The salary increase is long overdue. The increase is
funded for ten and a half months – apparently a compromise between the Senate’s
ten months and the House’s 11 months that they had proposed in earlier
budgets. The teacher raise is also lower
than the amount being provided to state workers, faculty at universities and
colleges, and state-supported local employees such as Commissioners of Revenue
and Treasurers.
Other than the pay increase and the funding for VRS, there are
only minor changes to K-12 funding. There
is $52.9 million for school construction loans through the Literary Fund. This is more than there has been in the fund
for loans for years but less than what the Governor had proposed for
construction loans and interest rate subsidies.
There is some money for K-12 initiatives such as extended year programs
and training.
The budget language does keep hope of a statewide health insurance
option alive. It “Includes language instructing the Department of Human Resource
Management to conduct an actuarial analysis of the impact of including
employees of political subdivisions and their dependents in the state employee
health plan and also to conduct a review of the Local Choice Health program.”
Much more detail will be coming out from VEA soon. From here, each of the two chambers vote on
the budget. Assuming they pass it, it
then goes to the Governor.
On the legislative front, the House passed the Dickie Bell’s
virtual school bill, HB324, but it contains a reenactment clause requiring
passage next year if it is to go into effect.
The vote was 61-38.
Senator Howell’s teacher turnover study, SJR218, passed the House
on a 99-0 vote.
Obenshain’s Charter School Constitutional Amendment, SJR256, which
had passes the Senate by 1 vote (See yesterday’s post), passed the House on a58-42 vote.
In the Senate, Delegate Farrell’s bill, HB1320, prohibiting
requiring teachers to pay for courses for relicensure, passed 39-0 in a block
vote.
