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The Prince William Board of County Supervisors and School Board discussed 2024 legislative priorities with the Prince William state delegation Monday, emphasizing the need to improve funding for schools.
Specifically, the discussion centered around the need to raise per pupil spending – and funding – in Prince William County.
This issue was outlined in a report released earlier this year by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission that evaluated the cost of education in Virginia and provided an assessment of the costs of the Standards of Quality.
State Sen. Jeremy McPike, who represents the 29th District, implored everyone in the room to read and study the report, even to “tuck it underneath the pillow” as they sleep.
“It should be one of the top priorities because education investment is one of the key things that we have fallen behind in,” McPike said.
Education funding
The Virginia General Assembly directed the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to conduct this study last year.
The Standards of Quality funding formula is how the General Assembly fulfills its obligation to establish and maintain a high quality public school system.
The formula estimates how many staff positions are needed for each school division, then applies cost assumptions to estimate the cost of K-12 staff needed in each division.
That cost is then apportioned between the state and local government using the Local Composite Index.
School Board Chairman Babur Lateef urged the delegation to consider full funding for meeting the Standards of Quality in order to address one of the main challenges the School Board deals with, which is funding limitations.
The two other challenges Lateef shared with the delegation were national staffing shortages and mental health and workforce readiness.
Lateef told the delegation and supervisors that addressing staffing shortages was the main legislative priority of the School Board.
Some of the ways the School Board wants to address this issue is by strengthening Virginia’s teacher pipeline by providing financial incentives to those pursuing teaching careers and ensuring nationally competitive teacher retention by increasing funding.
Mental health support
The final priority of the School Board, Lateef said, was mental health.
“We are going to be pushing bills to increase mental health supports and enhance supports that allow students to have advanced academic options,” he said.
Senator McPike said Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin will propose the full, bi-annual budget Dec. 20 and the General Assembly will take it from there.
“To some extent, the tradition is the governor proposes, the General Assembly disposes,” McPike said.
Glynn Loope, the county’s legislative liaison, presented the Board of County Supervisors legislative priorities, which included funding for transportation safety improvements, support for legislation that addresses traffic safety around daycare facilities, legislation regarding abandoned property, affordable housing and many other agenda items.
One of the most pressing legislative priorities outlined by Loope was mental health care.
Senator McPike said Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin will propose the full, bi-annual budget Dec. 20 and the General Assembly will take it from there.
“To some extent, the tradition is the governor proposes, the General Assembly disposes,” McPike said.
Glynn Loope, the county’s legislative liaison, presented the Board of County Supervisors legislative priorities, which included funding for transportation safety improvements, support for legislation that addresses traffic safety around daycare facilities, legislation regarding abandoned property, affordable housing and many other agenda items.
One of the most pressing legislative priorities outlined by Loope was mental health care.
“Our No. 1 appropriations request is ongoing funding operational support for the Crisis Receiving Center. This will be a request for $2.4 million in ongoing operating expenses,” Loope said.
The Crisis Receiving Center is set to open in late 2024 with full funding and will provide immediate, urgent mental or behavioral health care.
The center will have 16 23-hour observation units and 16 crisis residential beds where adults in a mental health crisis who require observation longer than 23-hours can stay.
Potomac District Supervisor Andrea Bailey thanked the county board for making it clear that mental health was their number one priority.
“Our No. 1 appropriations request is ongoing funding operational support for the Crisis Receiving Center. This will be a request for $2.4 million in ongoing operating expenses,” Loope said.
The Crisis Receiving Center is set to open in late 2024 with full funding and will provide immediate, urgent mental or behavioral health care.
The center will have 16 23-hour observation units and 16 crisis residential beds where adults in a mental health crisis who require observation longer than 23-hours can stay.
Potomac District Supervisor Andrea Bailey thanked the county board for making it clear that mental health was their number one priority.
“When you go to Richmond and you’re asking for more money, you can be confident that the Board of County Supervisors will delegate those dollars and the school division will spend those dollars in a way that I think will make you proud and will make a real return on investment for the citizens of Prince William County schools and our students,” Lateef said.
