Governor Kaine is Proposing Cuts to K-12 Education!

Today, House Budget Leaders are up in arms about Governor Kaine's proposal to cut more than $220 million in K-12 education statewide.

It seems quite a coincidence that the Governor's Office happened to announce these spending cuts on the day of the Virginia Primaries... Did he honestly think we wouldn't notice these huge cuts to this core service??

The House budget will not include these drastic cuts that would be detrimental to children and teachers across the Commonwealth.

Below is the press release from House Appropriations Chairman, Delegate Lacey Putney.

House Budget Leaders Decry
Governor’s Cuts to K-12 Education

-- Republicans Dissatisfied with Kaine’s Proposed Reductions to School Funding --
-- $220 Million Cut to Education Spending Harms Every Virginia Locality --

RICHMOND, VA – In response to Governor Kaine’s proposal to address the $2 billion budget shortfall between fiscal years 2008 and 2010 by eliminating over $220 million in dedicated General Fund support for local school divisions, House Republican members of the conference committee on the state budget expressed deep concern over the negative impact on the Governor’s proposed cuts. Yesterday before the House Appropriations Committee, Finance Secretary Jody Wagner outlined the Governor’s proposed strategies for balancing the remainder of the fiscal year 2008 and 2009-2010 biennial budgets. Committee members continue to question Governor Kaine’s spending priorities as he recommends further cuts to educational aid to localities while pushing for new spending items totaling over $300 million.

“There is no doubt that Virginia’s current economic situation presents Governor Kaine and the legislature with difficult decisions on how best to allocate taxpayer funds,” noted Delegate Lacey E. Putney (I-Bedford), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. “However, that is no excuse to decrease important funding for our local elementary and secondary schools. Should the Governor’s recommended education cuts be implemented, the negative impact will be felt on school children across the Commonwealth.”

“Eliminating critical state support for our local school children so that the Governor can fund new and expanded programs is the wrong way to build a budget,” commented Delegate Phil Hamilton (R-Newport News), Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. “House Republicans are committed to improving the quality of life of Virginia students and adopting the Governor’s cuts to education would be counter to that goal.”

“The Governor’s cuts to education would mean $3.5 million less funding going to the localities’ schools that I represent,” said Delegate Hogan, a House budget conferee. “With our local communities struggling to deal with budgets relying on property taxes, it is ill-advised and the Commonwealth can ill-afford to pull the carpet out from under our schools. Governor Kaine’s cuts would do just that.”

With localities continuously struggling to keep up with the costs for school maintenance and construction needs, Governor Kaine’s proposed elimination of the $55 million of construction grants and the $165 million of lottery profits dedicated for school building projects seems misguided and unacceptable.

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