HB 2031

Abstract

Requires the Department of Education to establish and appoint members to a task force for the purpose of establishing a program and standards for the designation of any public middle school or high school in the Commonwealth as a cyber center of excellence. The bill requires such program and standards to, at minimum, (i) establish a competitive process by which local school boards may apply to the Department of Education to designate any middle school or high school in the local school division as a cyber center of excellence and (ii) require applicants to demonstrate the ability to (a) provide high-quality programs and curricula for the development of the computer skills of enrolled students, (b) identify enrolled students with an aptitude for such programs and curricula, and (c) assist such students in developing their computer skills in order to be better prepared to meet the Commonwealth's growing demand and unmet need for cybersecurity professionals. The bill requires the task force to create and distribute to each local school board guidelines, procedures, and best practices for applications for the designation of schools as cyber centers of excellence.