– House Budget Plan Provides over $205 million in Direct State Aid to Loudoun County Schools – — Proposed VRS Changes Estimated to Result in Additional $12.6 million in Available Funds – — Net Additional Funds of $19.6 million compared to Kaine’s Introduced Budget –

RICHMOND, VA – Under a budget plan approved by the House Appropriations Committee and now under consideration by the Virginia House of Delegates, Loudoun County Schools will receive over $205 million in direct state aid in Fiscal Year 2011. Additionally, Loudoun will be able to reduce expenditures made in contributions to the Virginia Retirement System (VRS), which will free up $12.6 million more in funding for local schools.

“As a result of the hard work put in by many different groups, Loudoun schools will experience a net increase of 17.3% in available funds compared to the budget proposed by then-Governor Timothy M. Kaine,” said Delegate Tag Greason (R-Loudoun).

Virginia’s government is experiencing the most serious and sustained state revenue reductions in generations. The reduced fiscal outlook and taxpayer anxieties, brought on by the ongoing recession, have resulted in the Commonwealth having to enact spending cuts. Prior to last year, state funding for public education was held harmless, while funding for other state agencies and services were reduced significantly during earlier rounds of budget cuts. Over the last 10 years, Virginia has increased its funding for public education by almost 60% (58.9) from $3.7 billion in Fiscal Year 2000 up to $5.9 billion in FY 2010.

On the heels of a January 21, 2010 unanimous, bipartisan vote (97-0) to reject Governor Kaine’s plan for increasing state income taxes, the House Republicans have pledged to balance the next state budget without increasing taxes, while attempting to reduce the impact of potential cuts to K-12 education.

Additionally, the House plan proposes giving local school divisions significantly greater flexibility in allocating the funds provided to them by the state.

“Under our plan, portions of direct state aid will be distributed as a block grant and state mandates relaxed, easing the restrictions inherent in the existing Standards of Quality (SOQ),” noted Delegate Greason.

Recognizing that responding to challenging economic times prohibits a “one-size-fits-all” approach, the House gives local schools the ability to make the most of available funds, allowing them to determine where best to dedicate available resources.

“Here in the Commonwealth, we have a constitutional obligation to balance our budget, and we cannot spend money that we do not have. Asking already strapped and struggling taxpayers to pay more through tax increases would only make matters worse. We must be fiscally sound and innovative to get through these very tough times,” Greason said.

Delegate Greason was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2009. He represents the 32nd House District of Eastern Loudoun County. For more information regarding Delegate Greason please visit his website – www.TagGreason.com

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