The Constitution of Virginia guarantees the right to a high-quality education for all school age children in the Commonwealth. The cost of this guarantee is shared between the federal, state, and local governments; however, localities pay for the majority. Even though K-12 education funding is often the number one budget item for counties in terms of annual investment and Boards of Supervisors must balance it with other budgeting obligations, the development of the school budget process begins under the supervision of school superintendents and local school boards. This division can often lead to conflict and impasse.
The success of this system is dependent upon collaboration and communication between local school divisions and the local governing body. Stafford County Supervisor and VACo Second Vice President Meg Bohmke and Superintendent of Stafford County Public Schools Dr. Scott Kizner join VACo’s Jeremy Bennett to discuss the K-12 education budget process and best practices to ensure healthy collaboration between school divisions and boards of supervisors.
This episode is sponsored by VACORP – the premier group self-insurance pool providing comprehensive coverage and risk management services to Virginia public entities.
VACo Contact: Jeremy Bennett