While the Virginia Legislature and Governor Glenn Youngkin continue to bicker over future school funding, one bill aimed at giving localities more authority to raise funds for school construction is likely to be signed in the coming weeks.
Virginia is a Dillon rule state. That means localities only have powers vested in them by the state. The Commonwealth is also low-tax and low-service, meaning localities often struggle to fund their needs. But a bill from Roanoke Delegate Sam Rasoul aims to address both issues at once.
“While there are lots of conversations around tax policy, this one enjoys broad support,” Rasoul said of hist effort which would give localities the authority to levy a 1 percent additional sales tax to fund school construction and modernization following a referendum on the ballot.
The bill got bi-partisan support after being recommended by a state commission in 2022.
Currently, nine localities have the power to levy the tax, but the bill would expand it to all localities across Virginia. Pittsylvania County got the power a few years back. Since it kicked in last summer, the county has collected over $1.7 million for school structural fixes.
Mark Jones is Pittsylvania County Schools’ Superintendent. He led the campaign to get the tax passed and said it’s already paying off.
“The revenues coming in, they’re adding up for us,” Jones told Radio IQ. “That one percent does multiply when you’ve got 60 thousand residents and people passing through.”
While Rasoul sponsored the bill, he would actually prefer the state give more money directly to counties. In the meantime, though, the levies would spread the cost equally to avoid bumping up property taxes.
Laura Goren is with the progressive-leaning Commonwealth Institute. She’s also not a fan of expanding sales taxes, but in the face of few alternatives, she said the system works.
“Local voters understand that as an important need and voters support it when there’s not a lot of options in Virginia,“ Goren.
Youngkin hasn’t yet signed the bill, but it likely would have enough support in both chambers to survive a veto.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
