98 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT weeks ahead of the official registration date, and students may opt to apply to and attend an IB school if there is no program within the boundary they are zoned for, if space is available. In March 2025, Senate Bill 1244 became law in the state of Virginia. The bill, which went into effect on July 1, provides additional support to ease transitions for returning families and expands the provisions of law relating to educational opportunities for students of certain federal employees who are transferring from a school in a foreign country to a school division in the Commonwealth by establishing definitions for the terms “foreign education agency” and “sending country.” (See page 67 of the April-May FSJ for more.) The bill amends Virginia’s education code to simplify school enrollment for children of federal employees returning from abroad, allowing provisional enrollment with unofficial records, honoring previous educational placements, and promoting the on-time graduation of students if similar coursework has been completed in the sending country. School transitions and transcript evaluations can be successfully maneuvered with proactive communication from students and parents and support from both schools involved in the process. With the right resources and timely preparation, families can experience smoother transitions and help their children to succeed in a new academic environment. n Resources • GCLO Education and Youth web pages: https://www.state.gov/ global-community-liaison-office/ education-and-youth/ • Office of Overseas Schools Parent Resources: https://www. state.gov/resources-office-of-overseas-schools#parents • Senate Bill (SB 1244) Expansion of Policies to Students Transferring from Foreign Countries: https:// legiscan.com/VA/text/SB1244/2025 • Third Culture Kids (3rd ed.), by David C. Pollock, Ruth Van Reken, and Michael Pollock: https://amzn. to/49cxpBK
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODIyMDU=