The Loudoun County school board is the latest school district in Northern Virginia to adopt a policy that meets a new state law to notify parents of sexually explicit materials used in schools.

The board voted 7-2 Tuesday night for the policy, which mandates parents be notified 30 days ahead of when the material will be taught or assigned. It also calls for posting the information on the school’s website.

The Virginia law states that each school board must have policies to notify parents of “any instructional material that includes sexually explicit content,” defined as a description or depiction of “sexual bestiality, a lewd exhibition of nudity, sexual excitement, sexual conduct or sadomasochistic abuse.”

School boards must provide information on the material and provide an alternative if requested.

The state law was passed earlier this year and gives schools until January 1 to draft their own policies. The state’s Department of Education helped develop model policies that each school board can adopt. Gov. Glenn Youngkin heralded the law as a way to involve parents and allow them to make choices about their children’s education.

Earlier this year, the Virginia Department of Education opened the draft of the policy for public comment online. Some expressed support for the policy, saying it rightfully gives parents a voice in their kids’ education. Others pushed back, with some saying it could become a means to block books and other materials that reflect the experiences of LGBTQ people and people of color from schools.

Prince William County Schools voted on a policy earlier this month that requires three days’ notice. Board members say it codifies a policy that happens already. Arlington Public Schools is slated to vote Thursday on their policy, which provides 30 days’ notice.

Loudoun County school board member Atoosa Reaser noted that the new policy codifies what is “largely already our procedure. The only reason we’re having to implement this is because the law now requires us to, but I think we’ve been doing this.”

The board also examined whether another policy on generally available library materials would conflict with this new policy focused on instructional material.

Board member Tiffany Polifko said she found it shameful that “the burden will fall on teachers” to go through every item in their classroom to determine if it has sexually explicit material. Others also lamented that it takes time and work.

The county has more than 90,000 titles in school libraries. Staff is in the process of reviewing the instructional materials that are part of the core curriculum, but school officials described it as a “very cumbersome process” that involves central office staff and teachers.

Board member John Beatty says the policy gives parents an opportunity to discuss and guide children through these topics.

The issue has been at the center of a national debate over school policies designed to be inclusive of LGBTQ students. Some conservatives have called these policies “indoctrination” or “grooming,” words linked to homophobic attacks. Locally and nationally, right-wing activists have also sought to ban books by LGBTQ authors.

The law says the policies “shall not be construed as requiring or providing for the censoring of books in public elementary and secondary schools.”

Margaret Barthel contributed to this report.