Virginia Governor Issues Order Mandating Parental Notification of School-Connected Drug Overdoses Amid Surge at Local High School

New Order Follows Recent Spike in Overdoses Linked to Fentanyl at Park View High School, Prompts Criticisms over School's Response Time and Communication Practices

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order mandating that school systems must notify parents of any school-related drug overdoses within 24 hours. This came after the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office reported there have been seven fentanyl-related overdoses linked to Park View High School in the previous three weeks.
Both Governor Youngkin and Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman criticized the school system for not promptly informing parents about the string of drug overdoses at Park View High School. The overdoses were non-fatal but many required interventions such as CPR or the administration of naloxone.
In response to the incidents, school officials are enhancing efforts to work with the sheriff's office to address the problem. For privacy reasons and due to insufficient data, officials were reluctant to disclose specific numbers relating to the incidents.
The consequences of the executive order could potentially infringe privacy issues, as students who need medical attention, including those experiencing drug overdoses, could have their privacy breached if the school notifies the entire student body and their parents.
This situation has led to a debate on how schools should disclose information about safety-related incidents, given both the requirements for transparency and the need to respect privacy laws. This issue also plays into wider political discussions, with both Youngkin and Chapman championing parents' rights in education.