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2002 SESSION

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SB 216 Elementary and secondary educational programs; funding.

Introduced by: Patricia S. Ticer | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Funding for elementary and secondary educational programs. Modifies the Standards of Quality to (i) require the assignment of instructional personnel in a manner that produces schoolwide ratios of students in average daily memberships to full-time equivalent teaching positions of twenty-one to one in middle schools and high schools and to (ii) codify the regulatory requirement in the Standards of Accreditation that each elementary school provide instruction in art, music, and physical education and health (8 VAC 20-131-80) and provides that funding for elementary school resource teacher positions for art, physical education and health, and music shall be provided from basic school aid on the basis of prevailing statewide costs.

In addition, the bill provides that notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Commonwealth shall fund at least 55 percent of the total actual costs of public education. The Standards of Quality and the formulas used by the Commonwealth to distribute funds to localities to meet the Standards of Quality shall be reviewed and revised biennially to meet such requirement. Beginning with the budget for fiscal year 2003, the Governor shall include in his budget recommendations adequate funds to meet the requirements of this bill.

Finally, the measure increases, in the statute regarding educational opportunity programs, the program for at-risk four-year-olds to cover 100 percent of the eligible children and to provide funding to those localities that have been delivering this program prior to the enactment of this statute and the provision of funding in the appropriation act. Those localities that have previously implemented these programs through local and federal moneys and have not received any state grants for at-risk four-year-old programs would be eligible for funding in the 2002-2003 fiscal year. If the local funding in 2001-2002 was more than the required local match for state funds in the 2002-2003 fiscal year, reduction of the local funding would not be construed as supplanting of state funds.

These amendments reflect several of the recommendations offered by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission study of elementary and secondary school funding, released in fall 2001.


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