July 10, 2023
For Immediate Release
Contact: Gina G. Patterson, VSBA Executive Director, gina@vsba.org
Dr. Scott Brabrand, VASS Executive Director, s.brabrand@vassonline.org
VSBA, VASS Joint Statement on Release of JLARC K-12 Funding Study
The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) released its report on Virginia’s K12 Public Education Funding Formula today at a commission meeting in Richmond. This study was a directive passed in the 2021 session of the Virginia General Assembly which asked the commission to provide an accurate assessment of the costs to implement the Standards of Quality.
The Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) and the Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS) express our deepest appreciation to the staff of JLARC who conducted the research that led to the findings and recommendations released today. This report contains findings of many longstanding legislative priorities of VSBA and VASS including the elimination of the SOQ Support Cap, the need for Virginia to increase its share of funding for support services to K-12 public education, and the crucial role compensating teachers at the national level has on keeping effective educators in the classroom. With record surpluses in the Commonwealth’s budget, VSBA and VASS urge the Virginia General Assembly to act on the recommendations found in the JLARC report and invest additional resources in our public schools. VSBA and VASS are here to partner with the General Assembly and welcome further conversation on how best to implement these recommendations.
“The report released today by JLARC shows what school board members and superintendents have known for many years. Virginia’s school funding model lags the nation and policymakers at the state level must seek practical solutions to assist our divisions whose localities cannot afford to fund the resources needed to provide students with a quality public education,” said David R. Woodard, President of the Virginia School Boards Association. In response to the report’s release, VASS President Kristy Somerville-Midgette stated the following, “This report reinforces the need for the General Assembly to immediately support additional funding for FY 24 that further invests in our teachers, schools and especially the Commonwealth’s children.”
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