Interesting new report from the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis; check it out.
Statewide K-12 Funding Trends At-a-Glance
Trends and statistics statewide and for all 132 school divisions
RICHMOND, VA — State funding for K-12 education is still down when compared to pre-recession levels. Statewide, students will see 8% less funding from the state than they did in 2008-2009, adjusting for inflation. Schools are increasingly reliant on local governments for funding with localities spending $4.2 billion more than the state required to meet the state’s staffing standards. Meanwhile, enrollment has increased by more than 55,000 students, while overall staffing has declined. Support staff have seen particularly large decreases, falling by 2,329 positions since 2008-2009.
Those are just a few of the key findings summarized by The Commonwealth Institute’s latest report of K-12 facts and trends in Virginia. Summaries highlight enrollment, staffing, demographic, and funding trends for Virginia’s public schools both statewide and for all 132 school divisions in an easy-to-read format. The analysis comes at a critical time as state lawmakers start building the state’s next two-year budget and the Virginia Board of Education considers funding proposals that would lift state investment by $950 million.
“These numbers show once again that, despite 10 consecutive years of economic growth, state funding continues to significantly lag where we were a decade ago,” says Chris Duncombe, policy director at The Commonwealth Institute. “Some of the school divisions that have seen their state funding drop the most also have high child poverty rates, such as communities like Mecklenburg, Richmond, and Hampton, where funding can make the biggest impact for improving student outcomes.”
Links to the statewide and individual division fact sheets can be found at www.thecommonwealthinstitute.org
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About The Commonwealth Institute
The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis provides credible, independent, and accessible information and analyses of fiscal and economic issues with particular attention to the impacts on low- and moderate-income persons. Our products inform fiscal and budget policy debates and contribute to sound decisions that improve the well-being of individuals, communities and Virginia as a whole. Visit www.thecommonwealthinstitute.org for more information.
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