HB1800: School divisions, local; requires 65% of each education dollar to be spent in classroom, report.

HOUSE BILL NO. 1800
Offered January 14, 2009
Prefiled January 9, 2009
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sections numbered 22.1-18.2 and 22.1-90.1, relating to instructional spending in the classroom.
Patron-- Loupassi

Committee Referral Pending

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding sections numbered 22.1-18.2 and 22.1-90.1 as follows:

22.1-18.2. Annual report to General Assembly on instructional spending.

Beginning on July 1, 2010, the Board shall annually report to the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Appropriations the amount of spending allocated by local school boards to instructional spending for each fiscal year based on the reports submitted to the Board in accordance with 22.1-90.1.

22.1-90.1. Annual report to Board of Education on instructional spending.

A. Each local school board shall report annually to the Board of Education the percentage of its operating budget allocated to instructional spending for each fiscal year. "Instructional spending" means any current expenditures for activities directly associated with the interaction between teachers and students, including teacher salaries and benefits, supplies, textbooks, and purchased instructional services. "Instructional spending" does not include expenditures such as food services; interscholastic athletics; community services; adult education; operation and maintenance of buildings; school administration; student support services for nurses, guidance counselors, and therapists; and student transportation.

B. Any school board that, according to its annual report, spent less than 65 percent of its operating budget on instructional spending for the reported fiscal year shall present a plan to the Board to increase such expenditures by 0.5 percent in the following fiscal year. Any school board failing to submit such a plan shall be audited by the Auditor of Public Accounts pursuant to 15.2-2511. The Auditor of Public Accounts shall, upon completing such audit, submit recommendations to the Board including instruction concerning how school divisions failing to meet the 65 percent requirement may increase their instructional spending to 65 percent in the next fiscal year. The Board shall develop a plan, based upon the recommendations, to assist such school divisions in increasing instructional spending.