Proposal to examine spending disparities dies in committee despite evidence of inequities.
A push to examine how Virginia funds English language learners (ELLs) in public schools was shut down Monday, as the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee rejected a proposal for data collection on the issue.
The effort stemmed from a 2023 report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), which found that Virginia has been underfunding schools under the Standards of Quality (SOQ) — the state’s funding formula for public education. Lawmakers had requested the report to identify gaps in school funding and determine whether ELL students were receiving adequate resources.
The funding gap is stark. A 2022 study from EdTrust, an education advocacy group, showed that Virginia school districts serving the highest number of ELL students receive 48% less revenue per student than districts with fewer ELL students, VPM first reported.
“I think it’s important for us, as a commonwealth, to provide funding for the requirements that we set forth, so that local appropriations are not needed to close that gap,” Del. Atoosa Reaser, D-Loudoun, the legislation’s sponsor, said Monday.
“That’s money that belongs to the taxpayer; and the state should be, in my opinion, funding its fair share, which the House budget works toward.”
Read the full article: https://virginiamercury.com/2025/02/17/senate-panel-kills-effort-to-track-english-learner-funding/
