GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6 of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill No. 303.

Last year the State Board of Education acted to give elementary schools flexibility in their staffing requirements by allowing them to employ either reading specialists or guidance counselors to meet State accreditation requirements. The Board of Education did not prohibit elementary schools from hiring reading specialists and guidance counselors if they choose to employ both. But they are required to employ only one or the other.

I have confidence in local school boards to confer with the parents they serve and decide what staff they need in their elementary schools to best educate children in their respective communities. I spoke with parents about this issue in communities all over Virginia last year, and consistently heard agreement that they trusted their local school boards.

Some have argued that requiring local school boards to hire one or the other creates a financial Hobson's choice - that if they hire one they will not have the resources to hire the other. Not so. Over the next four years, I have pledged to provide localities State funds sufficient to hire 4,000 additional elementary school teachers, and I have included reading specialists in my proposal. Already in this year's budget is a new funding program for 1,400 additional elementary school teachers, including reading specialists. Thus, local school boards can use these new funding sources for reading specialists and hire guidance counselors with existing funding sources if they choose.

Therefore, I am returning this bill without my approval.