On October 2, 2018, the
Virginia Municipal League (VML) adopted its 2019 legislative program, which
includes support for funding the true cost of public education.
Specifically, VML calls for
the Commonwealth of Virginia to recognize that the current Standards of Quality
do not acknowledge the actual cost of educating students, which includes pupil
transportation, school support staff, access to broadband and other necessary
technology and competitive staff salaries. These operational costs are in
addition to the necessary facility maintenance and construction costs borne by
school systems across the state.
Since 2009, local governments
have taken on a much larger share of the funding, which has resulted in
approximately $4 billion above the required local effort for Standard of
Quality programs in 2016 and 2017.
“I applaud VML for
acknowledging that the Commonwealth of Virginia needs to fund the true cost of
education,” said Mayor Stoney. “Since 2009, Virginia has decreased state
funding for K-12 education by an estimated $378 million per year. Expecting
localities to make up the difference is unsustainable and irresponsible, and
does an injustice to our children.”
Mayor Stoney today announced
that he will submit a resolution on October 8, 2018 that, if adopted by city
council, would call upon the Virginia General Assembly to fulfill its
constitutional obligation to adequately fund the true cost of education in
Virginia.
