House Budget Could Scrap $6 Million Dollars From Fairfax Schools

As the Virginia General Assembly prepares for a fight over next year's budget, one chamber has proposed deep cuts in K-12 funding.

The House of Delegates' version of the 2012 budget  takes away approximately $93 million in funding overall, with a $6 million dollar reduction from Fairfax County Public Schools.

The reduction is coupled with several unfunded mandates the school district must fufill; a physical education requirement which will cost the school district an estimated $8 million and all-day kindergarten requirement which also carries an $8 million price tag.

The House budget also includes a $25 million tax credit for private schools and a $66 million fund for local governments to use for a 2 percent bonus for teachers.

Though not identical, the House budget is very similar to the plan Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) suggested. While some of the "yeas" on the House bill came from Democrats, every vote against the budget was from a Democrat.

Republicans have expressed a need to trim the budget, while also funding areas that would bring in more jobs.  And supporters of the House's proposed budget have touted it as an example for fiscal responsibility.

"I commend the leadership of the House Appropriations Committee for their hard work and thoughtful crafting of this year’s budget amendments which are a testament to good fiscal management," said House Speaker William Howell (R-Stafford) in a press release.

Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights) spoke on the floor Monday about the "tale of two budgets," calling the House budget, "fiscally responsible, [with a] structural defecit [of] $20 million. In the state Senate, a culture of spending, [with a] structural defecit [of] $315.9 million."

Although the county only receives 19 percent of its funding from the commonwealth—compared to other school systems in Virginia which receive 40 to 50 percent but can receive as much as 80 percent —a cut of this size could cause further problems for a district already struggling with a gap in provided funds and requested funds. 

Earlier this month Fairfax County Public Schools adopted a , which anticipated the district receiving more commonwealth funding than last year.

Though superintendent Jack Dale was not available for comment, media spokesperson Paul Regnier said a reduction in state funding would result in additional cuts elsewhere.

"[A] six million dollar loss in funding is not good. We are already asking for an increase in local funds from the supervisors," Regnier said. "A six million [dollar] cut is obviously another six million we'll have to make up somewhere else, or we'll have to cut it from somewhere else. I have no idea where we could cut it from."

If the final budget includes the cuts, Supervisor Gerry Hyland said, it will force the Board of Supervisors to reevalute how much money they will give to the school district.

"Already we have a very large gap between what the school is asking us to fund and what we'll propose to fund," Hyland said. "If the state gives less, we'll have to give more. It makes it that much harder for us, and the way we'd have to raise the funds is obviously through the local tax rates."

"It's awful. Our schools are completely underfunded," said delegate Scott Surovell, who voted against the House bill. "And to give $25 million in credits to private schools: that is ridiculous."

Many members of the Democrat-controlled Senate have openly professed their disagreement with a version which contains education cuts.

The chamber decided transportation should be funded through the same revenue streams as before rather than additional commonwealth funds. The Senate version of the budget would give public schools approximately $100 million dollars.

Versions of the budget in both the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates were proposed Feb. 6, and, by Feb. 11 the bills were amended and approved. The entire General Assembly must now re-examine the two budgets to create an identical and majority-approved, final version before the governor can sign it. This must be accomplished for the legislative session to end on Feb. 26.

Editors Note: This article has been updated since it was orignially published.