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March 13, 2010
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News McDonnell decision costs Halifax County $1.5 million
The News & Record / February 08, 2010
Gov. Bob McDonnell weighed in today on a school funding debate of particular interest to Halifax County schools — and the news from the governor’s office is not what local officials had hoped to hear.McDonnell announced today that he will support updating the Local Composite Index (LCI), the formula which determines state and local education funding responsibility, in the upcoming budget. His predecessor, former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, had proposed freezing the index to save money in the strapped state budget. The move favors northern Virginia, which stood to lose $128.3 million if the formula was not updated. The decision will mean that local governments in most other counties and cities in Virginia will be required to come up with a larger share of funding for school divisions. Perhaps no community had more riding on the decision than Halifax County, which stood to gain an extra benefit from an index freeze. Halifax is in the last year of a 15-year deal with the state giving the county an artificially low index. The county received the break to offset the costs of absorbing students from the South Boston school system when South Boston reverted to a town in 1994. Under the Kaine budget plan, Halifax County would have kept its low index for one more year. By losing it, the county will face a $1.5 million funding reduction from the state, on top of an estimated $3.4 million in cuts already plugged into Virginia’s education budget. In discarding the proposed index freeze, McDonnell said today the idea was “unprecedented” and would have represented a broken commitment on Virginia’s part. “For nearly forty years, the Local Composite Index has been an impartial means by which to determine state and local responsibility for education funding in Virginia,” said McDonnell in a written statement. “The application of this Index has always been done in an objective manner, using the most recent fiscal data to most fairly apportion state resources. “For many school districts, particularly in Northern Virginia, the biennial update of the Index has meant far less funding from the state than that received by school districts in localities experiencing lesser rates of economic growth. Accordingly, I will not support the proposed freeze in the budget introduced by the previous Administration. “The Local Composite Index must be applied to all localities, at all times, in the same objective and fair manner by which it has always been utilized.” McDonnell continued, “The decision to continue to update the Local Composite Index is one that I reached after extensive meetings with my finance staff, legislators, and local government officials. I thank all these individuals for their input and thoughts during the process. “Ensuring that we have a fair formula that is implemented without regard to temporary or political considerations is the best means by which to appropriate education funding in the Commonwealth. “Every time the Index is readjusted some school systems gain funding, while others receive less. This has occurred for nearly forty years, and local officials understand the routine and objective biennial implementation of the Index.” In announcing his decision to undo the proposed freeze of the Index, McDonnell also identified specific budget savings to account for the additional state spending required. The update will cost the state $29 million in FY 2011. To cover this increased funding, McDonnell will recommend to the General Assembly the transfer of $13 million from Literary Fund balances; $8 million through the use of available balances in the Health Insurance Fund to reduce state health insurance premiums; $5.2 million will be found in Real ID savings and an available $3 million will be captured in additional Non-General Fund balances. Budget recommendations will continue to be made and communicated to the legislature in the coming days, the statement from the governor’s office said. Tell-a-Friend | Submit a Comment |
HRH offers class for clergy03/12/10 - 11:36 am
Pastoral Care Services at Halifax Regional Hospital is offering a course to local clergy beginning March 26. “Pastoral Presence During Times of Illness, Death and Health Crisis” will be led by Chaplain Vance Midgett, manager…
UPDATE: Logging truck crash forces traffic detour in Halifax03/12/10 - 8:22 am
Separate detours for tractor trailers and other traffic will remain in place for several more hours on VA 360 in the Town of Halifax following at early morning incident involving a logging truck.
Monday fire03/11/10 - 8:20 am
Halifax County school class sizes slated to rise03/11/10 - 8:19 am
The Halifax County School Board agreed Monday to expand classroom sizes next year in tandem with new state rules that allow more students per classroom.
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