The 2009 General Assembly is now in session
Week 1 Update—January 16, 2009
The 2009 General Assembly session began Wednesday, January 14. The session runs 46 days and is scheduled to end on February 28. “Cross-over day,” the last day for each house to act on its own bills, is February 10. House and Senate amendments to the current two-year budget will be released on February 8.
The House Education Committee is scheduled to meet on Mondays at 9:00 a.m. in House Room C and Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. in the Appropriations Room. The Senate Education and Health Committee will meet on Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. in Senate Room B. Sub-committees will meet periodically throughout the session. Click here for a schedule of weekly meetings (Meetings).
Budget Issues
Amendments to the current two-year budget proposed by Governor Kaine last month would decrease state support for public education by nearly $100 million in the remainder of the current fiscal year and by more than $600 million in FY10. Most significantly, several policy changes which could have long-term impacts account for the bulk of the reductions.
First, the state would cap its funding for about 13,000 school support personnel positions, paying its share of one support position for every four state-supported instructional positions, at a state savings of about $341 million. This amounts to about a one-third reduction in state funding assistance for these positions. Positions affected include assistant superintendents, instructional administrators, clerical and maintenance personnel.
Second, the proposal essentially eliminates any state role in funding school facility needs in FY10. Over $27 million contained in the second year of the budget for local school construction projects is eliminated, and nearly $$60 million in lottery profits for non-recurring school facility projects instead will be directed toward instructional costs, in order to create general fund savings for the state. The lottery funds would be targeted toward several specific programs, including alternative education, Project Graduation, Education for a Lifetime/No Child Left Behind and vocational education. The proposal also eliminates funding for the interest rate subsidy program in FY10, which helps to buy down interest rates on state loans to school divisions for school building projects. The funding reductions/cuts for support personnel, the lottery funds and the school construction grants would be partially offset (in FY10 only) by a $61 million hold-harmless fund that would benefit school divisions that would take more than a $403/pupil hit due to these changes.
Additionally, a planned second-year, 2% teacher salary increase is eliminated by the budget proposal, and the plan transfers an additional Literary Fund dollars to pay teacher retirement costs. Since the early 1980’s nearly, $2 billion has been transferred from the Literary Fund for teacher retirement. Budget language does create some flexibility for the use of funds by local school divisions; namely, unspent state funds could be carried over from FY09 to FY10 and various funding streams can be used to employ data coordinators and reading or math specialists.
The total gap in the current biennial budget presently stands at about $2.9 billion, with the majority (more than $1.7 billion) occurring in FY10. State general fund revenue, under the latest forecast, is expected to decline 4.8% in FY09 and increase 4% in FY10. A mid-session reforecast of revenues is expected in February.
Click here for additional information about Governor Kaine's proposed changes to the budget (State Budget).
Education Legislation
Many education-related bills already have been introduced and printed. Here are some of the highlights. Additional legislation will be summarized in next week's report.
HB 1603 Requires school boards to establish a uniform grading policy in grades six through 12. HB 1700 directs the Board of Education to establish a statewide uniform grading policy.
HB 1624 Directs the Board of Education to include specific information in its model policy on bullying, harassment, and intimidation.
HB 1746 Directs the inclusion of additional topics in the curriculum guidelines for family life education.
HB 1800 Requires each local school board to allocate 65% of its operating budget to instructional spending (also HB 2204).
HB 1822 Exempts concealed handgun permit holders from the prohibition against carrying handguns onto school property; currently, handguns are allowed while the permit holder is in a vehicle entering or exiting the school property.
HB 1844 Revises various provisions of the charter school statutes.
HB 1923 Allows local school boards to assess a reasonable charge for the loss of or damage to a textbook.
HB 1942 Provides direction for school boards in establishing a single-sex class, program, or school in a school division.
HB 1980 Requires school divisions to include a detailed statement in the summary already required by law to be issued to parents about the family life education program, if the curriculum offers only abstinence education.
HB 2018 Creates the Virginia School Construction Revolving Fund for financing elementary, secondary or vocational education school projects (also SB 1226).
HB 2063 Changes the manner in which state sales tax revenue dedicated to public education to distribution by average daily membership instead of by school-age population.
HB 2070 Requires a school board policy on placement of twin siblings.
HB 2089 Provides additional direction to school boards in establishing and administering the teacher grievance procedure.
HB 2090 Adds to the “good cause” reasons for allowing a school division to begin classes prior to Labor Day, when one or more schools have failed to achieve full accreditation for any of the preceding five years.
HB 2104 Creates the Students with Disabilities Tuition Assistance Grant Program, to provide tuition assistance for attendance at an eligible private school for any student diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (also SB 956).
HB 2112 Requires 12 classroom hours of instruction in financial literacy as a condition of graduation.
HB 2151 Requires school boards to prepare an energy conservation program for its public schools based on guidelines to be developed by the Department of Education.
HB 2166 Prohibits any additional statutes, regulations or standards upon which the accreditation of schools or school divisions are based until July 2010.
HB 2269 Requires the annual expenditure report provided by the school board to the governing body to also be made available to the public in sufficient detail to identify how funds have been spent.
HB 2304 Provides that any party aggrieved by a decision made in a special education due process hearing may appeal to a circuit court for a period of one year.
SB 827 Adds the value and benefits of marriage to the list of topics to be covered in family life education in the public schools.
SB 1040 Prohibits the Board of Education from complying with unfunded provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act that are not a necessary part of the state’s Standards of Quality or accountability system.
SB 1221 Creates income tax credits for business entities making contributions to eligible nonprofit education foundations.
In legislative action this past Thursday, the Senate Education and Health Committee reported SB 919, which extends for another five years, provisions allowing retirees to be hired as teachers or administrative personnel without interruption of their retirement benefits (HB 1911 is the House version).
Back to 2009 General Assembly
Click here to see archived General Assembly Updates. |
