Kaine Vows to Fight Efforts To Re-Solicit Bids for Project

In developing their proposal to meet the state's standards of quality, House Republicans are rewriting some funding formulas to try to save money that they propose to spend on school construction and other education initiatives.

Democrats, backed by the Virginia Education Association and local governments, say the change would mean that the state eventually would not be responsible for funding a portion of teacher salaries.

Many local governments offer teachers raises above the percentage increase funded by state lawmakers.

But those raises, whether offered by the state or local governments, are factored into schools' basic needs when lawmakers consider state funding to meet the standards of quality, a constitutional requirement that school funding be readjusted every two years.

Under the House proposal, starting in fiscal 2012, the state would be responsible only for the pay raises state lawmakers approve, not the additional money offered by local governments.

House and Senate Democrats say the change will deny local governments hundreds of millions of dollars in aid, crushing efforts to increase teacher pay and bolster school funding.

"This is a defining moment and will have long-lasting ramifications on public education for years to come," said House Minority Leader Ward L. Armstrong (D-Henry).