"The Virginia Board of Education approved $25.4 million for six new lab schools Thursday as state officials find ways to accelerate the approval process to use the existing lab school funding before the current budget cycle ends.

Some education officials worry that the expedited approval process might affect the quality of lab school plans, but proponents say officials thoroughly vet the applications.
Lab schools, which are Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s signature school choice initiative, are partnerships between universities and school divisions that provide nonreligious education to K-12 students. They are open to the public and do not charge tuition. Similar to charter schools, they can set their own budgets and curricula. Although lab schools receive public funding, they are expected to be financially self-sufficient within a few years.

The six lab schools that the Board of Education approved at its Thursday meeting that are partnered with Emory & Henry College, George Mason University, Roanoke College, Old Dominion University – Newport News, Old Dominion University – Chesapeake, and Paul D. Camp Community College, which serves the cities of Franklin and Suffolk and the counties of Isle of Wight and Southampton," reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Photo: Gov. Glenn Youngkin is flanked by State Superintendent Lisa Coons, left, and Education Secretary Aimee Guidera during a news conference in August. NICOLAS GALINDO, TIMES-DISPATCH