Democrat led Senate panel kills efforts to track English Learner funding

The Democrat led Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee has rejected a proposal to collect data on this issue.

This effort was prompted by a report from 2023, which revealed that Virginia had underfunded schools in accordance with the Standards of Quality. (SOQ), the state’s formula for funding public education. The report was requested by lawmakers to determine if ELL students received adequate funding for schooling and identify any gaps.

The funding gap is huge. VPM reported that a 2022 study by EdTrust, a group advocating for education, found that Virginia school districts with the most ELL students received 48% less per student revenue than districts with fewer ELL children.

“It’s important that we, as a Commonwealth, provide funding for the needs that we have set forth so that local appropriations will not be needed to fill that gap,” Del. Atoosa Reaser, D-Loudoun and the sponsor of the bill, stated Monday.

“That money belongs to the tax payer; and, in my view, the state should be funding its fair share which the House Budget works towards.”

The House Bill 2032 directed the Virginia Department of Education to collect data about expenditures and proficiency for ELL students. The bill also required the identification of new support strategies, and that a status update be presented to legislators later this year. The Virginia Department of Planning and Budget, however, found that there was no fiscal impact expected, since data on proficiency are already collected.

The proposal was approved by the House Jan. 28 but not without some changes. The House Education Committee chair, Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke), sponsored HB 1954. Instead of removing the provision that would allocate additional state funding to ELL students, lawmakers incorporated it into HB 54. This bill failed as well, but it could be brought up again during budget negotiations.

The Joint Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education was created last year to review JLARC recommendations and replace the outdated formula. Sen. Mamie L. Locke (D-Hampton), the chair of the committee, asked the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee on Monday to put the English Learner Funding Bill on hold, arguing the panel’s job isn’t done.

“It is important that we look at all the JLARC’s recommendations,” Locke added, noting that some of these proposals were already addressed in the budget of the state.

The bill coincides with changes made by the Virginia Board of Education that require that more English Learner test scores be included in calculations of school accountability — . This could have serious consequences for schools serving large ELL populations.

Some Democrats, however, are pushing for a delay in the implementation of the new accountability systems, citing concerns over fairness and accuracy when measuring student performance. The debate about funding for English learners is still tied to a larger battle over how Virginia finances its schools.