VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — After a string of drug overdoses in Virginia schools, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has issued an emergency executive order.
10 students in Loudoun County schools have overdosed since the beginning of the school year. According to a letter sent to families, four students received emergency opioid medication, and two students received CPR.
School administrators believe all of the overdoses are fentanyl-related.
"Parents deserve to know promptly that there has been this kind of overdose in their school," said Youngkin.
Youngkin's executive order requires schools to notify all families if an overdose happens in their school division while on campus.
According to Youngkin, Loudoun County school administrators did not inform families for more than 20 days.
"This is something parents must know; this is something that speaks directly to the safety, wellbeing and education of children in the Commonwealth of Virginia," said Youngkin.
There are also directives in the order for school administrators to work with law enforcement and expand on drug use education.
The executive order's mandates are effective immediately, and one Virginia Beach mom said it's a start.
"People deserve to know about their kids, and it's on everyone to make schools a safer place," said Shannon Doyle.
Doyle lost her 16-year old daughter, Makayla, in 2022 after she overdosed from fentanyl.
Since then, Doyle has advocated for more awareness when it comes to fentanyl-related deaths. She said even though Makayla's overdose did not occur on school grounds, she believes school administrators should have been alerted to the signs.
"There's a video that she posted where she's walking the halls of school and it's apparent that she's high," said Doyle. "If it's apparent to me, and apparent to those watching the video, then it should have been obvious to school staff."
Ultimately, Doyle said the executive order is a step in the right direction, but she hopes more will be done in the future.