April 2022 General Fund Revenues Exceed Forecasts

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that April revenue collections exceeded forecasts, growing 45.7 percent over April of 2021. General fund revenues were approximately $1.9 billion higher year-to-date than the mid-session revised forecast issued in February. Total revenue collections have risen 19.0 percent through April, well ahead of the revised annual forecast of 9.2 percent growth. 

In percentage terms, payroll withholding and sales tax collections grew 4.8 percent and 8.4 percent in April, respectively. Fiscal year-to-date, withholding revenues are up 9.5 percent, ahead of the full-year forecast growth rate of 9.0 percent, and sales tax collections are up 14.4 percent, ahead of the annual 11.4 percent forecast.

Continued revenue growth is supported by a steady economy as well as recent improved job growth. From January to March, the number of employed Virginians increased by 42,000, ranking Virginia 14th among the states for employment growth during that time. 

The full April 2022 revenue report is available here. 

School Safety Grant Applications Announced

Grants are available through the Fiscal Year 2022 School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) via the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The program's goal is to improve security at schools and on school grounds through evidence-based school safety programs and technology. Under this program, $53 million is available to states, units of local government, Indian tribes, and their public agencies, including school districts (including charter school districts and school districts with a single school), school boards, and law enforcement agencies.  

Each application must accompanied by an assurance that the application was prepared after consultation with individuals not limited to law enforcement officers (including licensed mental health professionals, social workers, students, parents, school violence researchers/academics (if practical), teachers, principals, and other school personnel) to ensure that improvements to be funded under the grant are consistent with a comprehensive approach to preventing school violence; protective of student privacy and ensure that students are not discriminated against on the basis of race, national origin, disability, religion, or sex; and, individualized to the needs of each school at which those improvements are to be made.  Applications are due June 14. The announcement and submission guidelines are available at https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2022ProgramDocs/svpp/solicitation.pdf. 

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) also announced that grants are available for its STOP School Violence Program. Applications may be submitted that address one or more of the following areas:  

• developing and operating technology solutions such as anonymous reporting systems for threats of school violence; 
• multidisciplinary behavioral threat assessment and/or intervention teams; training school personnel and educating students on preventing school violence, including strategies to improve a school climate; 
• specialized training for law enforcement who work in schools and/or with school-age populations such as school resource officers (SROs) and probation officers; and
• hiring of school support personnel such as climate specialists, school psychologists, school social workers, school-based violence interrupters, and others directly supporting the prevention of school violence. 

Grant applications are due by June 14. The full grant announcement is available online at bja.ojp.gov/funding/O-BJA-2022-171118.pdf.