Yesterday afternoon, the Senate of Virginia and the Virginia House of Delegates Conference Committee released their Report for revisions to the 2024-2026 Biennial Budget. Below you will find amendments in the Conference Report that relate to K-12 public education. To review the entire Conference Report released by budget negotiators, click here.
The Virginia General Assembly will vote on the Conference Report tomorrow, February 22, 2025. If passed by the General Assembly, the revisions to the budget will go to Governor Glenn Youngkin. The Governor can sign, revise, or veto the budget revisions.
The VSBA Government Relations team will update members on budget developments as they arise. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at jason@vsba.org.
Item 125 #2c- This amendment provides $134.4 million from the general fund the first year to fund the cost of up to a $1,000 bonus per funded SOQ instructional and support position no later than June 1, 2025. There is no required local match.
Item 125 #6c- This amendment provides $52.8 million in fiscal year 2026 for an add on to basic aid of 4.75 percent for special education students receiving Level I services and 5.25 percent for special education students receiving Level II services. Level I (resource) services are less intense than Level II (self-contained) services. This is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education Funding.
Item 125 #9c- This amendment (i) increases the amount available for school construction assistance grants by $10.0 million the second year, recognizing additional available fiscal year 2025 casino gaming revenues; and (ii) eliminates the proposed transfer of $150.0 million from the Literary Fund to the School Construction Fund for construction assistance grants in the first year, ensuring sufficient Fund balances will be available for school construction loans or other allowable uses in the upcoming biennium. These actions provide $310.0 million for School Construction Assistance Grants over the biennium, an increase of $150.0 million from the adopted budget.
Item 125 #11c- This amendment provides $222.9 million from the general fund the second year to raise the support cap to the prevailing ratio of 27.89 positions per 1,000 students in fiscal year 2026 based on the recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education Funding.
Item 3-5.03 #1c- This amendment directs staff from the Department of Planning and Budget, Department of Taxation, House Appropriations Committee, and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee to collaborate to propose legislative changes to streamline the flow of certain sales tax revenues that are currently required to first be deposited into a special fund. In practice, these funds are later transferred into the general fund for public education purposes.
