Governor Mark Warner joined local legislators and state and local education officials at Riverside Elementary School this week to discuss, what else? Education.
Specifically, K—12 education in the Commonwealth. Joining Warner were State Delegate Kris Amundson (D-44), a member of the governor’s task force on educational needs; Sen. Linda T. “Toddy” Puller (D-36), a member of the governor’s task force on education funding; Delegate James Dillard (R-41), chairman of the House Education Committee and Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerald Hyland who has just completed his term as president of the Virginia Association of Counties and School Board member Isis Castro, a member of the governor’s task force on educational accountability.
The meeting highlighted the needs of school construction across Virginia. According to a comprehensive study of K—12 schools conducted for the task force, school divisions across Virginia have $7.36 billion in unmet school construction and renovation needs. The survey showed that Virginia school buildings are aging — 46 percent of schools are more than 30 years old and have not been renovated. Additionally, 25 percent of the Commonwealth’s schools operate at more than 105 percent capacity.
The task force also looked at issues related to teacher quality. The school’s professional development program, which recruited teachers who have earned certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to Riverside, was recognized as a model.
“In a time of difficult budgets,” Amundson said, “it is still important to find ways to encourage our best teachers to work with students of greatest need. Riverside’s program offers one way to achieve that goal.”
Though no easy solutions are clear, Warner was optimistic that, working with a coalition, the Commonwealth can begin addressing the shortfalls in school construction.