Welcome to our Resources page, where you can find information to support your advocacy for increased school funding and resource equity. As Fund Our Schools continues to fight, we will update our resources, so check in with us often!
Resources
Facts on K-12 Vouchers and Savings Accounts
Across the country there’s a growing push by billionaire donors, religious groups, and extreme lawmakers to privatize public education through voucher programs. Often backed by well-funded national organizations, these efforts have gained traction in state legislatures, including right here at home. In Virginia, some politicians are advancing proposals that would divert public tax dollars away from public schools and into private and religious institutions. This includes plans for Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), which are a type of voucher and framed as expanding “parental choice,” but in practice use public money to pay for private school tuition, homeschooling, and other non-public education expenses. These programs only benefit a small number of families, often those who already attend private schools, while public schools are left with fewer resources to support the students who remain. Virginia public schools serve 90% of all K-12 students and 95% of students with disabilities.
Eliminate the State’s Cap on School Support Staff
In 2009, lawmakers added language to the budget creating a “cap” on support staff funding — cutting hundreds of millions in state funding for support staff. Between 2009 and 2019, support staff in Virginia schools has declined by 2,800 positions while student enrollment increased by more than 57,000 students. The Virginia Board of Education has repeatedly recommended lifting this arbitrary and damaging cap; doing so over the upcoming budget would cost $778 million.