Fairfax County Public Schools would lose over $6 million in funding for English language learners in each of the next two years, as a result of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin鈥檚 proposed changes to the state鈥檚 budget.
That is one of several findings in the school district鈥檚 analysis of the proposed changes, which was obtained by 海角精品黑料.
The proposed amendments to the state鈥檚 budget would also reduce overall funding for the state鈥檚 largest school district by $16.7 million in fiscal year 2025 and $24 million in fiscal 2026, the school division鈥檚 review found.
The findings come as state lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Wednesday in Richmond to consider Youngkin鈥檚 budget amendments. Those are either approved or rejected, and then the package is sent back to the governor鈥檚 desk.
Virginia uses a two-year budget cycle, and the budget under consideration would go into effect July 1 and be in place until the middle of 2026.
Youngkin鈥檚 proposed amendments, according to Fairfax County schools, didn鈥檛 change funding for teacher salaries. The school division would also lose $5 million in revenue in fiscal 2025, and $12.4 million in fiscal 2026 as a result of eliminating the proposed expanded sales tax base.
The exact impact of changes in at-risk funding is unknown, the school district found.
Pointing to the findings of a Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission report, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell said Virginia invests $7 billion less in education than it takes to get to the national average.
鈥淲e are never going to fill that $7 billion hole if we don鈥檛 start making progress right now,鈥� Surovell said.
A Youngkin spokesman pointed to the governor鈥檚 recent remarks when asked for comment on the Fairfax County Public Schools estimates.
In a recent interview, Youngkin said he is committed to a $21.3 billion education budget, which he said is a $1.2 billion increase over the last two-year budget period. That includes 3% raises each year for teachers, he said, adding, “That鈥檚 on top of 12% raises the last two years combined.鈥�
The state鈥檚 plans, Youngkin said, 鈥渋ncluded increased amounts for students at risk, for our English language learners,” and what he called a “substantial” investment in child care.鈥�
The General Assembly, Youngkin said, is working on addressing its student funding formula.
Overall, the proposed budget amendments represent an additional $106 million of state funds over the previous enacted two-year budget for Fairfax County Public Schools, Youngkin’s office said.
But, 鈥渟ome of the cuts, we don鈥檛 even know the full consequences of yet,鈥� Surovell said.
The English language learner funding, he said, is 鈥渕oney that would help pay for professionals to help our ESOL learners transition to English, which is absolutely critical if we鈥檙e going to have solid, well-performing schools in Fairfax County.鈥�
Youngkin鈥檚 plans also removed a cap on the local composite index for Virginia Preschool Initiative funding, Surovell said. The state鈥檚 preschool initiative funds pre-K for students who can鈥檛 afford it.
鈥淪tudies have shown that the best investment you can make in a child’s education is by investing in preschool,鈥� Surovell said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just mind-boggling to me the governor would want to cut these kinds of things.鈥�
Surovell is expecting all of Youngkin鈥檚 amendments to be rejected.
鈥淭he budget will go back to him and it鈥檒l be up to him as to whether he wants to be the first governor in the history of Virginia to veto a budget,鈥� Surovell said. 鈥淏ut the governor just doesn鈥檛 seem to understand what his role in the process is. The governor is supposed to make minor amendments and technical fixes to bills. They’re not supposed to rewrite the entire thing.鈥�
Some of Youngkin鈥檚 proposed changes, Surovell said, are 鈥渓argely driven by the fact that he doesn’t want to adjust sales taxes so that businesses have to pay the same sales taxes that people do.鈥�
Youngkin has called the package a 鈥渃ommon ground budget.鈥� It includes over 230 amendments.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
漏 2024 海角精品黑料. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
