Recommending Certain K-12 Educational Programs as Highest Priority for State Budget
Resolution Number 2002-27
October 16, 2002
Resolution of the Board of Education on the K-12 Education Components of the State Budget
WHEREAS, as it routinely does every year in the fall, the Virginia Board of Education wishes to communicate its spending priorities to the Governor and the General Assembly for their consideration as they make budget decisions,
WHEREAS, the Board acknowledges the serious revenue shortfall facing state government at this time, and also acknowledges that Virginia’s budget must be balanced and that the current revenue shortfall means that cuts in previously appropriated funds must be made by the Governor and the General Assembly in order to balance the budget, and
WHEREAS, the Board does not minimize the difficulty of the challenge facing the Governor and the General Assembly in balancing the state’s budget, and
WHEREAS, the Board believes nonetheless that public education is of the highest priority in the state budget, and that there are certain core educational programs in the K-12 public education budget that should be of the highest priority for maintaining spending and, to the maximum extent possible, should not be the programs in the state budget chosen for reducing already appropriated amounts,
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board urges the Governor and the General Assembly of Virginia to consider the following K-12 educational programs to be of the highest priority and urges that everything possible be done to avoid reductions in already appropriated funds in these core programs:
a. Standards of Quality (SOQ) basic aid accounts, including funding for teacher and principal positions and salaries;
b. Non-SOQ programs directly related to meeting the student achievement goals of the Standards of Learning and the federal No Child Left Behind legislation.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board’s position contained herein shall be communicated to the Governor and the General Assembly for their consideration.
Signature:
Mark C. Christie, President
Board of Education
Adopted in the Minutes of the Virginia Board of Education
October 16, 2002