School Boards in Virginia have been singing the blues since 2009 when an economic recession prompted massive budget cuts. Now polls and politicians suggest cash may again be flowing to public classrooms as Sandy Hausman reports.
It’s rare that citizens volunteer to pay higher taxes, but two-thirds of Virginians think the state is spending too little on public schools, and a recent survey by the Commonwealth Educational Policy Institute finds more than half willing to pay more to correct the problem. Governor McAuliffe’s budget provides an additional $850 million over the next two years, and at the Virginia Education Association, which represents teachers, President Meg Gruber says it’s about time.
“We’re looking forward to lowering class sizes again, putting programs back in place and also hopefully be able to give teachers a decent raise, which they haven’t had in six of the last eight years,” she says.
After adjusting for inflation, Gruber claims Virginia teachers are making about 15% less than they did in 2009, and while enrollments are rising, she says there are fewer teachers and support staff.
“We’ve lost about 5,000 positions, which is why we’ve had increases in class sizes and cuts in programs.”
Gruber also hopes some new spending will go to schools serving low-income families.
“You have children coming into kindergarten who don’t know their letters and their colors yet," she explains, but in wealthier districts, "you have other children coming into kindergarten reading from the supports they get at home and in pre-K.”
The survey of about 800 Virginians found 63% favored funneling money to poor inner-city and rural schools. The poll also asked about testing and about school safety. A majority said teachers spend too much time preparing kids for standardized tests and despite high profile shootings in other parts of the country, most Virginians say their schools are safe.