Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Budget And Education Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Stafford’s Richmond advocates report possible $5M boost this year, $12M next for schools
Summary
County intergovernmental staff told supervisors that the General Assembly conference budget could add about $5 million for Stafford schools in FY25 and $12 million in FY26, while county advocates continue pushing state leaders on disabled‑veterans tax reimbursements and broader education funding changes from JLARC.
Lauren Gilbert, Stafford County intergovernmental affairs lead, briefed the Board of Supervisors on April 15 about outcomes from the recent Virginia General Assembly session and what they could mean for Stafford schools.
Gilbert said the conference budget passed by the House and Senate — now on the governor’s desk — would “stand to gain $5,000,000 additional dollars in fiscal year 25 and $12,000,000 additional dollars in fiscal year 26” for Stafford County schools, if the governor signs the amended budget into law.
The county’s delegation and staff also continued work during session on a separate priority: state assistance to replace lost revenue caused by local disabled‑veterans real‑estate tax exemptions. Gilbert said staff presented to the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee and the military caucus to show how the exemption has increased local costs; she listed Senators and Delegates who had been briefed and said the issue will remain a priority for next year’s legislative program.
Gilbert also summarized the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) review of school funding released in 2023. She said JLARC produced about 20 recommendations to modernize the formula that determines state education funding. Because JLARC recommended some structural changes be phased to avoid localities losing money, Gilbert told the board the committee is taking an incremental approach: “They don’t want to break things as they go through fixing things.”
Board members asked whether the governor might veto the conference budget and what the timing is for final action. Gilbert said governors sometimes alter budgets, and noted the governor has until May 2 to act. She also warned board members that General Assembly leadership had signaled skepticism about measures that would create new ongoing spending because of projected revenue constraints.
Why it matters: Stafford officials said the $5 million and $12 million numbers in the conference budget would materially affect the county’s schools if they are approved. County staff said they will continue outreach to key members of the money committees, the veterans caucus and statewide municipal associations to press for targeted state help on the disabled‑veterans exemption and for implementation of priority JLARC recommendations.
What’s next: Staff said they will begin drafting the county’s 2026 legislative program in May and plan to return a revised program to the Board in July.
Ending: Gilbert said staff will continue to monitor the governor’s actions and to brief the board if the budget changes or if new opportunities for state funding emerge.
