A recent Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) report to the General Assembly found that Virginia relies more on localities to fund K-12 education than other states and that Virginia localities pay the highest share of total K-12 spending in the Southeastern U.S.

The report verified a spring survey by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS) that found drastic reductions in state funding for public education. VASS said those reductions along with maximum efforts by localities to replace lost funds have pushed Virginia schools to the limits of their capacity to meet today’s expectations and serve the needs of students.

The JLARC report on “Efficiency and Effectiveness of K12 Spending” also confirmed the VASS finding that Virginia school divisions are spending less per student than they did a decade ago and as a result they are on the verge of becoming less effective instructionally.

Since the beginning of the recession in 2008, the st...