After months of steering committee meetings, lively debate and participation through the association’s legislative process, VACo adopted its 2018 Legislative Program. The Legislative Program is organized according to VACo’s Steering Committees.
VACo membership identified “Increased Education Funding” as the overarching legislative priority for the 2018 General Assembly Session.
VACo’s overarching legislative priority is:
To assure each child in Virginia a quality education necessary for his or her success, VACo calls upon the Governor and General Assembly to fully fund the Standards of Quality as recommended by the Board of Education, where these recommendations coincide with prevailing local practice, as well as the Standards of Accreditation.
The provision of a quality education for all Virginia’s children is the most important function of state and local government. The infusion of K-12 funding provided in the 2016 General Assembly session and the additional dollars supplied in 2017 were steps in the right direction toward restoring the state’s partnership with localities in fulfilling this critical mission. However, when adjusted for inflation, state direct aid per-pupil spending on public education in FY 2018 is less than funding levels in FY 2006. With increased educational mandates, increased numbers of students, increased numbers of students with special needs, and state policy changes that decreased education funding, local school divisions have had to eliminate important academic programs, cut instructional and support staff, and increase class sizes, despite strong local efforts to improve efficiencies in public education.
VACo’s 2018 Legislative Program also addresses other priorities in the realms of Economic Development and Planning, Education, Environment and Agriculture, Finance, General Government, Health and Human Services, and Transportation.
Click here for the 2018 Legislative Program
VACo Contact: Joe Lerch, AICP