HJ112: Standards of Quality; Secretary of Education to study full funding.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 112

Offered January 10, 2018
Prefiled January 10, 2018
Requesting the Secretary of Education to study the requirements for the full funding of the Standards of Quality. Report.
Patron-- Rodman

Committee Referral Pending

WHEREAS, Article VIII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia requires the General Assembly to "provide for a system of free public elementary and secondary schools for all children of school age throughout the Commonwealth" and to "seek to ensure that an educational program of high quality is established and continually maintained"; and

WHEREAS, Article VIII, Section 2 of the Constitution of Virginia requires the Board of Education to determine and prescribe "Standards of quality for the several school divisions" and requires the General Assembly to "determine the manner in which funds are to be provided for the cost of maintaining an educational program meeting the prescribed standards of quality"; and

WHEREAS, in recent years, the General Assembly has failed to meet its constitutional obligation to maintain an educational program of high quality that meets the prescribed Standards of Quality by failing to provide for the full funding of such standards; and

WHEREAS, it is now imperative to determine the amount of funds required for the General Assembly to meet its constitutional obligation to maintain an educational program of high quality that meets the prescribed Standards of Quality; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Secretary of Education be requested to study the requirements for the full funding of the Standards of Quality.

In conducting his study, the Secretary of Education shall establish a work group consisting of interested stakeholders to review the current methods and formulae that the General Assembly utilizes to fund the Standards of Quality, with a particular focus on any adjustments or additional funding required to provide free public education to low-income students, students who receive special education, and English language learners.

Technical assistance shall be provided to the Secretary of Education by the Department of Education. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Secretary of Education for this study, upon request.

The Secretary of Education shall complete his meetings by November 30, 2018, and shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly an executive summary and a report of his findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports no later than the first day of the 2019 Regular Session of the General Assembly and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.