The 2006 General Assembly is now in session
Week 5 Update—February 10, 2006
“Cross-over day,” the last day for each house to act on its own bills, is February 14. House and Senate versions of the two-year budget for fiscal years 2007 and 2008 will be released on February 19.
The House Education Committee meets on Mondays at 9:00 a.m. in House Room C and Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. in the Appropriations Room. The Senate Education and Health Committee meets on Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. in Senate Room B. Sub-committees will meet periodically throughout the session. Click here for a schedule of weekly meetings (Meetings).
The Budget
With so much focus so far this session on funding for transportation improvements, there’s been little attention on the public education budget. The House and Senate money committees are working off the budget proposal submitted by Mark Warner in his final days as governor, which contains $1.5 billion more for public education over the two-year period. Most of this funding ($942 million) is to update state costs of the Standards of Quality (SOQ). Also for the money committee’s consideration is an additional 1% teacher salary increase proposed by Governor Tim Kaine shortly after he took office. This would be on top of the 3% payhike contained in the introduced version of the budget.
Click here for additional information about Warner's proposed education budget for 2006-2008 (Budget Bill)
Legislation
The House Finance Committee reported, on a party line vote, HB 1294, which creates the Public/Private Education Investment Tax Credit. The bill creates income tax credits for businesses and individuals who contribute to certain scholarship foundations. A public school foundation, as stipulated in the bill, would be required to disburse 90% of its contributions for capital improvement projects and extracurricular activities approved by the local school board. A scholarship foundation would have to distribute a like amount for qualified educational expenses to any public, private or home-schooled student. The bill was approved on a 14-8 vote, without discussion or testimony. A similar measure was approved by the House last year before being left in a Senate committee.
The Senate Finance Committee reported SB 61, which provides the framework for funding four additional standards (in the Standards of Quality) endorsed by the Board of Education in 2004 but not yet funded. Those standards increase the number of principals and assistant principals, provide for reading specialists in schools and caseloads for speech language pathologists. However, the Committee stipulated that the measure becomes effective only if funded in the budget to be approved this session. The bill awaits final action on the Senate floor.
The Finance Committee also approved SB 324, directing the state, in its biennial review of compensation for teachers and other occupations requiring similar education and training, to consider Virginia’s teacher pay as it compares with other Southern Region Education Board states. The approved bill also reiterates that continuing contract teachers be evaluated at least once every three years.
Here’s an update on some other action this past week:
The House approved HB 19, which directs the Board of Education to collect, analyze, and report high school graduation and dropout data, in order to ensure uniform assessment of such rates. The bill would take effect October 1, 2008.
HB 532 was unanimously approved by the House. This bill provides a sales tax exemption for certain school supplies, clothing and footwear, and computers purchased during a three-day period each year beginning on the first Friday in August. A similar measure, SB 571 is pending in the Senate Finance Committee.
Slightly different House and Senate versions of a bill concerning the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act are on their way to approval. The House approved HB 1427, which directs the BOE to develop a plan to eliminate certain No Child Left Behind (NLCB) Act initiatives that are not integral to the state’s education reform efforts. The Senate version, SB 410, additionally charges the Attorney General with estimating legal costs in the event that the eliminating any initiatives results in withholding of federal Title I funds. Additionally, on the House floor for approval is HB 1428, which directs the Board of Education to request certain waivers from the NCLB Act.
SB 599, which would have required school boards to teach physical education in all grades, was carried over for the year in Senate Education and Health
Please contact CEPI if you have any questions or need additional information about the 2006 General Assembly.
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