify as LGBTQ+.”

Specifically, Powhatan County School Board’s resolution shares the belief that “overly prescriptive mandates may limit local discretion and responsiveness,” writing that local school divisions are well-equipped to determine the “scope and content of mental health training for school personnel.”

GOVERNOR SPANBERGER’S HB38

A press statement from Governor Spanberger’s website reads, “I am signing this legislation into law to protect Virginia students and make sure Virginia teachers and school staff have the training, resources, and support they need to do their jobs. I know school safety is a priority for Virginia families across our Commonwealth, and I am grateful for the bipartisan efforts of Democratic and Republican legislators as we focus on making Virginia a safer, stronger, and more affordable place to call home.”

As described by the Governor’s Office, “The bills the Governor signed into law will help keep Virginia students safe by strengthening training on red flag laws, helping teachers identify student mental health challenges, and modernizing internet safety education.”

Approved on April 2, 2026, this bill asks that each school board “adopt and implement policies that require each teacher and other relevant personnel, as determined by the school board, employed on a full-time basis, to complete a mental health awareness training or similar program at least once.”

The following italicized sentences mandate that any training “address the needs of youth populations that are at a high risk of experiencing mental health challenges and disorders.” One of these populations is students who “identify as LGBTQ+.”

POWHATAN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO HB38

In the resolution brought forward by the Powhatan County School Board, adopted on May 12, 2026, the Board “expresses its opposition to HB38 in its current form.”

The Board continues, writing that it “urges members of the Virginia General Assembly to reconsider this legislation and to preserve local authority in determining the scope and content of mental health training for school personnel.”

In the resolution, the Board writes their belief that “local school divisions are best positioned to determine appropriate training priorities and methods, based on student demographics, available resources, and community values.”

The resolution ends by suggesting that state-level guidance should be guidance alone, rather than a mandate, so that local implementation can best occur.