Please move to report HB901, HB289, HB788, HB295, HB1083, HB1121. Thank you.

Virginia Loggers Association supports HB106, HB180, HB295, and HB 297. HB180 may help localities to retain forest lands in land use taxation programs. Currently it appears many localities with forest land use taxation are considering its removal to meet operating costs. The forest products industry is Virginia's third largest industry and depends the sustainable forest supply to daily supply the needs Virginia's mills. This great industry is one we hope our elected policy makers will support with pro-business laws and supporting incentives for private landowners to maintain the forest land base. VLA also supports HB106, HB 295, and HB297 because they will help all businesses and especially those businesses struggling due to the pandemic, market declines, and causes beyond their control. The bills have the effect of freeing up money businesses can invest in rebuilding, updating, and holding on during declines. Ron Jenkins, VLA Executive Director

Land banks are tools to deal with vacant property -- they are new to Virginia but proven tools used throughout the country for the very purpose of address blight and returning underutilized properties to the tax rolls. As we know, vacant properties pose a number of threats to neighborhood stability and safety, and also negatively affect property values. This bill comes out of collaboration and conversation between the several existing land banks in Virginia. They are on the ground, trying to make this relatively new program work, and have identified the additional supports outlined in this bill as necessary to continue doing the work they do to improve property condition and value for their localities. Maggie Walker Community Land Trust, serving as Richmond's regional Land Bank, support this bill as a way to improve the strength and efficiency for all of Virginia's land banks, with the ultimate goal of having a positive outcome on neighborhood property values and stability! Thank you to our representatives for their hard work championing this legislation!

Comments Document

On behalf of the Council On State Taxation, I respectfully submit the attached letter in support of H.B. 352. While COST supports full decoupling from IRC 163(j), the partial decoupling in the bill is a step in the right direction.

Comments Document

I am writing on behalf of the Global Business Alliance (GBA) to express our support for HB 352, sponsored by Delegate Watts, which would increase the allowable tax deduction for interest expense. GBA actively promotes and defends an open economy that welcomes international companies to invest in the United States. Our members are U.S. companies with a global heritage and an indispensable part of our nation’s economic success. To help drive growth and investment, the Commonwealth should fully decouple from federal IRC Section 163(j) interest expense limitations, or at a minimum, increase the percentage of allowed interest deductibility as under HB 352. Thank you, Meredith Beeson Director of State Affairs Global Business Alliance

As a Virginin, educated in Virginian Schools, we were taught the importance of the Constitution of the Commonwealth with regard to our Nation's Constitution. These documents are articles that are supposed to guide our self governance. Article VIII, Section 10 Public dollars are not to go to schools NOT owned by the Commonwealth or a Municipality inside the Commonwealth's jurisdiction, except for when the Commonwealth has entered into an agreement with another jurisdiction. The Commonwealth should also not engage in the endorsement of private education cartels, weakening the publicly available options. This would do a disservice to the people, because the people's representatives have less oversight with regard to private institutions, than they have through electing their local boards.

Hello, I am writing to urge you to support local control over tax dollars for school facilities. Local voters and local parents should have the right to approve or deny a special 1% sales tax for this purpose. These taxes don’t fill government coffers - they can only be used for school construction and renovation, can exempt groceries and medications, and have a built in-expiration date. The General Assembly has previously granted this authority to nine localities, seven red and two blue (according to how they voted in the 2020 presidential election). This year, three politically diverse localities have requested this authority: Isle of Wight County, the City of Charlottesville, and Prince Edward County. There is also a bill to grant this local authority to all municipalities in the Commonwealth. This local tax for schools was unanimously recommended by the bipartisan Commission on School Construction and Modernization. It has broad support and has already passed the Senate. Governor Youngkin has promised a record investment in education while also urging us to move beyond our fractured politics. Please support local parents and voters with the authority to decide for themselves on local taxes for their schools. I respectfully ask you to reconsider the decision to table bills HB531, HB545 and HB63. Many thanks for your consideration of this important issue, David Azzam Charlottesville, Virginia

I am an educator in Petersburg City Public Schools and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Petersburg City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Pleasants Lane, Cool Springs, Lakemont, Walnut Hill Elementary, Westview Early Childhood and Blandford Alternative. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a teacher in Petersburg City Public Schools and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Petersburg City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Pleasants Lane, Cool Springs, Lakemont, Walnut Hill Elementary, Westview Early Childhood and Blandford Alternative. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent of students in Albemarle County Public Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Albemarle needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Stone-Robinson. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I support this bill.

I am in agreement with bill HB531 & HB454.

I taught in both Petersburg VA and Prince George County VA. The school systems are in need of new technology especially in the vocational area. All students are not going to college. This will afford them the opportunity to develop skills for meaningful employment.

I am a Supervisor of Alternative Programs for Petersburg City Public Schools and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Petersburg City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Blandford LearningAcademy. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today.

I am a parent of a student in Henrico County Public Schools and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Henrico County needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including John Rolfe Middle School, Baker Elementary School, Montrose Elementary School, and Jacob Adams Elementary School. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

Ben Ragsdale, 3821 Custis Rd., Richmond, VA. Virginia communities have many serious problems which we must continue to address over coming years. Many tools must be utilized. But nothing is more fundamental than giving our public schools the necessary funding to meet children's educational needs. Though policy makers' tasks are many, the advancement of successful schooling, widening opportunity, and the upward mobility of families should be central to your purpose. HB531 is a very reasonable vehicle to advance these goals. I urge you to support its passage. And there are other vital, compelling matters concerning funding for Virginia's children which will be before you. Full funding for our Standards of Quality and large appropriations for our schools' physical needs are paramount. People say "There are SO MANY needs in our state." True. But nothing will pay dividends like putting cash in family coffers -- and that is most likely to come with better education. Thank you.

I am a Richmond City home owner and RPS parent, and I am in support of levying a 1% property tax to fund school construction.

Please support this bill. Richmond public schools really need the xtra funds. Thank you.

My name is Elaine Summerfield, a resident of the city of Richmond and I’m writing to share support for HB 531. Students of Richmond public schools deserve quality school facilities to support their education. My neighborhood’s Henderson Middle School is just one example of the dire need: moldy carpets, pests, design based on outdated theories of open learning environment. Please ensure localities are empowered to do what is right for their children, families, and educators. Please support HB 531! Sincerely, Elaine Summerfield 1240 Westminster Ave Richmond 23227

I am writing in support of HB531.

In support of HB 531 and HB 1099 Good morning and thank you for considering the school modernization bills on today’s agenda. I don’t need to tell you how urgent the situation is surrounding school construction. Years of financial stress have left Billions in unmet school construction and renovation needs. In Newport News, our five-year Capital Improvement Plan asks the city for $104 million just for bread and butter renovations: HVAC, roofs, ceilings, paving, learning trailer replacements. The bad news is that our city has been able to provide less than half that amount on average over the past five-year plan. And even though this issue has been talked about for decades, the problem has gotten much, much worse. A recent editorial in the Daily Press/Virginian Pilot hammered home that point, saying in part: As long ago as 1996, a Virginia Department of Education survey warned that 63% of public schools were 25 or more years old and needed renovating or replacing… Nowhere near enough has been done. The most recent survey says that about 14% of schools are operating at 100% or more of capacity. Today, about half of Virginia’s schools are more than 50 years old. That’s why we are so supportive of the legislation crafted by the Commission on School Construction and Modernization. Their legislative package provides a VARIETY of tools needed to fix our schools, and the legislation on today’s docket will provide a huge benefit to communities. We urge support of the bills on today’s docket that would permit localities to ask for up to a 1 percent increase in the sales tax dedicated to their school facility needs. • This is an optional bill that offers local control. • Any increase must be approved by voters approved in a referendum Please allow localities to have this OPTIONAL tool that will provide the citizens of our locality an opportunity for their voice to be heard. The elected School Board of Newport News endorses these bills and others from the School Modernization Commission. We respectfully ask for your support. Sincerely, Patrick Finneran Representing Newport News Public Schools

I have a 5.5 and 8 year old who are attending City of Charlottesville schools that haven’t had a new building or major remodel done in 47 years! The community is now ready to completely remodel its middle school and we need the ability to vote to finance this remodel. Please allow us to exercise local governance to decide whether we want to finance the plan for the remodel. Thanks!

Good day, We are in dire need of all Petersburg City Public Elementary Schools being replaced. Each of these schools are way outdated. Many leaking roofs, HVAC units are inoperable, poor quality of clean air flow which contributes to health disparities. Poor conditions leads to poor outcomes. Not because the teachers aren't teaching and their/our Youth aren't capable of learning, but because of the dulling of their senses due to poor clean air, mold, etc. Air vents, air filters can only be changed out and cleaned but so much, new systems will help eliminate this problem and give our Youth a fresh and new start in life. The design of the current buildings do not say, "We want you here, You can become all you want to be in this educational enviornment, We Care" Parents, Students, Administrators, Staff and Teachers all benefit from new schools and the technology that comes with it. The Middle School and High School needs to be renovated at a minimum, replacement would be fantastic. We are competing world wide, yet, we aren't keeping up with our local regions. We need House Bill 531 (HB531) sent forward so it can become law. Show us you care as much as we do. Pastor Michael E Shannon, Sr.

I am a parent in Richmond City Public Schools and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Richmond City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. I also support HB 545 to allow the City of Charlottesville to use an additional tax for the benefit of school construction. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. My son attends one such school, Fox Elementary, and is currently zoned to continue through RPS in school exclusively over that age! My child, like many in City of Charlottesville and Richmond schools, is lucky to have incredible staff--from his teacher all the way up through administration--who want to ensure safe and healthy learning environments but are precluded from doing so due to lack of funding towards renovations or new construction of buildings. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I'm a parent of students who are current and former students in the Charlottesville Public schools. We need to update our schools here, and our community, through its patent-teacher organizations, school board, and other elected leaders has decided that it is time for this reasonable tax increase in order to pay for these renocations. We need local control to do so. Ease grant us that.

HENRICO COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS STRONGLY SUPPORTS HB 531 School Construction Fund and Program; created and established. Virginia has over 52% of its schools that were built 50+ years ago and are in need of significant renovations and repairs. The condition of the school building is the first thing that a parent or community member sees when visiting the school. Peeling paint, leaking roofs, exposed pipes, broken tiles, bathroom facilities that do not work, no hot water - all send a message that our schools don’t matter. And if our school buildings don’t matter, then our children’s education must not be a priority either. Help Virginia restore its schools. Localities cannot fund these repairs and renovations with local tax dollars. Virginia needs to help with state funds and/or grants. Thank you for your support.

Please vote yes on HB531. I am a parent of three kids in Richmond City Public Schools. Richmond - like other localities across the state that struggle with aging facilities and inadequate funding - needs the option to impose a modest sales and use tax premium, to improve our school buildings and provide better learning environments for our kids. Thank you for your support of this common-sense reform.

I am a [parent of students/teacher/student] in Richmond City Public Schools and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Richmond City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including [NAME OF SCHOOLS]. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a resident of Petersburg Virginia with family members who attend or are enrolled in the Petersburg Public Schools and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. The City of Petersburg needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. Even consider turning over the Peabody high School building to the Peabody Alumni association that can do something with that building that is just sitting there. This bill would be good for the City. It would relieve the fear fear of having other schools ending up being another Peabody High School or Virginia Avenue building waiting for complete decay. It seems so appropriate to be submitting this information now as the local news reports the Petersburg High School not having heat and sending children home because of the cold in the building not the weather outside. I hope HB stands for Help Build and not hold back!!

I am a parent of a student in Richmond City Public Schools and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Richmond City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including George Wythe High School. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Richmond City, the capital of the Commonwealth, currently has inadequate fiscal capacity to fund new school construction in an acceptable time frame: to be blunt, on its current path, the city will continue to have inadequate school buildings for decades to come, and students will continue to suffer. This bill can help Richmond find the funds to rebuild or renovate schools at a significantly faster pace while also meeting other urgent needs. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent of 3 kids in Richmond City Public Schools at John B Cary Elementary school. I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Richmond City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. All children deserve functional, safe, updated schools. Environments matter. As we know there isn’t one bill that solves all the issues we face, and I am not saying that updating facilities solves all of our problems. However, I am saying that it’s the place to start. It is a problem you all in your seats of power can attempt to solve by passing this bill. When we invest in the school environments our children attend we send the message that we value our children. This is the time to send the message that we value our children.

I support HB 531 - it will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. I'm a resident of Charlottesville, and a parent, and we need additional revenue to fund the reconfiguration of our public schools to improve the learning experience of its students. The residents of our City should have the right to vote on and implement a local sales tax to fund these critical investments - and the General Assembly should not stand in the way of our ability to do so. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in Charlottesville and across the state. We have a plan in place with designs ready to roll. The community, elected leaders and School Board and all on board. But we need this additional funding source to make it happen. Please prioritize education and the future of our Commonwealth - and do not stand in the way of our citizens having the ability to raise much needed revenue - by supporting HB531. Thank you, Geoffrey Suttle

I am a tax paying citizen of Richmond, VA and see up close the outdated, deplorable and unsafe public schools. VA is a very wealthy state and should be pouring more of our tax dollars into school structures; especially school districts that are severely under funded. Much of the responsibility of maintaining and building new environmentally safe schools should be the state of Virginia top priority especially during a pandemic. Since the VA government is not funding our schools appropriately the revenue from an increase in property and sales tax should be allocated to maintaining, renovating existing schools and new school contruction projects. I support both bills HB531 and HB545.

I am a grandparent of four Richmond Public School students and I ask you to support House Bill 531 to allow the cities to use a sales tax up to 1% to pay for the construction and renovation of schools in dire need of such improvements. We have numerous schools in RPS that have outdated and unsafe systems and buildings in great need of attention. Many of our schools are old and have not received consistent maintenance and repair. Some schools are beyond repair and need to be demolished and replaced. I ask you to help Richmond provide a safe and appropriate learning environment for our students by passing this bill.

I am a parent of students in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Buford Middle School and Walker Upper Elementary. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent of a student Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Clark, CHS, Greenbrier and Venable . Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent with 2 students in Charlottesville Schools and support HB 531 and HB545 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Walker elemebtary. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community. Sincerely, Jen Otner

I do not have nor will I be having any children, but I support HB531 because kids deserve more funding and I know that everyone benefits from better schools.

I am a parent in Richmond City Public Schools and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Richmond City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including George Wythe High School and Henderson Middle School. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent in Richmond City Public Schools and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Richmond City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including [NAME OF SCHOOLS]. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

Comments Document

Please see my attached letter.

I am a parent in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Buford Middle School. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

The City of Portsmouth supports both HB531 and HB1099. It is better to provide this as a local option statewide, rather than have individual municipalities seeking this ability every session.

I am a parent of two children in Richmond City Public Schools and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Richmond City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community. Thank you for your time.

I support HB531 and the opportunities it will provide for school districts across the commonwealth. Allowing localities to use a sales tax for school construction gives them additional tools to renovate schools. Right now, we're sending a message that students have little value by allowing them to go to schools that are old and falling apart. Virginia cannot say it prioritizes education if we don't put our kids first. That means finding ways to fully fund our schools and making sure public education is accessible, healthy, and safe for everyone -- including educators, administrators, and support personnel. I remember having to wear a coat during gym class in the winter because the windows were broken at my elementary school. I took my SATs in a high school that had no air conditioning. I've visited schools that had cracked floors and stained ceilings from water damage. These are things I will never forget. This has an impact on the learning experience of students, their self-esteem, and their mental health. Give our kids a fighting chance of receiving a quality education by passing HB531.

I am a resident of Richmond City and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Richmond City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, Richmond is home to several of these outdated buildings. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent of a second grader in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 and HB 545 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

As a parent to two children in Richmond Public Schools and the Chair of the RPS School Health Advisory Board, I ask the Committee to pass this bill to increase local control to raise needed revenue for our schools.

I am a parent of two elementary school students in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to fund the reconfiguration of our upper elementary and middle schools along with an early childhood education center to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Buford Middle School and Walker Upper Elementary. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. I had a chance to tour Buford Middle School last year and was stunned. It was like walking back into my junior high from the late 1980s which was already falling apart. Our kids deserve better. The buildings in which our kids learn matter. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in Cville and across the state. I am concerned that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today -- and that are a shadow of what their peers in neighboring states enjoy. Indeed, despite widespread public support for the Charlottesville schools reconfiguration project, we need revenue from a sales tax to actually guarantee this project -- which the City has discussed for more than two decades -- moves forward. We have a plan in place with designs ready to roll. The community, elected leaders and School Board and all on board. But we need this additional funding source to make it happen. Please prioritize education and the future of our Commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community. Thank you, Annie Suttle

As a parent of 4 children in the Charlottesville City Schools, and a citizen who recognizes the vast community benefit of improved school buildings, I support these bills.

I am a parent of four students in Richmond City Public Schools and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Richmond City desperately needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Thomas Henderson Middle School and John Marshall High School. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community. Investing in education is investing in our future.

I am a member of a church in Petersburg. One of our goals is to improve and build new schools in the City. Of Petersburg. This bill would help us to meet that goal. I support this bill.

I am a parent of Richmond City Public Schools students and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Richmond City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including my children's future middle and high schools, Thomas J Henderson and John Marshall. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent of 2 current and 2 former students in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. The current state of our learning facilities does not reflect our community's commitment to equity and providing an optimal education to all students. We would like the ability to decide as a community what our local projects are and have the ability to raise funds in a way that best reflects the wishes of our constituents.

It is critical that the general assembly pass HB 531 and HB 545. I am both a parent of a student in Charlottesville City Schools and someone who studies education, and the need for financial support for new school construction is clear in our communities. Please pass this bill so we can use our sales tax revenue to build schools that will better serve our students. Our crumbling education infrastructure is long overdue for updating, and we can't do it without the flexibility to use sales tax revenue for school construction.

I am a parent of a high school student in the Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. The city of Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Walker, Buford and CHS. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent of two current students and spouse of a teacher, as well as a former school administrator in Charlottesville Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to combine 6-8th graders in one school, eliminating a 5-6 then a 7-8 school in order to improve the learning experience of its students. Currently, students endure too many transitions, attending four schools in a six year period BY DESIGN. This needs to change, the division wants change, and this bill could make it happen. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. In fact, the last new building in Charlottesville City was built 48 years ago. The students of Charlottesville, and Virginia, deserve better than outdated and tired buildings. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix and combine the schools in my school district. If the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms and misaligned schools that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our Commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent of students in Richmond Public Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Richmond desperately needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Henderson Middle, John Marshall High School, George Wythe High School, and many more. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-100 year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community. Sincerely, Julie Joyner

I am a parent of students in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Jackson-Via Elementary. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I support these bills by Delegate Hudson!

The Virginia Assocation of School Superintendents is in support of HB531 and other such bills. We feel it is a good support of revenue for capital projects.

I am a parent of four children in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Buford Middle School and Walker Upper Elementary. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent of 2 students in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including all of the City of Charlottesville school buildings. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. The City of Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Johnson, Clark, Burnley Moran, the middle school and high schools. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community. Thank you for listening! Dave McDaniel

A quality, 21st century education cannot be delivered in decaying, outdated buildings. The proposed sales tax is a prudent way for our community to invest in teachers, students, and our collective future.

I am a parent of 3 students in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Burnley-Moran, Buford, Walker and many other schools. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

Richmond Public Schools desperately needs significant funding for their 42 (might be 44) aged facilities . Over 2/3 of these facilities are more than 70 years old and almost half of all its facilities need major or complete renovation! The industry standard just to maintain these facilities is over $3/sq ft; unfortunately, Richmond has been funding closer to $.70/sq ft. This proposed revenue could greatly shift the decades of disinvestment in our schools facilities.

Allowing localities to impose a sales tax to generate revenue for school construction is a crucial tool. It's especially important for cities, who tend to be host state properties, thus losing out on real estate tax revenue. As long as we have a broken LCI, we need ways to support improving infrastructure for our students. I am a current resident of Richmond, and former resident of Charlottesville. Facility funding concerns have been in both localities need to be addressed.

Our schools need renovation. Some (most) haven't been changed in decades and aren't adequately meeting students' needs. This sales tax gives our cities the opportunity and revenue to make the change that is desperately needed. I am a current Virginia Beach citizen, former Charlottesville citizen, who supports bills HB531 and HB545.

Hello, I am writing to urge you to support local control over tax dollars for school facilities. Local voters and local parents should have the right to approve or deny a special 1% sales tax for this purpose. These taxes don’t fill government coffers - they can only be used for school construction and renovation, can exempt groceries and medications, and have a built in-expiration date. The General Assembly has previously granted this authority to nine localities, seven red and two blue (according to how they voted in the 2020 presidential election). This year, three politically diverse localities have requested this authority: Isle of Wight County, the City of Charlottesville, and Prince Edward County. There is also a bill to grant this local authority to all municipalities in the Commonwealth. This local tax for schools was unanimously recommended by the bipartisan Commission on School Construction and Modernization. It has broad support and has already passed the Senate. Governor Youngkin has promised a record investment in education while also urging us to move beyond our fractured politics. Please support local parents and voters with the authority to decide for themselves on local taxes for their schools. I respectfully ask you to reconsider the decision to table bills HB531, HB545 and HB63. Many thanks for your consideration of this important issue, David Azzam Charlottesville, Virginia

I am an educator and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. The schools need this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, communities all over the state are full of these outdated buildings. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in Virginia's school districts. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent of students in Albemarle County Public Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Albemarle needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Stone-Robinson. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am in agreement with bill HB531 & HB454.

I am a Supervisor of Alternative Programs for Petersburg City Public Schools and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Petersburg City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Blandford LearningAcademy. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today.

I have a 5.5 and 8 year old who are attending City of Charlottesville schools that haven’t had a new building or major remodel done in 47 years! The community is now ready to completely remodel its middle school and we need the ability to vote to finance this remodel. Please allow us to exercise local governance to decide whether we want to finance the plan for the remodel. Thanks!

I am a parent in Richmond City Public Schools and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Richmond City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. I also support HB 545 to allow the City of Charlottesville to use an additional tax for the benefit of school construction. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. My son attends one such school, Fox Elementary, and is currently zoned to continue through RPS in school exclusively over that age! My child, like many in City of Charlottesville and Richmond schools, is lucky to have incredible staff--from his teacher all the way up through administration--who want to ensure safe and healthy learning environments but are precluded from doing so due to lack of funding towards renovations or new construction of buildings. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I'm a parent of students who are current and former students in the Charlottesville Public schools. We need to update our schools here, and our community, through its parent-teacher organizations, school board, and other elected leaders has decided that it is time for this reasonable tax increase in order to pay for these renovations. We need local control to do so. Please grant us that.

I am a resident of Petersburg Virginia with family members who attend or are enrolled in the Petersburg Public Schools and I support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. The City of Petersburg needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. Even consider turning over the Peabody high School building to the Peabody Alumni association that can do something with that building that is just sitting there. This bill would be good for the City. It would relieve the fear fear of having other schools ending up being another Peabody High School or Virginia Avenue building waiting for complete decay. It seems so appropriate to be submitting this information now as the local news reports the Petersburg High School not having heat and sending children home because of the cold in the building not the weather outside. I hope HB stands for Help Build and not hold back!!

I am a tax paying citizen of Richmond, VA and see up close the outdated, deplorable and unsafe public schools. VA is a very wealthy state and should be pouring more of our tax dollars into school structures; especially school districts that are severely under funded. Much of the responsibility of maintaining and building new environmentally safe schools should be the state of Virginia top priority especially during a pandemic. Since the VA government is not funding our schools appropriately the revenue from an increase in property and sales tax should be allocated to maintaining, renovating existing schools and new school contruction projects. I support both bills HB531 and HB545.

I support HB531 and HB545 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

We are parents of two elementary school students in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. . According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Buford Middle School and Walker Upper Elementary. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Our kids deserve better. The buildings in which our kids learn matter. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in Cville and across the state. I am concerned that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today -- and that are a shadow of what their peers in neighboring states enjoy. Indeed, despite widespread public support for the Charlottesville schools reconfiguration project, we need revenue from a sales tax to actually guarantee this project -- which the City has discussed for more than two decades -- moves forward. We have a plan in place with designs ready to roll. The community, elected leaders and School Board and all on board. But we need this additional funding source to make it happen. Please prioritize education and the future of our Commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community. Thank, Holly and Dave McDaniel

I am a parent of students in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Buford Middle School and Walker Upper Elementary. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent of a student Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Clark, CHS, Greenbrier and Venable . Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent with 2 students in Charlottesville Schools and support HB 531 and HB545 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Walker elemebtary. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community. Sincerely, Jen Otner

I am a parent in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Buford Middle School. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent of charlottesville city schools and I am In strong support of a 1% sales tax to help rebuild/renovate and modernize our schools. The aging infrastructure and classrooms are hindering our children's ability to move forward in todays world and be prepared for what’s ahead. Please pass this legislation In support of our children! Thank you

I am a parent of a second grader in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 and HB 545 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent of two elementary school students in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to fund the reconfiguration of our upper elementary and middle schools along with an early childhood education center to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Buford Middle School and Walker Upper Elementary. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. I had a chance to tour Buford Middle School last year and was stunned. It was like walking back into my junior high from the late 1980s which was already falling apart. Our kids deserve better. The buildings in which our kids learn matter. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in Cville and across the state. I am concerned that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today -- and that are a shadow of what their peers in neighboring states enjoy. Indeed, despite widespread public support for the Charlottesville schools reconfiguration project, we need revenue from a sales tax to actually guarantee this project -- which the City has discussed for more than two decades -- moves forward. We have a plan in place with designs ready to roll. The community, elected leaders and School Board and all on board. But we need this additional funding source to make it happen. Please prioritize education and the future of our Commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community. Thank you, Annie Suttle

As a parent of 4 children in the Charlottesville City Schools, and a citizen who recognizes the vast community benefit of improved school buildings, I support these bills.

I am a member of a church in Petersburg. One of our goals is to improve and build new schools in the City. Of Petersburg. This bill would help us to meet that goal. I support this bill.

I am a parent in Charlottesville Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Buford middle school. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community. thank you!

I am a parent of 2 current and 2 former students in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. The current state of our learning facilities does not reflect our community's commitment to equity and providing an optimal education to all students. We would like the ability to decide as a community what our local projects are and have the ability to raise funds in a way that best reflects the wishes of our constituents.

It is critical that the general assembly pass HB 531 and HB 545. I am both a parent of a student in Charlottesville City Schools and someone who studies education, and the need for financial support for new school construction is clear in our communities. Please pass this bill so we can use our sales tax revenue to build schools that will better serve our students. Our crumbling education infrastructure is long overdue for updating, and we can't do it without the flexibility to use sales tax revenue for school construction.

I am a parent of a high school student in the Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. The city of Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Walker, Buford and CHS. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent of two current students and spouse of a teacher, as well as a former school administrator in Charlottesville Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to combine 6-8th graders in one school, eliminating a 5-6 then a 7-8 school in order to improve the learning experience of its students. Currently, students endure too many transitions, attending four schools in a six year period BY DESIGN. This needs to change, the division wants change, and this bill could make it happen. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. In fact, the last new building in Charlottesville City was built 48 years ago. The students of Charlottesville, and Virginia, deserve better than outdated and tired buildings. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix and combine the schools in my school district. If the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms and misaligned schools that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our Commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent of students in Richmond Public Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Richmond desperately needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Henderson Middle, John Marshall High School, George Wythe High School, and many more. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-100 year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community. Sincerely, Julie Joyner

I am a parent of students in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville City needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Jackson-Via Elementary. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I support these bills by Delegate Hudson!

The Virginia Assocation of School Superintendents is in support of HB531 and other such bills. We feel it is a good support of revenue for capital projects.

I am a parent of four children in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Buford Middle School and Walker Upper Elementary. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent of 2 students in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including all of the City of Charlottesville school buildings. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

I am a parent in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. The City of Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Johnson, Clark, Burnley Moran, the middle school and high schools. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community. Thank you for listening! Dave McDaniel

A quality, 21st century education cannot be delivered in decaying, outdated buildings. The proposed sales tax is a prudent way for our community to invest in teachers, students, and our collective future.

I am a parent of 3 students in Charlottesville City Schools and support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. Charlottesville needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including Burnley-Moran, Buford, Walker and many other schools. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community.

Allowing localities to impose a sales tax to generate revenue for school construction is a crucial tool. It's especially important for cities, who tend to be host state properties, thus losing out on real estate tax revenue. As long as we have a broken LCI, we need ways to support improving infrastructure for our students. I am a current resident of Richmond, and former resident of Charlottesville. Facility funding concerns have been in both localities need to be addressed.

The City of Newport News supports HB 545 allowing local governing bodies and local voters to decide if they wish to impose a local sales tax for the construction and renovation of schools. More than half of our city schools are over 50 years old and the cost to replace even a single school is almost twice the City’s annual Capitol Improvement budget for the entire locality. Clearly we need tools in the tool box to address school construction. The longer we wait to act, the more expensive it will be. The great advantage of the Hudson bill is that it will allow, but not require, a local tax AND it leaves the final decision to the taxpayers. Also, given that there are several localities that already have this authority, HB 545 levels the playing field and makes public policy consistent across the board. Please support HB545.

Our schools need renovation. Some (most) haven't been changed in decades and aren't adequately meeting students' needs. This sales tax gives our cities the opportunity and revenue to make the change that is desperately needed. I am a current Virginia Beach citizen, former Charlottesville citizen, who supports bills HB531 and HB545.

Good Morning Chairman, and Committee Members, My name is Lilia Keys. I am representing AARP Va. We are supporting HB 291 and 720. If you would like more information or have any concerns, please contact our state advocacy director, Natalie Snider. nsnider@aarp.org Thank you very much for your time.

This is a big fat no. I like public education being funded

As a Virginin, educated in Virginian Schools, we were taught the importance of the Constitution of the Commonwealth with regard to our Nation's Constitution. These documents are articles that are supposed to guide our self governance. Article VIII, Section 10 Public dollars are not to go to schools NOT owned by the Commonwealth or a Municipality inside the Commonwealth's jurisdiction, except for when the Commonwealth has entered into an agreement with another jurisdiction. The Commonwealth should also not engage in the endorsement of private education cartels, weakening the publicly available options. This would do a disservice to the people, because the people's representatives have less oversight with regard to private institutions, than they have through electing their local boards.

I respectfully request that all Virginia lawmakers support HB 784. This tax credit will provide the means for many more Virginia parents to provide high quality education choices to their children either at home or through private schools. While public schools are a suitable option for many Virginia children, the current legal and tax framework that makes a public school education the ONLY choice for most children is antiquated. Virginia is behind many other states that have modernized their approach and options for educational offerings. Forcing parents to “buy” public education will not serve Virginia well in the years to come. As current and potential future Virginians consider whether this state is where they want to raise their children, flexible affordable education opportunities is a primary deciding factor. Support HB 784 to help make our state a competitive option when parents make their choices. Furthermore, Virginia parents and children simply deserve ample access to homeschool and private school educational opportunities. The public schools have served Virginia well for many years, but as with any situation where there is a one-size fits all approach with no competing alternatives, there are no catalysts or incentives to innovate. Virginia must move forward as it relates to education for our children, or we will get left behind. Respectfully, Jeffrey Floyd

In favor or tax credit for homeschoolers! Most families must give up a second info to do this and deserve help!

I am in support of this bill. We live in a high tax area and this will relieve the burden we have to send our child to learn about God at a Christian school. Thank you for proposing this and write in support of it

I urge the support of HB 784, providing tangible school choice to Virginians through access to tax funds. While it has always been an option for parents to homeschool or send their children to private school, the time and/or cost of doing so is prohibitive for most families. At the January 25th Chesterfield County school board meeting, Kathryn Haines (representing my district of Midlothian) stated (in response to parent choice in masking children): “Parental Rights Act prevents the State from interfering with how a parent educates their child. A parent can homeschool, choose private school, or get a religious exemption – period. The State has no control over a parent’s right to monitor the education of their kids. The Parental Rights Act does not, however, give parents the power to control the operations of the school.” Whether true or not, her comments implied that parents should simply choose to get with the program or make another choice. This is arrogant and condescending. It ignores the fact that the vast majority of parents do not have the time or financial resources to make one of those choices. Now, more than ever it is nearly impossible for families to live on one income, allowing for a parent to stay home and educate the children. There are also more single parent households and families who, regardless of how many family members are working, cannot afford alternative options. In short, our children are held hostage by the public school system. Just like the electric and water utilities know you have nowhere else to go – the public education system may do what it wishes and have little to no recourse. Each of us pay a considerable amount in taxes, which in part goes towards education. The average spent each year per child in Virginia public schools over $12,000. With just half that amount, a child can be almost fully funded in a private school. Half of that amount or less can fully fund three or more children in a complete homeschool curriculum. I know because I’ve done the research for my own family. Choice and competition encourage innovation and excellence, monopolies do the opposite. Our public schools will only be made better by having to truly compete with private and home education options. Students will in turn benefit by having an education best suited for them chosen by their parents - regardless of socioeconomic status. It is time true freedom in education!

Thanks you for considering this bill. It would be helpful to our homeschool family to have a tax credit for the materials that we purchase to educate our child. We have a child that needs supports in his learning and he thrives with home instruction. Due to his needs the curriculum is not bundled from one less expensive source, but gotten from several different vendors for the various subjects. Having a tax credit would greatly assist our family with choosing higher quality curriculum for his needs. Thank you. We are raising our kids to be leaders and successful members of society for the next generation.

This bill is absurd. If you choose to keep your kids at home and not send them to free, public school, you should not be rewarded with a tax credit. If you can afford to send your child to private school, you should not be rewarded with a tax credit. Why not focus more on providing localities what they need, especially those in far Southwest VA.

I am a mother of two children whose schooling takes place outside of public schools. My children and my community will greatly benefit from the education tax credit proposed in HB784. We are not wealthy and Northern Virginia was exorbitantly expensive before record-high inflation hit our budget this year. It is no small feat to cover the expenses of multiple children’s education out-of-pocket while also paying the government for a school system that does not serve us. We ask you to support HB784 for families across Virginia who are reinventing education as we watch the system we are forced to pay for crumble before our eyes. We don’t have the financial flexibility or local support to find care for our children during unofficial teacher strikes, “Covid planning weeks,” outbreaks, pretend snow days, and sick outs. Instead, we utilize our community to help educate our children at a fair price to all who help us on this path. This tax credit will go directly back into the economy of the community it was initially meant to serve and will be immeasurably more beneficial to our children’s learning in an environment that is stable, consistent, politically neutral, and with curricula that are personally geared toward each child.

I have been homeschooling this year and last year due to covid concerns from being in an immunocompromised household. I would appreciate a tax credit and also support more charter schools in Loudoun County.

Hello, As a Virginia resident for 44 years, I would like to express my support for a tax credit benefitting families who choose to homeschool (covering related expenses) or private school tuition. Our family includes 5 children and over the years, depending on individual needs, they have attended public school, homeschool and a local private school. Through every schooling decision we made for our individual children, we continued to pay taxes. We believe that a tax credit (available for two years) would offset some of the financial burden to families with diverse educational needs and could promote greater equity in school choice for families of varying income levels.

I pay a great deal of taxes and my children do not go to public school. I have to pay hundreds of dollars for their curriculum each year. We should receive a tax credit. Homeschooling is important to our family.

This bill pulls money from public schools and redirects it to private and homeschool options that have the effect of segregating and de-diversifying schools by allowing those with greater means to have greater opportunity. Private schools are not required to guarantee admission and may refuse to provide services to those with special medical or educational needs, non-English speaking and those requiring meal and transport support. Public funds should not fund privilege and segregation.

I strongly support Bill HB784 for students attending private schools in the state of Virginia. When parents and legal guardians send their children to private schools, they are oftentimes sending them to the schools to provide the best education possible. Many public schools have low graduation percentages and low SOL scores, which means that parents choose the alternative, private schools. For many families enrolling their children in private schools is a financial sacrifice they are willing to make; however, unlike child care, they are not compensated or allowed to deduct a portion of the tuition for income tax purposes. I believe that this bill would also allow more parents to send their children to private schools because the IRS would, in essence, offset the cost of tuition. Lack of financial resources should not solely prevent parents from sending their children to private schools. This bill would remedy barriers, which would provide an equal opportunity for all students.

As a homeschooling family of 5, we are in favor of this bill, HB784. If passed, this could allow us the financial ability to broaden our children’s homeschool education options that we would otherwise not be able to afford. Curriculum, activities, and trips can be very expensive with multiple children and are necessary for a well rounded education. This bill would make these necessities more easily obtainable and very beneficial for all homeschooling families as most are single income homes.

I support the tax credit for homeschooling families to help offset the high costs incurred for instructional materials. This may allow more families the choice to homeschool (making it more affordable) and even ease the overcrowding in some Loudoun schools (and bus routes) at the elementary levels. It also helps ensure that homeschooled kids get better educational materials and improve quality of education for our state. All good effects. Please pass this tax credit!

Every parent in the United States should be able to choose to educate their children in the best way for their family. As a homeschool parent of 29 years we have paid for other’s education, through taxes and our own children out of pocket. I would not want to ask the government for money to educate my children, as I do not want them to in any way dictate what I will teach them. But a tax credit seems fair. My tax money is going to support the education of children, in some ways, that is proving to be very detrimental to their future stability as functioning adults as citizens of this free country. Parents should be able to choose to combat the anger, confusion , and fragility that is rampant in our country by instilling their values in the way they desire. Not all can homeschool. For many, public education is the only option. Teachers should be paid well to teach reading, writing, arithmetic, music, arts, science and technology. They should be people of character that model stability, respect, and critical thinking to their students leaving the minefield of sexual identity out of the classroom. Teachers should never be given the task of hijacking the parents values in this area. The more the government meddles in these things the more families will choose to take their children out of that system and will not pass legislation that funds it. The organization of homeschoolers that I have been involved in has grown by many thousands of families in the last decade. The numbers don’t lie even though many in government want to deny the obvious.

I would like to see this bill go into effect for the sake of our children. As a parent of two children in the public school system I do not have a voice in my children's education anymore. This bill will give me and other parents our voice back to say how we want our children educated.

Private schools can pick and choose which students they want . . . public schools have to take anyone who shows up which creates a clear disadvantage to public schools--and, now you've cut the public school funding further so it makes it even more evident. For example if the parents of a child with very, very specific "special needs" shows up at a dinky little school district (i.e.: 1A or 2A). That public school is FORCED into providing services with a specialist teacher for THAT ONE CHILD which comes away from the general teacher budget (and nearly double the salary for a specialist) AND private schools don't have to take that student! Now multiply that by several specialists (because other children have special needs that are different than the first one) and everyone requires their own specialist . . . and now lets add in one-on-one para-professionals because the child needs those too. So the public school(s)/district has to resort to larger classroom size, and removing electives and special events, field trips, etc. because they have to provide special services FOR ONE CHILD. Just because the parent chose to move there. Nothing forces that parent to choose a school district that provides the best services for their child. No private school is going to take that on that student and their special needs . . . THEY DON'T HAVE TO. And, no one can make them do it. This bill is fatally flawed.

School choice can only benefit students. It will cause effective and healthy competition among schools to increase quality of education. For economically disadvantaged families and every one else, charter schools are the best option available to them and they need the credits to help their kid’s success in schools. Our k12 education is so much behind many developing countries. It is a shame that politicians don’t think for the kids.

HB 784 directs funds from public schools to families that choose to send their children to private school or home school. I want to make sure that the money stays in the public schools that provide the support to so many kids.

With great respect to our commonwealth of Virginia I would like to show my support for the bill HB-784. Five years ago next month, for 2 of my 7 children, my family started our homes journey and it has been life changing especially with the current challenges that every family has faced in the past two years. The ability to be able to use a tax credit for the important educational books, programs, materials, testings, field trips and various other expenses that home education incurres would help greatly. I have had a child in public school as well every year and the difference with homeschool vs public school are the expenses which are greater in cost because every class, school supply and opportunity are out of pocket expenses, even if only lunches were to be considered. Homeschoolers use just as much materials as a college student if not more! Consider the internet, electric, papers, ink, pencils, crowns, gas, food, time. Cooperative class costs, every minute of your day from the time you wake up until you sleep is filled with learning at a cost the difference is as a home educator you don’t get paid, you dont get reimbursement BUT you do get to watch them develop and learn a d discover their strengths and weaknesses. Please consider this bill to help families like mine who are one income at the cost of protecting our childrens health and education. I never imagined we would have to homeschool more than the original two but having one who can’t be vaccinated because of an allergy to the preservatives in vaccines how could I send him off to be sick constantly with no protection. I pray this virus ends and he can return to public education if he chooses.

I support schools choice. It think this is the only way to bring accountability to the public school system. Also, for some families, public school is not a good fit - like my family. Over half of my property tax goes towards public schools. I want some of that back to pay for MY KIDS private school education.

I support the Home instruction and private school tax credit.

Hello, There are significant concerns I have with this bill. First and foremost, I appreciate the thought you give to private school and homeschool families. However, having come from a homeschool family and having considered private school, I strongly feel that public school children should be at the forefront of public money recipients. Homeschool families should not receive any money or tax funds meant for public school children. Public school has standards of education that benefit society and hence that is why tax payer money is used as it is a benefit to society. Homeschooling in Virginia severely lacks standards of education and will continue to lack them until religious exemptions of testing and educational benchmarks are ceased. Many homeschool children fly under the radar under this exemption and receive a substandard or non existent education. This in turn places a burden on the taxpayers to catch these children up to any standard of learning later on. My evidence for this is both anecdotal and also very clear in community college classes that have an abundance of young adults from homeschool families who are in rudimentary learning for more than one subject. Not only did I struggle after my religious exemption home school upbringing, but so did so many other home school young adults I met through churches and community colleges. Virginia has refused to put children first, and parents nonsense religious attacks on their children last. Children have a right to be educated and to be safely monitored to show evidence of their education. Children have a right to not be indoctrinated by extreme religious beliefs that this exemption currently allows. Tax payer money should not go towards homeschooling families that can easily hide neglect, abuse and zero education under Virginia’s lack luster homeschooling laws. The vast majority of home schooled youth I personally know who were educated under this religious exemption have needed therapy, public funds to catch up on course work, and have faced significant stress due to Virginia’s lack of oversight. As for private schools, many private schools have scholarships and donations to offset costs and some are for profit schools that should not receive tax payer money. Instead, build up public schools more and more. Build up the children that need public education more than ever and support that teachers educating during incredibly difficult times. Thank you for your time.

Parents should have the choice to send kids where they believe is best for their children. Receiving a tax credit for choosing to homeschool would be a great benefit. We chose to homeschool all of our children for all of their education and had to pay for our local schools through VA taxes and had to pay for our own materials/books to educate our children at home. This was a double "tax" for us. Why should we pay for local schools if we're not using them?

Good day ladies and gentlemen, My family and I urge you to pass HB 784 as well as continue to provide protection for homeschooled students and their parents who choose to homeschool. Homeschool parents pay taxes yet reap none of the benefits for their child's education. We are in effect paying for other children's state sponsored education while receiving no assistance for our own child's education. This bill would at least help to make it right with the tax credit. We are a military family with 3 children whom we are homeschooling. We chose homeschool due to the garbage that is being taught in public schools and the morals that are not being taught. How does Fairfax County HS have time to play a "privilege bingo game" that tells kids they are privileged for being white, male, christian, and having parents in the military, instead of actually teaching our children subjects like english, history and civics? It's a slap in the face. How are my children privileged to have their father gone for 6 weeks last year on a no notice mission to protect the U.S. Congress at the Capitol building? Indoctrination and insults like these that come out of the public educatuon system are our reason for homeschooling and we should at least receive some tax credit to assist. Homeschooling is already a sacrifice as time is devoted away from earning income to teaching our children, but a quality education for our children is well worth it. Thank you for your time and consideration.

I am opposed to any legislation that would redistribute public school funds to charter or private schools.

I support this bill to give parents tax credits for homeschooling or private school tuition costs. Parents deserve the right to send their kids to schools or educate them as the parents best see fit. The current situation where parents of homeschooling or private school children are essentially paying twice for their kids' schooling is unfair and discourages parents, particularly those of limited means, from sending their children to the schools or give them the education they best see fit due to cost. Parents deserve choice and freedom for their kids education at an affordable cost and fair cost so they are not paying for a public school system that they believe is not best for their children.

Our public schools are essential to the well being of our students and the opportunities they will have to be their best selves as they become adult members of our society. Vouchers will not provide all of our students with better options. Vouchers will however take funds away from public schools. More funding is needed, not less. This is about lifting all our children up for a stronger community. Do not sacrifice public schools, support them! Sincerely, Amy Harr 2018 Teacher of the Year

Thank you for considering my input. My name is Meredith Baker, I'm from Midlothian, and I have personally participated in a failed homeschool voucher program like this in the state of Michigan. I would like to make the following points : 1. Lack of accountability in this bill will lead to taxpayer waste. Unlike probably every elected official present and everyone testifying, I actually "graduated" from a failed experimental charter school program in Michigan (Noah Webster Academy outside of Lansing, 1997) based on this exact model of direct funding of homeschoolers with public funds. The program was mismanaged, had almost no accountability built in financially or educationally, and was full of false promises. Lawmakers swept up in libertarian rhetoric failed to provide the structure or guidelines necessary for my program to succeed, and I note there are almost no guidelines or details in this bill to prevent failure and mismanagement. The school eventually folded, leaving me with a "diploma" that's little more than a joke. The taxpayer did not get his or her money's worth and my education was not supported as promised. How exactly does Virginia intend to avoid the failures experienced in other states? 2. Who will benefit? This seems geared toward serving students from families that are not the neediest and are not zoned in the lowest-performing school districts--parents who already have acceptable (if not perfectly custom) public options. Participating private schools are not required to set tuition at the voucher value. Average private school tuition costs in Virginia are over $11,500 for elementary schools and closer to $17,000 for middle and high schools--in Chesterfield, one of our lowest cost elementary programs is $7,400, not including fees, which are hundreds more. This practically excludes the lowest income families from being able to participate and subsidizes parent who already have the means. As lawmakers, your first financial priority should be toward the students and school infrastructures most in need. Raising those boats leads to better economic return on investment for taxpayers. 3. How will you keep from repeating the mistakes of the past? Virginia has a long history of neglecting the neediest students to support those with means--from John Randolph of Roanoke who claimed in 1829 that if the government funded public schools, poor parents would spend their money on "liquor" to the public monies paid to White segregation academies in the 1960s. ODU's Desegregation of Virginia Education program notes that Virginia spent $20 MILLION dollars on these "tuition grants" to White families who had means, but were unwilling to attend schools with Black children. Our history is our context. What guardrails will be put in place to guarantee racial and economic fairness in the administration of this program?

My child was pulled from school right before winter break. I have since put him in a online private school. My reasons for pulling him were the excessive physical violence going on in the High School he attended. We had a couple bullying issues which the school ignored. In one instance it was scene by a staff member in the class room where my son was assulted and robbed. Nothing happened. Their response was for the teacher to keep them on opposite ends of the classroom. Teachers are not bouncers. The agressor had had several other similar incidents and actually did the same thing to another student just days later. Still crickets from admin. My son told me about daily fights in bathrooms and halls. My daughter who remained as she is a senior and chose to has said she runs e erukne to not get stuck in a fight. You never know when someone will jump you just because. So I removed my you gest 9th grade for his safety. Wouldn't you know it they are now trying to do a IEP on a kid that's not there so they can get more money for him. It's ridiculous. Maybe if they lost the money from kids leaving they would wake up and do something about the conditions inside their school.

The idea to create a tax credit for parents who homeschool or send their children to private school is wonderful! I'm not sure of all the details in this bill, but the idea at least, as my full support. Too long have parents who do not send their children to public schools had to pay a disproportionate amount. And often times, homeschooling parents are single income households. This tax break is wonderful and should move forward. Thank you for proposing this! One point that I am concerned about is how this will be verified. Many homeschooling families homeschool in order to keep the state out of the education of their children. That freedom of religion and conscience needs to be protected in this bill. Andrew Akers

I do not support a voucher school system, or any other way to divert money out of the public schools. We need well funded, top rated schools available to all. My son is on an IEP. He needs the schools to have resources for him. The schools have issues, but the fix is not to pull money out into the pockets of private schools. They need more.money to operate at the levels we expect. Do not support this bill. I do not as a taxpayer, now as a mom, and as a future person with no kids in the school. Thank you.

Honorable Committee, Please ensure there is a portion of HB784 that includes provisions for military families that are not residents of Virginia but are stationed here. Many of my fellow service members are now home-schooling families as a result of impacts to K-12 schools from COVID. An amendment that includes provisions for military non-resident families to submit vouchers for homeschool or private school costs would accomplish this. Thank you. Respectfully, Pat Walker

My name is Anne Forrester and I am a resident of Richmond, and a public school teacher in Richmond. I am speaking against HB 784 because as a public school teacher, unsurprisingly I believe in public education. I know that bills like this one are meant to siphon revenue away from public schools, and into for-profit ones. Section I of article 8 of the VA constitution reads, “The General Assembly shall provide for a system of free public elementary and secondary schools for all children of school age throughout the Commonwealth, and shall seek to ensure that an educational program of high quality is established and continually maintained.” What’s telling though, is for years advocates, myself included, have been urging this body to fully fund the Standards of Quality in order to uphold your constitutional duty to ensure an “educational program of high quality”. I can’t help but notice and question the motives here when this bill seeks to give away potential revenue when the normal excuse for not fully funding the SOQs is because we just don’t have the money. I don’t buy it. Public education is the backbone of a society. When our schools are struggling, it’s usually evidence of a troubled society. And right now our schools are struggling, so what does that say about our society that per this bill you’re ready to take even more revenue away from them? As a teacher, we often hear our schools are failing and that we’re somehow to blame for that, as if the problem were really that we don’t know how to teach. But we know that’s not true. Our schools can seem like they’re failing because they’re also serving as mental and physical healthcare for students, feeding and clothing students, and otherwise attempting to remedy all the other ways society has let our students down. So, if we are to continue to expect schools to solve all of society's issues, it’s past time we actually fund them to do so, rather than weakening them and taking more money away as this bill would. Thank you

Please keep public school funds for public schools and do not direct these funds to vouchers. Please consider giving public schools more money. I believe public schools is a place where kids from different backgrounds can learn from each other and help learn tolerance for all people. The schools need their funds to foster this.

Please pass this. Parents who choose options in private education that are not provided by the current public system pay for school twice. They pay for an option they do not use, and they must pay out of pocket for the alternative. Such a bill takes nothing away from public schools, but does ease the burden on families are paying double.

As a parent of 5 children who attend or have attended private school over the past 20 years, I am in favor of this credit. I have paid taxes for public schools that we utilized very little due to lack of religious training, as well as teaching perspectives we do not agree with and practices outside of our value system. It is only fair that parents of private school children should receive some credit for sacrificing to place their kids in a situation where they can learn what more closely aligns with their families values. Furthermore, the SOL testing, while intended to improve quality of teaching and education, has in my opinion done just the opposite. It has taken creativity of teaching out of the classroom and reduced it to an environment where teachers are pressured to teach to a test and children to learning rote facts in order to maintain funding. Additionally, the safety of our children in public schools is questionable. I have felt more comfortable over the years sending my kids to schools with a much more controlled environment where trained teachers and administrators have access to arms and use of protection that would not be allowed in public schools. My children are also less likely to be exposed to certain behaviors and attitudes that prevail over the deterioration of our culture and society because there is accountability placed on the kids and parents to properly discipline, train, and teach respect to their children ,as well as a partnership with the schools help and reinforcement in these areas. The proof of a failing public school system is easily recognized in our country. Current solutions have failed due to restraints placed on school divisions that seek to satisfy a broad range of ideals in education. Lack of accountability placed on parents and community has also failed these kids. Divisions spend more time catering to the needs and ideas of a small minority than the greater good of the collective as a whole. They seek to not offend or divide for fear of legal action, and as a result have created an environment that fails to stand on principles that build character and an environment of mutual respect and value for opinions other than ones own. As government schools they have failed to teach properly our own institutions of government with regard to rights and freedoms afforded to us by God our founders vision. Our schools have been reduced to teaching ideals that directly contradict these foundations in favor of teaching foreign concepts that have proven disastrous to world governments and global societies. This is America and our way of life is being eroded by practicing outside the very foundations that our forefathers established to prevent this very thing from happening. Rather than creating harmony and peace in our system, a narrative has been pressed that seeks to divide and exclude all the while claiming to want just the opposite. Our children deserve to be taught about their great country and have pride instilled in them for who they are as a people regardless of race or religion. There is more that unifies us than divides us and the current public school systems have failed to create an environment where this idea is given its rightful place. All this being said, parents who choose to place their kids outside of the public system should be afforded a tax break for their choice to do so.

Right now, parents in Virginia who choose (for whatever reason) to not use public schools for their children's education face an extra financial hardship. HB784 would be a step in the right direction towards reducing the economic inequality which currently exists and has an impact on a parent(s)/guardian(s) decision in terms of which type of school is best for their child. Minnesota and Louisiana already have similar laws enacted and I urge you to vote to pass this bill, so that Virginia will join these other states who are more in favor of school choice. Thank you for your time.

Please do not support this bill. Evidence does not support diverting public funds away from public school and toward public school or homeschooling. My children attend a public school that is already falling apart and busting at the seams. It will get even worse if you allow parents to choose to take money away from it. Where is the good there? Taking away public funding will hurt the public good. If people want private school or homeschooling, they can pay for that choice themselves. Taxes should support the public good, not other choices that would hurt those of us who believed in and need public resources.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Finance Committee, I ask that you gently lay this bill on the table. The schools of Virginia are a success. To throw open the doors to massive privatization of them, which this bill, along with a group of others proposed this term are designed to do, would destabilize the economy, diminish the opportunities of young Virginians, and reduce the quality of life for all Virginians. By syphoning off money for already strapped localities that provide a high quality education for over 90% of our youngest Virginians you will be further straining local jurisdictions from fulfilling their constitutional duties, and disadvantaging those who need support the most. To the Republican members, please reconsider your path. Dismembering the schools of Virginia is not the way to govern well. Thank you.

The bill allows a person to get a tax credit if they choose to send their child to a private school, thereby taking away tax revenue from the state to support non-public education. The essence of the document is some people do not have to pay for a service they do not use while the remainder pay a heavier burden and/or the service is diminished. What about people who have no children or no school age children? Why should they essentially be funding private schools? The public school system needs to be strengthened and supported, not have it's funding decreased. The tax payers should not have their taxes used to support non-public education. Half of my K-12 education, and all of my child's, was non-public. It was a choice made by my family, and we never expected or wanted to be compensated for that decision by the government (tax paying citizens). People should have the right to make that choice, but the government should not subsidize non-public education. Families are not entitled to government aid for sending their children to a private school.

While a home instruction and private school tax credit will benefit some families and students, it will hurt most Virginians. There are not enough private schools to support every student in Virginia. Many families would not be able to afford private school even with a credit. The General Assembly would be creating a program that benefits a few families while there are students in crumbling buildings throughout the Commonwealth. Please veto this legislation and support legislation that will fully fund education in Virginia.

As a parent who strongly believes in public education (and whose two children have attended Loudoun County Public Schools from Kindergarten through their current 8th grade, and will continue through high school), I do not support HB784. HB784 will drain funds from our public schools.

I do not support the diversion of public education money to private schooling. This defunds public schools at a time when if anything, public school funding needs to be increased. I am an educator and a parent and believe investment in the public system is the most equitable way to educate our children. Our systems are trailing behind other countries because of our lack of investment. Further splintering the education system does our country no service except to further allow each group to not communicate with one another, retain different beliefs and values, rather than learn from each other.

This portability of funds will do nothing to improve education. Instead, it further defunds our public schools and does not really help lower the cost of private schools. What we need to do is to invest majorly in public education, to improve school infrastructure, stop overcrowding and attract more qualified teachers by offering them pay that reflects their professional degrees and hours of service.

Virginia provides a free, public option for a high quality K-12 education for all children in the Commonwealth. Some parents choose to homeschool their children or send them to private schools at their own expense instead of availing themselves of the public schools. By offering a tax credit to those parents for some or all of those expenses, the revenues the state has available to fund programs will be reduced. If this bill is to be enacted, it should contain a guarantee that such reductions would not come from the amounts budgeted to fully fund the public K-12 system. Short of that guarantee, this bill will result in a decline in the quality of the public school system. Such a result is unacceptable. Unless this committee can magically find a way to absorb the reduction in revenue created by the tax credit without reducing the funding for the public schools, this bill should be extinguished here in committee and not brought to a vote.

I oppose HB 784. If this bill passes it will divert funds from public schools to private schools. Research shows that investing in our public schools improves student outcomes and that voucher systems do not. Virginia already ranks 41st in the nation per pupil expenditure; I find that unacceptable in a state that ranks 4th in education output. Our educators are going above and beyond despite being perpetually unfunded. Please don't take more from our public school systems. Vouchers have also shown to increase segregation and discrimination. Private schools are not required to set tuition at the voucher value. That leaves the majority of families benefitting from vouchers those who have the means to supplement the vouchers putting families of lower socio-economic at a distinct disadvantage. Private schools participating in voucher programs are generally free to accept or reject students based on perceived at-risk status, academic ability, religion, sexual orientation or gender-identity. This allows private schools to select only the most advantaged students and reject children with the greatest need of support. They are able to use public funds without being held to standards public schools are, and should be, held to. Research is clear that investing in public schools improves student outcomes, graduation and postsecondary enrollment; the research does not point to increased outcomes with voucher systems. Tax-payer dollars would be better invested in research-based initiatives that educators have been advocating for for years. Please invest in our public schools. Do not divert funds from them.

I strongly oppose diverting funds away from public schools. One of the main causes of poorly performing schools in Virginia is the lack of adequate funding and this bill will only worsen this issue. Investing in our public schools is the best way to achieve better educational outcomes for all Virginia students.

Public education is already severely underfunded. This is classist, racist, and not equitable.

Did you know that Virginia ranks 41st out of all states on per student spending on K-12 students? Our schools are severely underfunded. There is a shortage of teachers and substitutes. There is a support cap still in place from when we were in a recession. We are no longer in a recession, so we need to lift that cap, and that will help with our public school funding. Research has shown that voucher programs do not work. They favor higher income white families . They do not lead to improved student outcomes. Those that send their kids to private schools do not need additional funding from public schools. This is like robbing the poor to feed the rich. We need a level playing field. Our public schools need more funding. I should not have to fight for my kids to have a quality education. They should not be in overcrowded classrooms with burnt out teachers that are not paid enough. Their classrooms and buildings should not be falling apart. What should happen is funding the revised Standards of Quality and lifting the support cap which adds to our current support staff shortages.

Please continue to support mask mandates in school. The health of our children and school staff depend on it.

Please do not divert much-needed resources from public schools. Virginia public schools are already underfunded. Diverting more funding will be highly detrimental to an already precarious educational climate. I urge you to vote against this bill.

The idea that this would benefit anyone is laughable. This is another scheme to funnel money into pockets at the expense of actual people. That anyone would think this is a good idea disgusts me. The right to education is for everyone. No child should be given preferential treatment and no child should be ENCOURAGED to attend often bigoted and close-minded homeschooling. If you want a generation of entitled, apathetic, selfish, and downright uneducated children, pass this bill. Otherwise, do the right thing and both vote it down and never entertain an idea this blatantly money-hungry ever again.

As a former teacher and parent of a public school student, I oppose this bill. Parents have a choice to send their children to private schools but they cannot do so at the expense of their neighborhood school. It is up to the parent to fund their own child’s private school education and that is why it is is called private school. Please to do not allow this bill to go any further. Public schools need more funding not less.

No

This bill is not evidence-based. The Brookings Institution reviewed voucher studies from four states and found that students who took advantage of these programs to attend private schools performed worse on tests than similar students who do not attend private schools. Moreover, should this bill pass, it would divert funds from public schools which are already underfunded.

This bill will only widen the gap between the wealthy and poor in VA. I ask that this bill not pass. This bill will help begin the process of stripping away much needed funding for public schools. Especially now, during a global pandemic. Our public schools need funding and our full support.

The Virginia Assembly of Independent Baptists would like to express support for HB784. Parents who use accredited private schools, some of which are private Christian schools in our organization, would greatly benefit with this tax credit program without doing harm to public education funding. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Eddy Aliff Executive Director

Comments Document

My name is Dr. Rachel Levy and I live in Ashland, Virginia, in the 55th House of Delegates District and the 9th State Senate District. I am a mother of three--I have one child in Hanover County Public Schools as well as two who are just graduated in 2021. I am also a teacher who has a PhD in Educational Leadership & Policy from VCU. I was a candidate for the 55th District seat in 2021. I oppose HB784 because I support our public schools, because it's impractical, because it's unconstitutional, because it will only serve to subsidize affluent parents, and because the people in the districts where I live do not want vouchers, directly or via a back door. Studies of the impact of vouchers on student performance show no difference in performance or show that public school students outperform their voucher-program peers. Our public schools in Virginia are already chronically underfunded--Virginia ranks 41st in per-PK-12 student spending out of all states. Voucher studies also show that vouchers tend to favor students from more affluent families and can drive economic and racial segregation. Most low-income families don't receive enough support to make use of school vouchers and so a bill like this will cause much needed public funding for our public schools to be diverted to affluent parents and their chosen private schools. Private schools that participate in voucher programs are generally free to reject or accept students based on perceived at-risk status, academic ability, religion, sexual orientation or gender-identity which allows private schools to discriminate against certain groups of students while raking in public funds. On average, parents of students who switch to private schools with vouchers are not happier or more satisfied. Voucher schemes are especially harmful to rural communities which can ill afford to lose any funding and with whom local public schools are popular and cherished community centers and gathering places. School vouchers will destroy these cherished institutions in our rural communities--institutions which are already struggling from neglect and under-funding. My campaign in the 55th District, which is largely rural, knocked about 9500 doors in the past campaign cycle. The citizens of the 55th District love their public schools and want them to be stronger and fully funded and staffed. They don't want school vouchers. Thank you for your time and consideration and for your service to our Commonwealth.

As the parent of a student in private school, I do not support HB784. Private non-profit schools have the ability to raise money (providing tax breaks) to underwrite the full tuition of disadvantaged students. This is called philanthropy. Public schools rely on taxes for funding. This bill should not be given consideration given that Virginia continues to ignore the need for equitable funding statewide. Bristol Superintendent Keith Perrigan gave an excellent presentation to the House Education Committee on this very matter. I do not support taking money from public education to fund a second school system. We need to fairly and adequately fund public schools first.

Citizens may choose to employ private security services and even guards to protect their private property, but we do not subsidize that choice by diverting funding from our public services. The mission of education should be no different. If we're going to provide a quality education for all of our children, we need to commit our resources to that mission!

Research shows investing in public schools improves student outcomes; vouchers don’t. I’m in favor of investing in public schools. Vote No on HB 784.

The Virginia Assocation of School Superintendents opposes HB784 as a voucher program. These tax credits would reduce the amount of state funds available for public education. Essentially, it would direct funding due the state to private and homeschool education.

I am a parent and an educator. I live in both the public and private worlds of eduction. I have two children who attend our zoned public elementary school, and I work as an educator at a private school. I DO NOT support HB 784! Private schools participating in voucher programs are free to accept or reject students based on perceived at-risk status, academic ability, religion, sexual orientation or gender-identity. They are not obligated to provide IEP, 504 or related services accommodations. 
 No current voucher program in the country protects LGBTQ+ students against discrimination. This allows private schools to select only the most advantaged students and reject children with the greatest need of support. All while pulling much needed funding from these students public school. With students and schools still recovering from the setbacks of the pandemic, we can’t afford to start shifting investments to unproven voucher programs that have poor track records for improving student
outcomes. Research is clear that investing in public schools improves student outcomes, graduation and postsecondary enrollment. I suspect you are aware of this and the goal of this bill is not to improve student outcomes at all. Lawmakers should look to invest in research-backed initiatives that our Board of Education and student-advocacy groups in the state have been pointing to for years, like funding the revised Standards of Quality and lifting the support cap which adds to our current support staff shortages. Hire more teachers to ensure smaller class size - this has been shown to increase students and school performance. I implore you to put Virginias funding and focus on programs that benefit ALL students. Let’s not focus funding on an entitled minority, who are already well positioned to ensure a quality education for their children. Sincerely, Betsy Yakim

I vote NO.

Please, no. Public schools should receive more, not less, funding.

No. Do not pass this Bill! This will be dangerous for our children whose parents are unable to speak up for themselves. Said ...parents might be too busy working to voice their opinion in person or may not have a computer/wifi in their home. They may not even be aware of this Bill.

I am an educator with 30 years of experience educating students in the public schools in the Commonwealth and my son spent 13 wonderful years learning in local public schools. My work experience gives me a unique perspective on the issues facing public education. HB784 would destroy public schools. Please kill this bill. As with any other public good, citizens who choose not to “consume” that good are not then entitled to take public funds for their own consumption elsewhere. Imagine if everyone who doesn’t use the public library were to demand vouchers to buy books on Amazon. Ludicrous. But that is the plan here. According to the book “The Privatization of Everything”, author Donald Cohen points out: “The problem at the core of a privatized, market model for education is that it depends on creating winners and losers. The idea is that parents will choose the good schools that will survive and grow and avoid the poor schools until they improve or fail. Of course, parents will try to find the best school for their children. But as a school improvement approach, market-based reforms like charter schools and private school vouchers disrupt families, increase segregation, divide communities, and leave many schools with fewer resources to make improvements and educate students.1” This bill is anti-public good in so many ways. It channels money away from public schools, which have a mission to educate all students, to private schools who may choose which students to educate (back to the “winners and losers” model from above) Ignoring the vast data that vouchers and private schools don’t improve student performance (see Brookings Institute and National Bureau of Economic Research studies), just fiscally, this plan is dead on arrival. With Virginia Schools underfunded, ranking 41st in per student spending, this bill will dramatically exacerbate that. In an era of teacher shortages, how will schools be staffed with LESS funds for teachers? And how does this voucher plan correspond with the Governor’s budget to RAISE teacher pay? The ideas seem mutually exclusive. But the most jarring reason to reject this bill and its ideas is the shameful and historical connection of vouchers to Massive Resistance. Let’s not revisit that disgraceful episode in our past. Instead of offering vouchers, fully fund schools, recruit and retain the best staff, and educators will flock to Virginia for its great pay and great conditions, while businesses and families will follow suit to experience the great educational “product” our public schools offer. Say no to HB784.

This bill takes away funds from our already underfunded public schools. Virginia is ranked 41st in school spending. Voucher programs in other states have shown not to work. The private schools are not held to the same standards. Vouchers would lead to segregation and discrimination as private schools can admit who they want and can cherry pick students. Instead we should increase spending on public schools so teachers and staff can be adequately compensated. Spending should be increased so teachers don't have to spend their own money. By increasing spending on public schools we are investing in our children and our future. reducing spending puts our children at a disadvantage.

I am writing to express opposition to HB784. A quality public education is a right that all should have access to, while private education at home or another setting is an option. Just as we wouldn't defund our police department because some people prefer private security, we shouldn't be doing the same to our schools. Virginia already seriously underfunds its public schools. We do not need to siphon more money away from public education, further crippling the operation of our public schools and jeopardizing the quality of education for all to appease the desires of a few. Doing so would be to the detriment of our poorest students, those for whom a private education would still not be possible, even with a voucher, as they would still not be able to cover the remaining tuition. Finally, this bill smacks of racism and privilege. The last time Virginia experimented with vouchers for private schools was during Massive Resistance, the period following desegregation of public schools during which Virginia shut down all public education and gave out vouchers to privately run, white only schools, to continue segregation of schools. There are economic and social parallels that may be drawn between that time and this; however, discussion of such parallels are also being strongly opposed by the current administration, as I'm sure pointing them out would make many of you feel uncomfortable.

This will be the death of public schools, which are already underfunded.

I am a retired school teacher. It is very important to provide free and public education to all of our children. Our schools need money, materials, and books to provide them with a good education so they can go out in the world and be able to be and deal with others in our society. Children learn better in a public school where there are children from many different backgrounds and experiences. Please give our schools the money that they need.

Evidence Doesn’t Support Expanding Vouchers K-12 vouchers do not improve student outcomes. The Brookings Institution reviewed voucher studies from four states and found that students who took advantage of these programs to attend private schools performed worse on tests than similar students who do not attend private schools. The National Bureau of Economic Research found “a large proportion of the most rigorous studies suggest that being awarded a voucher has an effect that is statistically indistinguishable from zero.” A 2018 University of Virginia study found no benefit for students attending private schools, including for students from low-income families and urban settings. Vouchers divert much-needed resources from public schools. Virginia already severely underfunds its public schools — ranking 41st in per-student spending out of all states for pre-K-12. Diverting more funding to private schools will exacerbate financial challenges for public schools. Research has found that Wisconsin’s K-12 voucher program shortchanged public schools and has created a significant financial threat. Vouchers increase segregation and discrimination, do not impact satisfaction or safety. Virginia experimented with vouchers during Massive Resistance in an effort to reject school integration efforts. Voucher programs in Indiana have tended to favor higher-income white families, and in Louisiana have led to white families leaving more diverse schools. Private schools participating in voucher programs are generally free to accept or reject students based on perceived at-risk status, academic ability, religion, sexual orientation or gender-identity. As of a 2016 review, no voucher program in the country protects LGBTQ+ students against discrimination. This allows private schools to select only the most advantaged students and reject children with the greatest need of support. Participating private schools are not required to set tuition at the voucher value. A previous ESA voucher bill in Virginia would have provided payment of about $4,500, while average private school tuition costs in Virginia are over $11,500 for elementary schools and closer to $17,000 for middle and high schools. When you factor in additional costs of transportation and uniforms, this effectively excludes the lowest income families from being able to participate. On average, parents of students who switch to private schools with vouchers do not see a change in satisfaction or sense of school safety. What Works to Improve Student Outcomes With students and schools still recovering from the setbacks of the pandemic, we can’t afford to start shifting investments to unproven voucher programs that have poor track records for improving student outcomes. Research is clear that investing in public schools improves student outcomes, graduation and postsecondary enrollment. Lawmakers should look to invest in research-backed initiatives that our Board of Education and student-advocacy groups in the state have been pointing to for years, like funding the revised Standards of Quality and lifting the support cap which adds to our current support staff shortages.

I ask you legislators to oppose Bill 784. It will divert funds from public schools, some of which (in low income localities) are already underfunded and physically decaying. A society in which half the children are poorly educated will not work, economically or socially. Thank you for your consideration. Phoebe Antrim

I am writing to say the I vehemently oppose any sort of school voucher program. My two children attend Powhatan County Middle School. We are a white middle class family and any sort of voucher program would be discriminatory against us! My children’s education would suffer because you are taking money away from public schools! We cannot afford private school tuition even with the tax credit! We would be unable to transport our children to school each day even if we could! Since both my husband and I are working, homeschooling isn’t an option either. I would also like to point out that my daughter has an IEP. If we left the public schools, she would no longer receive services and very few private schools offer services for children with special needs. A school voucher program absolutely only benefits the wealthiest among us. DO NOT FUND SCHOOL VOUCHERS!!

I am writing to voice my opposition to HB784. The last thing that we need to do in this moment is to divert public money away from public education. Educators and support staff are leaving in droves, class sizes are at their maximum or beyond, are children are struggling academically and mentally. It is completely wrong-headed to take public funds away from public schools in such difficult circumstances. A quality, free public education is a cornerstone of our democracy. Historically, Virginia was slow to adopt the free public education model and it would be unwise to replicate that short-sightedness in the present day. Public education is rightly supported by all in the community irrespective of parental status precisely because it benefits the entire community. I urge the committee to reject HB784, an entirely misguided piece of legislation.

I was a public school teacher for 35 years, and an administrator in a private school for four years. VA presently ranks near the bottom of all states in spending per student. Public education in VA needs MORE money, not less. ANY school receiving public money should be subject to the same transparency, accountability, admission and expulsion standards. Public funds should not be diverted to private schools at the expense of the public education system. I strongly urge members of this committee to vote AGAINST HB784. Frank Callahan Henrico County Frank.p.callahan@gmail.com1

In no way do I support diverting funds for public education for use in private or homeschool settings. Public schools were established for the betterment and literacy of our citizenry. Public Funds diverted are not accessible to the public but to only a small select portion. That is not the intended use of public education funds.

No funding should be diverted from Public school. In fact funding should be increased so that we do not loose our dedicated teachers and education providers. We are county residents due to high quality of public schools. With students and schools still recovering from the setbacks of the pandemic, we can’t afford to start shifting investments to unproven voucher programs that have poor track records for improving student outcomes. Research is clear that investing in public schools improves student outcomes, graduation and postsecondary enrollment. Lawmakers should look to invest in research-backed initiatives that our Board of Education and student-advocacy groups in the state have been pointing to for years, like funding the revised Standards of Quality and lifting the support cap which adds to our current support staff shortages.

This bill harm children whose families cannot afford private education and will only help the rich stay richer. Please vote NO.

Virginia, if you are going to redirect funding away from public schools, please also answer how the needs of the most at risk students will be met by this decision. These students would not be accepted into another school and their parents may not seek alternate placement. You are left with a situation where the most vulnerable are left sitting in underfunded public schools that still do not have the resources to meet their needs. If your goal is to fully fund public and charter schools, go for it. Please do not punish children by leaving them behind because their parents cannot provide them with an appropriate home environment. Virginia should be fighting for every single student, including the ones that we do not have answers for right now.

Plz do not divert money from Public Schools in Va to private/religious schools. Studies have shown this re-segregates schools and harms public education by taking away needed resources. Also, tax payers should not be funding religious schools as this goes against separation of church and state.

The goal of public education is the ensure that the next generation is not only prepared to be productive, responsible adults that contribute to the community and successfully compete in a global society, but also to give the same opportunities to every child, regardless of socio-economic standing or family trauma. Diverting funds from the public schools to give money to those who feel their child is entitled to “better” through private or homeschool will only lead to already underfunded public schools becoming less able to provide adequately for those who stay. It will ensure the divide between children raised by affluent, over-invested helicopter parents and this kids whose parents aren’t able or willing to do the same. This will be a hardship felt for decades and will only make America less and less competitive in the global world.

My taxes should be goingbto public schools. This bill needs to be defeated. You are going against the majority of Virginia voters. Citizens had the wool pulled over their eyes with CRT now this. Say y no to divert any monies. How about using the monies you have to make them the best in the nation ? Shameful what some are attempting to do to education I. Virginia. Most states have charter schools because the ones that are public are not any good. You cant say that about Virginia public schools M my son graduated from clover hill hs and is now a chemical engineer who works for dept of defense. What got him here was determination and CD amazing teachers! Get to work and support teachers and stop this CHARADE

As a veteran math teacher of 35 years, a resident of Chesterfield, VA and a parent of 2 graduates of the Virginia public school system I ask you to not pass HB784. Public school funds should not be diverted to private schools or homeschooling. Virginia public schools are already underfunded and cannot afford to lose any of its current funding. We are in time where we have much work to do to help our students and make our system successful. Private schools do not have to live up to the same testing standards as public schools. Private schools do not have to accept all students. They can pick and choose who they accept. They do not have to include special education students. Our funds should not be shared unless the other entities must follow the same guidelines and acceptance of students.

I am firmly opposed to any bill that seeks to take away money from our public education system, especially when the benefactors of such credits will disproportionately be individuals and families who have the means to pay their own way. A family has the individual choice to educate their children how they see fit. VA tax payers are not reasonable for funding private resources. We have a top tier public education system in VA, that we should focus on continuing to approve it. Whatever real or perceived issues with public education in VA are, the answer cannot be to defund the system. If the purpose of this bill is to improve educational outcomes, this bill will not accomplish that. This bill simply serves as a handout to the wealthy at the expense of our public education system. Please focus your efforts on making VA the number one state in the country for public education.

In the early 60s, my grandfather was one of a few men who helped found a private school in Virginia. It’s goal: for white students to attend a school that could remain legally segregated, as my grandfather did not want my mother nor my aunts attending a school with Black children. This bill, though not explicit in its phrasing, would act similarly. “Parent choice” is a misnomer. To divert money so that parents can send their children to private school is simply a way to achieve legal segregation due to how our system has historically (and currently) disadvantaged minority children into a lower socioeconomic bracket. Any who vote for this bill are either complicit in these intentions or so willfully ignore of history that they should not represent the people of Virginia. The public school system is at a tipping point. To vote for something that would divert funds from a system that is underfunded by millions is civically irresponsible and threatens the very foundations of what our founding fathers attempted to build. Public schools were meant to create responsible citizens who are able to actively take part in the democratic process. If parents remove their students from this system in order to attend schools where the curriculum matches their current belief system and does not allow for exploration or consideration of other viewpoints, then we have failed our founding fathers. We have failed in what so many politicians like to call “the American experiment.” I am a high school English teacher; I teach Dual Enrollment English at my high school. For those unfamiliar, that means I teach course material for the local community college. My students utilize scientific studies and peer reviewed papers to create arguments. My goal, and my job, is to help students explore issues and potential solutions using scholarly sources to support their argument. This is college material. In many such cases, “parent choice” would get rid of such research and sources if they conflict with their pre existing beliefs. What would this do to our community college system? What would this do to our public college system? To eliminate the potential for students to explore topics by moving them to schools where parents can opt for them to ignore science or history means that these students would either fail in college or simply choose not to go out of fear of being contradicted. Academia is not an inherently liberal institution. It is one that encourages and teaches critical thinking. We should fear the intentions of any who wish to rid the educational system of critical thinking as that is the true enemy of democracy — the desire to strip citizens of the ability to think for themselves. I beseech you to vote against this bill, among any others which would continue the dismantling of public education in Virginia.

As a parent with one child in the public school system and one child in a private school, I strongly oppose diverting any funds away from public schools. Unlike private schools, public schools cannot choose the children it serves. Most private schools do not accept children with special needs, nor do they accept children who have had difficult backgrounds and require more services, not fewer. The public schools are already strapped. Funding private schools sounds like a government hand out to me, and if people want to attend them, they should figure out how to pay for it without government assistance. This is welfare for the rich and upper middle class.

Politicians complain about the quality of public schools, which by the way are excellent in Virginia, then divert money away from it instead of fully funding it. Public education is one of the greatest gifts of this country, trying to dismantle it does not bode well for our collective future.

Please oppose HB784 to establish a tax credit for home schooling and private school instruction. The job of the state is to fund a quality educational system for its citizens. While citizens may certainly pursue private educational experiences, it is not the mandate of the state to ultimately remove funds from public education for the purpose of supporting these options. Citizens may also choose to employ private security services and even guards to protect their private property, but we do not subsidize that choice by diverting funding from our public services. The mission of education should be no different. If we're going to provide a quality education for all of our children, we need to commit our resources to that mission!

Hello! Evidence Doesn’t Support Expanding Vouchers K-12 vouchers do not improve student outcomes. -The Brookings Institution reviewed voucher studies from four states and found that students who took advantage of these programs to attend private schools performed worse on tests than similar students who do not attend private schools. -The National Bureau of Economic Research found “a large proportion of the most rigorous studies suggest that being awarded a voucher has an effect that is statistically indistinguishable from zero.” -A 2018 University of Virginia study found no benefit for students attending private schools, including for students from low-income families and urban settings. Vouchers divert much-needed resources from public schools. Virginia already severely underfunds its public schools — ranking 41st in per-student spending out of all states for pre-K-12. Diverting more funding to private schools will exacerbate financial challenges for public schools. Research has found that Wisconsin’s K-12 voucher program shortchanged public schools and has created a significant financial threat. Vouchers increase segregation and discrimination, do not impact satisfaction or safety. Virginia experimented with vouchers during Massive Resistance in an effort to reject school integration efforts. Voucher programs in Indiana have tended to favor higher-income white families, and in Louisiana have led to white families leaving more diverse schools. Private schools participating in voucher programs are generally free to accept or reject students based on perceived at-risk status, academic ability, religion, sexual orientation or gender-identity. As of a 2016 review, no voucher program in the country protects LGBTQ+ students against discrimination. This allows private schools to select only the most advantaged students and reject children with the greatest need of support. Participating private schools are not required to set tuition at the voucher value. A previous ESA voucher bill in Virginia would have provided payment of about $4,500, while average private school tuition costs in Virginia are over $11,500 for elementary schools and closer to $17,000 for middle and high schools. When you factor in additional costs of transportation and uniforms, this effectively excludes the lowest income families from being able to participate. On average, parents of students who switch to private schools with vouchers do not see a change in satisfaction or sense of school safety. What Works to Improve Student Outcomes With students and schools still recovering from the setbacks of the pandemic, we can’t afford to start shifting investments to unproven voucher programs that have poor track records for improving student outcomes. Research is clear that investing in public schools improves student outcomes, graduation and postsecondary enrollment. Lawmakers should look to invest in research-backed initiatives that our Board of Education and student-advocacy groups in the state have been pointing to for years, like funding the revised Standards of Quality and lifting the support cap which adds to our current support staff shortages. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Please vote NO! On HB784! Source: Fund Public Schools

Wasting no time in commencing their attack on public school funding in the commonwealth, the sponsors of this bill enable the transfer of taxpayer money spent to educate students in public schools at all levels, to enrich the owners of private schools, like those owned by Betsy DeVos, which made her a millionaire. As a taxpayer, I have zero interest in my tax dollars enriching millionaires. These schools have been shown to skim off only mainstream students, forcing all applicants with special needs or learning disabilities to receive their education from a shrinking pot of state funds. Evidence of this can be found in comments from parents whose applications were rejected, because their child was thought to be unfit to enter these paragons of matriculation. They also take the kids of wealthier parents who can afford the tuition. This measure begins the impoverishment of public schools in the commonwealth, as candidate Youngkin pledged. It also commences a new era of Massive Resistance in Virginia. Get my kids away from anyone who thinks differently, or looks differently. That would include the children of the diverse men and women serving in our armed forces, whom we glorify in campaign photo ops only, but stop short of supporting where the rubber hits the road. If money for public schools is raided, the only way to keep the schools functioning for the non-rich kids is to increase the property taxes of senior citizens, farmers, small business owners - all of whom you would willingly sacrifice to dogma and Trumpism. Your wealth transfer, your opportunity end run is not welcome and WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT. It's the latest dumb idea from Delegate LaRock, whose reputation in his district is a crazy man. This is poor policy, bad fiscal management, possibly illegal transfer of state funds to religious groups - all a cover for poorly disguised racism. Black Lives Matter frightened you so much you have to run back to the 1950's. Fully half the state is laughing at you trying to prevent your kids from learning that Virginia history included stealing Native American land and enslaving black people for 250 years. I only hope you have them as well protected against venereal disease or you might have clap on your toilet seat at home. You are so transparent.

Please oppose this effort to channel desperately needed funding away from public schools. Public school funding significantly benefits so many students in our communities during this already difficult time. There is no evidence that vouchers improve outcomes for students, and we don’t need to strain our already limited funding to public schools. Thank you very much for your time. Sincerely, Kate DeBord-Peter

As a public high school math teacher for 27 years, I say, "Check your math" on HB 784. This bill will divert badly needed funding for public schools to private education in the form of vouchers. It has been shown time and time again that vouchers tend to benefit only white students. Private schools can freely discriminate and do not have to accept all students - leaving the disadvantaged in underfunded public schools. On average, parents of students who switch to private schools with vouchers do not see a change in satisfaction or sense of school safety. As we recover from the setbacks of the pandemic, we should consider fully funding public education, not defunding it. I strongly urge you to vote NO on this bill. The math is not right for all Virginia students.

Please do not divert funding from public schools. I don’t know what would possess anyone to think it is a good idea to take funding away from public education. Why, why take funding away from the most marginalized group of citizens? How appalling.

Good morning, I am very troubled by this bill that will divert funds from the public schools. It is based on the assumption that our schools are failing and that somehow charter schools will do a better job. The 2018 UVA study found no significant benefit for students attending charter schools. K-12 vouchers do not improve student outcomes which is the primary reason behind this bill. Virginia ranks 41st in the nation in per student spending and this bill will challenge the resources that schools presently utilize. At a time when schools are struggling with this pandemic and keeping in person learning in place....this bill does nothing to solve any problems only create others.

Enough money is already diverted from public schools. Teachers are working with outdated materials, little or no text books, students with no resources who come to school empty handed, and expected to “fill the achievement gaps”. Taking money from these schools will make America worse, because people are going to take education into their own hands. Teachers already get paid bare minimum, barely making ends meet. This is the most outrageous thing I have ever heard.

I, as a Virginian and constituent and concerned voter, believe this bill should NOT pass out of committee, and should NOT be under consideration, as I think it has NO merit. The following are my arguments against taking funding from public K through 12 schools: • Virginia public school system educates approximately 90% of school-age children. • Virginia ranks 41st out of 50 in per-student spending, displaying an already under-funded public school system • We are currently in “recovery-mode” from the pandemic, with enormous hurdles to face in keeping students, teachers, staff and parents safe from health hazards, hospitalizations and potentially death, as well as long-haul symptoms of this coronavirus of which we are now entering the 3rd year. This recovery-mode will require more funding for public schools, not least of which is lifting the support cap to add staff in the face of a staffing shortage. Most certainly this would be a horrible time to divert funds away. • Especially if the point of this bill is to fund voucher programs and private schools, which The Brookings Institution, The National Bureau of Economic Research and a 2018 UVA study have shown that voucher programs for private schools attendance have: - resulted in poorer testing outcomes, - no known or apparent benefits to education of a child, - increases discriminatory practices against at-risk, minority, gender-diverse, sexual orientation-diverse, low-income, religion-diverse, needy and academically-challenged children. - not been shown to increase satisfaction in education, nor school safety. Voucher programs have repeatedly come up with poor track records for improving student outcomes. And research continues to show that investing in public schooling is what has improved students’ educations, increased graduation and continued post-education enrollment. The current research-backed initiatives that our Board of Education and student-advocacy groups have been working to advance are the programs that need legislation for support and enactment.

I strongly oppose this bill or any action to divert money from public K-12 schools. K-12 vouchers do not improve student outcomes. The Brookings Institution reviewed voucher studies from four states and found that students who took advantage of these programs to attend private schools performed worse on tests than similar students who do not attend private schools. The National Bureau of Economic Research found “a large proportion of the most rigorous studies suggest that being awarded a voucher has an effect that is statistically indistinguishable from zero.” A 2018 University of Virginia study found no benefit for students attending private schools, including for students from low-income families and urban settings. Vouchers divert much-needed resources from public schools. Virginia already severely underfunds its public schools — ranking 41st in per-student spending out of all states for pre-K-12. Diverting more funding to private schools will exacerbate financial challenges for public schools. Research has found that Wisconsin’s K-12 voucher program shortchanged public schools and has created a significant financial threat. Vouchers increase segregation and discrimination, do not impact satisfaction or safety. Virginia experimented with vouchers during Massive Resistance in an effort to reject school integration efforts. Voucher programs in Indiana have tended to favor higher-income white families, and in Louisiana have led to white families leaving more diverse schools. Private schools participating in voucher programs are generally free to accept or reject students based on perceived at-risk status, academic ability, religion, sexual orientation or gender-identity. As of a 2016 review, no voucher program in the country protects LGBTQ+ students against discrimination. This allows private schools to select only the most advantaged students and reject children with the greatest need of support. Participating private schools are not required to set tuition at the voucher value. A previous ESA voucher bill in Virginia would have provided payment of about $4,500, while average private school tuition costs in Virginia are over $11,500 for elementary schools and closer to $17,000 for middle and high schools. When you factor in additional costs of transportation and uniforms, this effectively excludes the lowest income families from being able to participate. On average, parents of students who switch to private schools with vouchers do not see a change in satisfaction or sense of school safety. What Works to Improve Student Outcomes With students and schools still recovering from the setbacks of the pandemic, we can’t afford to start shifting investments to unproven voucher programs that have poor track records for improving student outcomes. Research is clear that investing in public schools improves student outcomes, graduation and postsecondary enrollment. Lawmakers should look to invest in research-backed initiatives that our Board of Education and student-advocacy groups in the state have been pointing to for years, like funding the revised Standards of Quality and lifting the support cap which adds to our current support staff shortages.

As a parent of a private school student, it was never our intention to have our local schools lose funding due to our choice which was based on what we considered to be the best choice for our child. While the money would be wonderful, I don’t want our choices to negatively impact other children in our community. Thank you for your consideration.

I am 100% for the passing of this bill. I have children in private school due to the inconsistency of the public school system with the pandemic. This bill would greatly help version of private school cost.

To Whom It May Concern, I am a proud public school supporter, believing that our schools are working hard for my child and for all our children. HR 784 is a bad bill. If it passes, the state will divert money from public K-12 schools to families who send their children to private school or opt to home school, essentially operating as a school voucher program. Research is clear that investing in public schools improves student outcomes, graduation and postsecondary enrollment, while vouchers do not. I am committed to opposing measures that would take essential funds away from our public K-12 schools, including this bill. Sincerely, Rebekah Menning Mom of a 6th grader Charlottesville, VA

I am the parent of two children in public school, middle school and high school. I am extremely concerned about HB784 which proposes to divert funds away from public schools rather than towards public schools. It is the state government's fundamental responsibility to provide excellent education to ALL students. Our public schools need resources to ensure that they are able to provide safe, functional classroom buildings, learning materials, and pay teachers a decent salary. Virginia already severely underfunds its public schools — ranking 41st in per-student spending out of all states for pre-K-12. Diverting more funding to private schools will exacerbate financial challenges for public schools. In addition, research has not shown that voucher programs create better outcomes for students. Research in multiple states (Brookings Institute) has shown students in voucher programs performed worse than their public school peers. The National Bureau of Economic Research has found that “a large proportion of the most rigorous studies suggest that being awarded a voucher has an effect that is statistically indistinguishable from zero.” On the other hand, research is clear that investing in public schools improves student outcomes, graduation and postsecondary enrollment. Furthermore, vouchers do no cover the cost of private tuition and expenses, which makes this opportunity inaccessible to a large percent of school children, in particular low income students of all races. I urge our state legislators - as public servants who represent and have the imperative to enhance opportunities for ALL of us and most importantly our children - to do the right thing and reject HB784. Sincerely, Emily Koester

I fully support this bill. This year we enrolled my 3rd grader and 5th grader in a private school due to school closures beginning in March 2020 and the resulting learning loss. We are making a huge financial sacrifice to pay for private school. However, our kids our thriving. Everyone should have the choice to receive financial assistance if they choose to home school or send their children to private school. Kind regards, Lauren Vnuk Fauquier County, Virginia

I think this idea will hold counties and officials accountable for the education they are providing for our children. If we have learned anything over the pandemic it is that private schools adapted quicker and have provided better services and environments for our kids. The dollars should follow the child.

I DO NOT support HB 784! Directing funds away from public schools is a travesty our educational system.

This bill is essentially an attempt to legally re-segregate schools. Brown vs The Board of Education of Topeka already determine that separate but equal is unconstitutional. There is also no evidence that school choice produces higher test results. This is an attempt to defund our public school system because white supremacists don’t want their kids to learn non-white washed history. They know that when children learn the truth that they will want to dismantle the systemic racism that still exists today and that will take away their power. Please vote against this racist and pointless bill. Parents are free to send their kids to private school but that shouldn’t include taking much needed funding with them and away from public education.

As a Virginin, educated in Virginian Schools, we were taught the importance of the Constitution of the Commonwealth with regard to our Nation's Constitution. These documents are articles that are supposed to guide our self governance. Article VIII, Section 10 Public dollars are not to go to schools NOT owned by the Commonwealth or a Municipality inside the Commonwealth's jurisdiction, except for when the Commonwealth has entered into an agreement with another jurisdiction. The Commonwealth should also not engage in the endorsement of private education cartels, weakening the publicly available options. This would do a disservice to the people, because the people's representatives have less oversight with regard to private institutions, than they have through electing their local boards.

Public school funds are for public schools. Taxpayers should never pay for private schools. I believe in a quality public school education like I had, and everyone in my family had. My niece and nephew are in public schools. Public schools are where the diversity and accountability can be maintained for the benefit of all. Teachers need more resources and more pay in public schools, not less. There is ZERO statistical significance that voucher programs improve overall student success, and some programs have even shown to have a NEGATIVE effect for students receiving a voucher. Furthermore, vouchers have been shown to not support students with disabilities, they fail to protect the human and civil rights of students, and they exacerbate segregation. The pattern of discrimination continues with vouchers today. Unlike public schools, private schools can (and some do) limit their admission based on race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and any other number of factors. Vouchers rarely cover the full tuition, so families who were promised a better education are left footing the bill. Say NO to this bill!

As a parent of two children -- one homeschooled and one enrolled in public school -- I do not support HB784, even though it might be personally financially beneficial to me to do so. While I believe all children have different learning needs and different educational pathways are vital, I believe that public schools are the bedrock of our society. We need to be providing more funding to public education rather than diverting it to unproven programs at the risk of creating a for-profit educational infrastructure that is not equally accessible to all. Public schools are traditionally underfunded, which leads to our educators' salaries remaining lower than others with comparable educational backgrounds. The low salaries in education often deter talented people from joining the profession. It's widely known that there is a significant teacher shortage, which could be mitigated with directing funding to reward our educators fairly for their talent and devotion to their craft. Voucher funding has traditionally benefitted those who already have financial means and widened the educational gap between higher-income and lower-income students. More wealthy parents can use vouchers to cover portions of the cost of an expensive private education, which a lower-income family could never afford, even with the vouchers. What's more, private schools can set their own admissions criteria and exclude protected classes of students, such as LGBTQ+ youth, individuals with disabilities, and those from varied races, ethnicities, and religions. Vouchers in Virginia could likely lead to a situation where higher-income families exit public education at a greater rate, leaving public schools with even less funding and fewer resources. As private schools gain more funds, the educational gap between the wealthy and the less privileged will continue to widen. This will create a society where people who attended public school are at a significant disadvantage in attaining access to higher education and certain career pathways that can help build intergenerational wealth. In summary, I believe any legislation that removes funding from the already-underfunded education system is leading Virginia down the wrong road. Virginia is ranked #4 in the nation in education and in math education and has some of the best public universities in the country. I am proud of the excellent public education I received in Virginia schools and want future generations of children to have the same opportunities.

Please do not forward this proposed legislation to the House. We should not be diverting funds from our wonderful public schools to for profit private schools. If parents choose a private route for their child’s education, they can pay for it. When our daughter needed smaller class sizes to be successful her last two years in high school, we covered the costs ourselves. Do not drain resources from our fabulous public schools to make private school owners even richer!

I am writing to oppose this bill which diverts money away from public education. I am a product of public education in the state of CA now teaching at JMU. I am a first generation college student who was able to get a phd thanks to affordable public education. I am firmly against anything that diverts funds from public education. Research is clear that investing in public schools improves student outcomes, graduation and postsecondary enrollment, while vouchers do not.If this bill passes, the state will divert money from public K-12 schools to families who send their children to private school or opt to home school, essentially operating as a school voucher program. I am opposed to this bill. Thank you Kristen McCleary

Private schools and charter schools should not get public funds for regular operational costs. Worse, it does not seem fair to take monies away from public schools, especially when they are most in need of it. If private organizations and parents want a greater say in education then please work within the current system to improve it rather than subverting it.

Children in public school have a hard enough time without bureaucrats and politicians gutting funding. If you can afford a private school or choose to homeschool, why should other parents have to subsidize you?

I find it very interest/disappointing that because parents insisted on in-school instruction five days a week, Virginia decided to risk the health of staff and students to comply with their wishes. Now there is a bill to divert money away from public schools to provide for home-schooling and/or private schooling? This simply makes no sense. Anyone who looks at this bill from a logical, unbiased stance can see how unfair it is to public school staff, and the economically challenged students. This bill is just one of many that is driving highly qualified teachers out of the public school arena. I personally have a Master's in English. Since this allows me to meet the criteria for teaching at the college level, I have been looking to move on. Passage of this bill will only make me more determined.

It is not fair to take away funding of public schools so support private schools. It was a choice of the family to send to private schools. Public education is free, if you can’t afford private than you should not attend. People need to support the public schools and teachers for all their hard work and dedication to their children. A lot of teachers spend their own monies to have supplies in school to education our children .

This bill undermines the public education system by encouraging those with the means to do so to flee public schools (which has been exacerbated by covid) and provides government support to do so. Public education should be a quality and equitable education, fully funded by the state and federal government and this bill clearly will divert monies from that mission. We should instead be investing in our students and teachers to create innovative and effective public schools.

I strongly oppose HB 781 for several reasons: 1) Virginia already severely underfunds its public schools. Our state ranks 41st in per-student spending out of all states for pre-K-12 public education. 2) Virginia's response to the1954 Brown vs Board of Education Supreme Court decision that state laws establishing separate public schools for students of different races was unconstitutional was to pass legislation creating "tuition grants" that allowed white students to attend Segregation Academies. This was 100% racially motivated and an attempt to continue educational segregation. 3) Diverting more funding to private schools or home school instruction will exacerbate financial challenges for public schools. Private schools can choose which students to accept, and very few working families can afford (or are able) to home school their child. Students with disabilities, students from low income families, and students of color will be disproportionately harmed by this bill. 4) Income tax credits, education tax credits, tuition grants, parent education tax credits, vouchers, and waivers are all words/terms that end up doing the same thing--siphoning funds from public education.

Public education is a cornerstone of a developed society. It is certainly a parent’s choice to send their child outside of the public system, but that should not be supported via funds that should be directed towards a free education for all children. Why funnel funds to private schools when public ones are already so under funded? As a teacher, I spend my own money on much-needed teaching materials each year. I am a current Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) teacher for students with moderate to severe disabilities. They have a right to a free and appropriate public education and often do not have the option to attend private schools as these schools often do not have the support necessary for students with complex needs. As more funds and more students leave public education it will affect the richness of experiences for all children. Please do not let this happen. Our schools, students, and teachers have suffered enough through the pandemic. Don’t let this be the first act that begins the death of public education. Our children deserve better.

Schools in our state have had decline of funding for years. The school districts are making miracles with the funds they are receiving right now. Funneling public school allocated funds to private businesses, aka private schools and charter schools, is not a way to fix the inequities in our schools. I urge you to vote no on this bill that takes away much needed funds for our schools to put in the hands of private businesses.

Money should be funneled into public schools to provide even greater equity opportunities for students. Public schools are the best places to learn. By taking money away from public schools, you’re taking the ability to access a quality education to many students! Charters are a for profit scam and public money should not go to private schools. Parents have always had the choice to send their children to private schools. There is no differentiation or best practices at these schools. And if a student needs a private school based on an IEP, the public schools still have to pay anyway. So student needs are already being provided for in public schools. Education is not about exercising parent rights. The priority is to enrich the lives of students. This cannot happen if charter scams are allowed in VA. All research points to students underperforming at these schools and many of these schools close in under 10 years because they’re not effective. Waste of time and money.

I oppose stealing money from public schools to fund private schools or homeschooling. Public funds should pay only for public schools that are open to all children and accountable to the people.

As a public school teacher who is currently homeschooling her own child, I feel uniquely qualified to comment. The only reason my child is not at public school right now is because of the enormous stress our public school system is under. I know from being a teacher for over 10 years that schools get the minimum of staffing and funding. I know that staff and kids are currently suffering due to lack of funding and infrastructure in public schools. Covid has nearly broken the system that was already under tremendous strain. Defunding schools may be the straw that breaks the entire system. It’s time to invest in making schools a better place to learn and work. This bill is the worst idea.

I strongly oppose my tax dollars being used to fund private schools or vouchers for home schooling. The public's money has been taxed with the express purpose of supporting public schools. Parents who opt out of public schools should expect to do so at their own expense. Lawmakers would be truly serving the children of this Commonwealth if they voted to make more effective use of funding in the service of public schools, rather than take away those much needed dollars during an already stressful time for students, teachers, staff, and parents. During the pandemic, it has been public schools who have made heroic efforts to provide education, meals, internet access, and activities to our children in a safe manner. Not private schools or homeschool groups. Those efforts by public schools merit a better response than grandstanding politicians trying to take money away from those vital centers of public learning and resources.

The last thing that VA needs is this bill. Taking money away from public schools when they are already underfunded during a Pandemic year with 7 percent inflation is an illustration of how little you care about the children you serve!

30 years ago while a college student I wrote my junior thesis about school choice. The evidence was not good back then to justify draining public school resources for questionable gains for a few students. The evidence since then is even more convincing that student achievements are not improved when they are using vouchers while students remaining in public schools have to manage with fewer resources. Please trust the evidence and don't waste precious resources on something that does not work.

Virginia’s public schools are already severely underfunded. Diverting funds away from our public schools will only continue to weaken our schools.

Public education is a cornerstone of a developed society. It is certainly a parents choice to send their child outside of the public system, but that should not be supported via funds that should be directed towards a free education for all children. Why funnel funds to private schools when public ones are already so under funded? Teachers often spend thousands of dollars on their own classrooms and, if they’re lucky, receive hundreds in support from the PTA or individual parents as well. As a current public school teacher who has worked both in private and public school, it is incumbent upon me to point out that public educators are often held to a much higher standard than private educators as private schools hold their own standards for what constitutes a good teacher. This changes from school to school and often parents do not understand that a private education is not always better. I am also a special education teacher of students with moderate to severe disabilities. They have a right to a free and appropriate public education and often do not have the option to attend private schools as these schools often do not have the support necessary for students with complex needs. As more funds and more students leave public education it will affect the richness of experiences for all children. Please do not let this happen. Our schools, students, and teachers have suffered enough through the pandemic. Don’t let this be the first act that begins the death of public education. Our children deserve better.

Extremely disappointed in this bill. Our public schools need MORE funding to aid teachers, students, and staff. I don’t support anything that removes funding from our public schools and endangers our children’s education.

Diverting funds from schools in the middle of one of the biggest crisis that has ever struck public education is simply being done to dismantle public education. Increasing funding to public schools is the only thing that consistently improves student outcomes. Any other movement is anti student, parent, and teacher plain and simple.

I am writing to protest the movement of funds from public schools for ANY reason. Our children have a right to attend quality public schools and many schools in the Commonwealth are already under-resourced. Regardless of the intent, no money should be moved out of the public school's budgets. If we want to fund private schools, find another way to do it.

Evidence Doesn’t Support Expanding Vouchers K-12 vouchers do not improve student outcomes. The Brookings Institution reviewed voucher studies from four states and found that students who took advantage of these programs to attend private schools performed worse on tests than similar students who do not attend private schools. The National Bureau of Economic Research found “a large proportion of the most rigorous studies suggest that being awarded a voucher has an effect that is statistically indistinguishable from zero.” A 2018 University of Virginia study found no benefit for students attending private schools, including for students from low-income families and urban settings. Vouchers divert much-needed resources from public schools. Virginia already severely underfunds its public schools — ranking 41st in per-student spending out of all states for pre-K-12. Diverting more funding to private schools will exacerbate financial challenges for public schools. Research has found that Wisconsin’s K-12 voucher program shortchanged public schools and has created a significant financial threat.

I am opposed to HB784. Diverting public funding from public schools is harmful to our society and endangers the education of our most vulnerable students. Virginia is already subpar at funding its public schools — ranking 41st in per-student spending out of all states for pre-K-12. Diverting more funding to private schools will exacerbate financial challenges for public schools. Private schools participating in voucher programs are generally free to accept or reject students based on perceived at-risk status, academic ability, religion, sexual orientation or gender-identity. This allows private schools to select only the most advantaged students and reject children with the greatest need of support. As the atheist parent of a child with Down syndrome, my daughter is at risk of having no school to accept her other than the burned out shell of public education that lacks the necessary funding to provide her with a free and APPROPRIATE education where she is able to be integrated with her non-disabled peers. Participating private schools are not required to set tuition at the voucher value. A previous ESA voucher bill in Virginia would have provided payment of about $4,500, while average private school tuition costs in Virginia are over $11,500 for elementary schools and closer to $17,000 for middle and high schools. When you factor in additional costs of transportation and uniforms, this effectively excludes the lowest income families from being able to participate. We will not return to the days of segregation!

Investing in public schools improves student outcomes, graduation and postsecondary enrollment. Vouchers take money away from needy schools. Poor schools become poorer with vouchers and their students do worse. Graduates from well-funded public schools are great benefits to the community. Public schools benefit the public. Vouchers cost taxpayers more money and force them to fund two school systems. Private schools have no accountability to the community, to parents, or to the government. Private schools can deny an education to anyone they like for any reason. Investing money in public education improves student performance, not private schools.

Public schools offer so much to so many and it is beyond my comprehension how our government can take monies and supplement private schools that all cannot afford. It is beyond my comprehension why we would direct funds away from our public schools and the masses they serve.

Vote NO. We have robust public school system in Virginia which guarantees education to all. Private schools select their students thereby not giving an equal shot to all. Vouchers do not improve student outcomes. They also will not cover the entire cost of private education rendering them unavailable to those most in need. They are a solution looking for a problem.

Dear Members of the House Finance Subcommittee: My name is Joseph Capuano, and I am a public school teacher in Virginia. I teach at a school where 75% of our students receive free-and-reduced school lunch and many children require food assistance programs because their parents and/or guardians do not have the financial means to pay for basic necessities. This is just one of the reasons why the public school system is so essential for our communities. Public schools provide a safe place for all students, and if we subvert money away from public schools and into other areas - essentially creating a voucher system - the students that will be the most hurt by this are those like our students at my school who do not have the opportunities for private or home schooling options. Their parents and guardians cannot offer this for them. For this reason, I implore you to not pass this House Bill 784. I am all for financially and otherwise supporting private school and home school students and families; however, I cannot support doing this at the detriment to public school students. Thank you, and I pray that you and yours remain healthy and safe during this time, Joseph Capuano

I strongly oppose measures that would take essential funds away from our public K-12 schools. Research is clear that investing in public schools improves student outcomes, graduation, and postsecondary enrollment, while vouchers do not. We need to focus on critical issues such as moving Virginia's teacher pay toward the national average and ensuring that all students have the opportunity to achieve to their full potential in the public school system. We should all be shocked to learn that Virginia's teachers are making below the national average. In some areas of the state, this is a particular problem. It needs to be addressed so that we can reliably recruit the most effective teachers to our schools. We should NOT focus on allowing parents who want to send their children to private school to get a refund of their taxes, which is essentially what is being proposed. I don't have any children in the public schools, but I doubt that the state plans to refund my taxes because of that. We need to focus on making our public education system as strong as it can be, not on removing funds from the system. Thank you for your consideration.

I am writing in opposition to HB784. This encourages and incentivizes parents to move children away from the public school into more exclusive educational settings. This benefits predominately higher socio-economic families who can afford to pay tuition which creates a growing gap among students downstream. Our focus needs to be on creating equity for students no matter what their educational setting, not in developing ways to make already advantaged students even more advantaged. We should be putting funds into improving teacher salaries to attract and retain excellent teachers and in investing in the infrastructure and curriculum resources to ensure that our public education optimizes student potential. Please do not vote to pass HB784.

The data is clear- vouchers do nothing to improve student outcomes. The Brookings Institution reviewed voucher studies from four states and found that students who took advantage of these programs to attend private schools performed worse on tests than similar students who do not attend private schools. Virginia already severely underfunds its public schools — ranking 41st in per-student spending out of all states for pre-K-12. Diverting more funding to private schools will exacerbate financial challenges for public schools. Vouchers increase discrimination and segregation. Private schools participating in voucher programs are generally free to accept or reject students based on perceived at-risk status, academic ability, religion, sexual orientation or gender-identity. This is a misguided effort that will widen the gap between rich and poor, black and white and have a net zero gain in improving schools and outcomes for Virginia students.

I am writing to ask that the members of this committee OPPOSE HB788. The bill to provide tax credits for private schools will reduce much-needed revenue for already under-funded public schools. It would require the diversion of resources from public school classrooms to administer the program in private schools. Tax shelters such as this undermine public school funding and the quality of education provided to public school students. Please oppose this bill. Thank you! Anne Geraty

I oppose HB788. Our public schools are underfunded, particularly in the more rural parts of Virginia and in areas that have been deserted by longtime industries. Tax credits reduce the amount of money available for public schools and many of these school districts cannot afford to lose any more funding. Private schools that serve a tiny fraction of a school district's students ares not what voters expected when they dug deep and passed increased funding for their public schools last November. Don't deplete funding for public schools through tax credits for wealthy donors and don't vote for HB788.

Dear Members of Finance Sub-committee #1, I oppose HB 788 because it would divert money from the total available to public schools by returning funds to parents who choose to send their children to private schools. Of course these parents have every right to do so, but they should not be financed by money for public education. Public schools have the same responsibilities to all the students in their catchment are, even if their funding is reduced because the tax credit has gone to a private individual instead of the public fund. Private schools can be selective and refuse to admit persons with disabilities or other challenges. Public schools have to admit everyone and find the money to pay for the services that a student with disabilities needs. Above all, at this time, public schools have faced unprecedented challenges during and after the pandemic, requiring expenditures on new technology and stretching the responsibilities of teachers and support staff. Students need buttressing with mental healh services and extra tuition to make up for time and learning lost. Every dollar that can possibly be devoted to education must go to public schools. Yours sincerely, Sidney Johnson

Tuition Tax Credits reduce revenue available for public schools. At least $25 million can go to students at these private schools each year. Other bills this year would increase that to $65 million or more. Public schools are currently under funded. The private school’s curriculum may include religious bias and religious training. Transferring a student to a private school does NOT reduce a local school’s operating expenses. Wealthy donors benefit more than the students do.

Dear Members of Finance Subcommittee #1: I OPPOSE this bill of education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits for the following reason: • Scholarships will go to private schools. This bill would increase the tax credit that a taxpayer would get with a donation to a scholarship fund from 65 to 75%. • Tuition Tax Credits reduce revenue available for public schools. • Public schools are currently under funded. • The private school’s curriculum may include religious bias and religious training. • Private school policy may include gender identity discrimination. • Transferring a student to a private school does NOT reduce a local school’s operating expenses. • Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) needs personnel to administer the program; thus, diverting funds from public school classrooms. • Better education at private schools has not been shown. • The donation may not fully cover the student’s tuition. • Donors benefit by taking both Federal and State charitable tax deductions. • Wealthy donors benefit more than the students do. • Parents are not always advised of the loss of protection for federal rights for disabled students. • Tax shelters undermine our public education. Please continue to support ALL students of Virginia. Sincerely, Sharon McGlone

I am ADAMANTLY opposed to using any public funds for private elementary or secondary schools: 1. Tuition tax credits reduce revenue available for public schools. 2. Public schools are currently underfunded and all available education funding should go to public schools. 3. Private school's curriculum may include religious bias and religious training. Public funds should NOT be used for this. 4. Transferring a student to a private school does NOT reduce a local school's operating expenses. 5. VDOE needs personnel to administer the program; this will divert funds from public school classrooms. 6. Better education at private schools has not been shown. 7. The donation may not fully cover the student's tuition. 8. Donors benefit by taking both Federal and State charitable tax deductions. Wealthy donors benefit more than the students do. 9. Parents are not always advised of the loss of protection for federal rights for disable students. 10. Tax shelters undermine our public education.

I am writing to oppose HB 788. Public schools are currently under funded. Teachers' salaries should be better funded. Instead HB 788 allows private schools to siphon funds away from public schools and programs. Private school's curriculum may include religious bias and training. Public tax funds should not support such issues. Private school policy may include gender identity discrimination. Again public tax dollars should not be allowed to be diverted. Please oppose HB 788.

I OPPOSE HB788. This bill will only divert funding from public schools and primarily benefit wealthier families. Policies should promote the public school system and encourage involvement in public schools rather than promoting the interests of private, and particularly for-profit, schools.

Opposed to the bill. It will decrease funds available for public education

I oppose HB788. Vouchers take money away from public schools. Public schools are currently under-funded. Vouchers do not cover the whole tuition for a private or charter school, making it impossible for low income families to attend. This bill is not about school choice, this is about pushing religious schools that can discriminate based on several factors, without oversight. Fully fund and improve public schools that are held accountable, pay the teachers what they deserve. Vote NO on HB788.

Please vote against this bill. I have spent a lifetime advocating for public education. Therefore this bill increases benefits not for public education but as a debit for educating the public. This bill reduces revenue available for public schools which are currently UNDERFUNDED and represent a pillar of our democratic committment to education the public. Your job in Richmond as a representative commands the support of these public institutions. Private options should always be an alternative for the general public BUT NOT FOR public funding, placed in trust with you, who represent all of us and which maintain the pillars of our democratic institutions. Benefits for the private sector should always remain in the private sector and not except nor receive state funding. By the way, many of these private insititutions are religious in nature. A conflict of our constitutional construction.

I urge you to oppose HB788 for a number of reasons. Public schools are currently underfunded and need all the money the state currently provides. We should not be diverting money from them. Tuition tax credits reduce revenue available for public schools. I believe wealthy donors benefit more from such tax credits than students do. Tax shelters like these undermine our public schools, whose costs are not necessarily by reduced by a student transferring to a private school. I am also concerned about the effects of a bill like this on our students. Private school policy may not prevent gender discrimination. Disabled students lose the federal rights they have in the public education system. The private school’s curriculum may include religious bias and religious training, which state dollars should not be financing. I hope you will consider these points carefully and oppose this bill.

I am against HB788 This bill benefits the wealthy and does not help students. Any bills that favor private schools or home schooling is detrimental to the public schools that are already underfunded. Private schools increase segregation and exclusion and studies show private schools do not improve the quality of education for students. The emphasis on religion at many private schools interferes with a well rounded STEAM based education and tax incentives conflict with the separation of church and state.

I oppose this bill due to the fact that it takes money away from the public schools and the private school curriculum may include religious bias and religious training.

Scholarships will go to private schools. This bill would increase the tax credit that a taxpayer would get with a donation to a scholarship fund from 65 to 75%. Tuition Tax Credits reduce revenue available for public schools. At least $25 million can go to students at these private schools each year. Other bills this year would increase that to $65 million or more. Public schools are currently under funded. The private school’s curriculum may include religious bias and religious training. Private school policy may include gender identity discrimination. Transferring a student to a private school does NOT reduce a local school’s operating expenses. Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) needs personnel to administer the program; thus, diverting funds from public school classrooms. Better education at private schools has not been shown. The donation may not fully cover the student’s tuition. Donors benefit by taking both Federal and State charitable tax deductions. Wealthy donors benefit more than the students do. Parents are not always advised of the loss of protection for federal rights for disabled students. Tax shelters undermine our public education.

I am commenting on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Virginia. We oppose HB788. EISTC scholarships go to private schools. Tuition Tax Credits reduce revenue available for public schools. At least $25 million dollars can go to students at these private schools each year while PUBLIC schools are UNDER-funded. The private school's curriculum may include religious bias and training. It's policies may include gender identity discrimination. Parents are not always advised of the loss of protection for federal rights for disabled students. Transferring a student to a private school does NOT reduce a local school's operating expenses. VDOE has to have personnel to administer the program; thus, diverting funds from private school classrooms. Wealthy donors may benefit more than students with major tax deductions. The reduction in state revenues undermine our public education.

I oppose HB788 - please vote against it for the following reasons: Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits Scholarships will go to private schools. This bill would increase the tax credit that a taxpayer would get with a donation to a scholarship fund from 65 to 75%. Tuition Tax Credits reduce revenue available for public schools. At least $25 million can go to students at these private schools each year. Other bills this year would increase that to $65 million or more. Public schools are currently under funded. The private school’s curriculum may include religious bias and religious training. Private school policy may include gender identity discrimination. Transferring a student to a private school does NOT reduce a local school’s operating expenses. Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) needs personnel to administer the program; thus, diverting funds from public school classrooms. Better education at private schools has not been shown. The donation may not fully cover the student’s tuition. Donors benefit by taking both Federal and State charitable tax deductions. Wealthy donors benefit more than the students do. Parents are not always advised of the loss of protection for federal rights for disabled students. Tax shelters undermine our public education. Thank You

I am writing you today becasue I oppose HB788. The bill would raise the tax credit that a taxpaper would get with a donation to a scholarship fund. It would go from 65% to 75%. This is not a good bill. because tuition tax credits reduce revenue that would be available for public schools. Our public schools are so underfunded as it is! VA Dept. of Education would need staff to administer the program and that would take away much needed funds from public school classrooms. These tax shelters undermine our public education. In addition, private school policy may be discriminatory against gender identity and made includ religious bias or religious training. The weathy donors woudlbenefit much more than studnets would. I oppose this bill HB788. Thank you.

I am writing to oppose education improvement scholarship tax credits. Tuition Tax Credits reduce the revenue available for public schools. At least $25 million can go to students at these private schools each year. Other bills this year would increase that to $65 million or more. Public schools are currently underfunded. The private school’s curriculum may include religious bias and religious training. Private school policy may include gender identity discrimination. Transferring a student to a private school does NOT reduce a local school’s operating expenses. Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) needs personnel to administer the program; thus, diverting funds from public school classrooms. Better education at private schools has not been shown. The donation may not fully cover the student’s tuition. Donors benefit by taking both Federal and State charitable tax deductions. Wealthy donors benefit more than students do. Parents are not always advised of the loss of protection for federal rights for disabled students. Tax shelters undermine our public education.

Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits Scholarships will go to private schools. This bill would increase the tax credit that a taxpayer would get with a donation to a scholarship fund from 65 to 75%. Tuition Tax Credits reduce revenue available for public schools. At least $25 million can go to students at these private schools each year. Other bills this year would increase that to $65 million or more. Public schools are currently under funded. The private school’s curriculum may include religious bias and religious training. Private school policy may include gender identity discrimination. Transferring a student to a private school does NOT reduce a local school’s operating expenses. Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) needs personnel to administer the program; thus, diverting funds from public school classrooms. Better education at private schools has not been shown. The donation may not fully cover the student’s tuition. Donors benefit by taking both Federal and State charitable tax deductions. Wealthy donors benefit more than the students do. Parents are not always advised of the loss of protection for federal rights for disabled students. Tax shelters undermine our public education.

I am writing to oppose education improvement scholarship tax credits. Such credits would benefit wealthy donors and take money away from our public schools. Private schools may discriminate against students with different beliefs or backgrounds, may provide religious bias, and may not provide adequate support for students with special needs. Public schools must be our priority for taxpayer support. Educated citizens are fundamental to a functioning democracy. Please make funding for our public schools a priority.

Please move to report HB901, HB289, HB788, HB295, HB1083, HB1121. Thank you.

Comments Document

Chairman McNamara and members of the subcommittee: Thank you for holding this hearing on HB 788. My name is Tim Benson, and I am a policy analyst with The Heartland Institute. The Heartland Institute is a 37-year-old independent, national, nonprofit organization whose mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems. I am here today to speak in favor of increasing the tax credit value available to donors to the Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits Program (EIS) to 75 percent. Increasing the credit value will make it easier for scholarship organizations to raise funds for EIS, which to date has helped over 21,000 Virginia children the opportunity to attend a quality school that meets their unique education needs. More funds raised means more Virginia families can make use of this wonderful program. Do not be frightened by naysayers who declare EIS takes money away from the commonwealth. This is not true. In fact, it saves money. An analysis released a few months ago by EdChoice found EIS has saved Virginia taxpayers between $77.9 million and $131.6 million through Fiscal Year 2018. This works out to a savings of between $6,444 and $10,889 per each student participating in the program. Copious empirical research on school choice programs like EIS makes clear these programs offer families improved access to high-quality schools that meet their children’s unique needs and circumstances, and that these programs improve academic performance and attainment and deliver a quality education at lower cost than traditional public schools. Additionally, these programs benefit public school students and taxpayers by increasing competition, decreasing segregation, and improving civic values and practices. Research also shows students at private schools are less likely than their public school peers to experience problems such as alcohol abuse, bullying, drug use, fighting, gang activity, racial tension, theft, vandalism, and weapon-based threats. There is also a strong causal link suggesting private school choice programs improve the mental health of participating students. The program is also broadly popular. A poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy and released just last week found 68 percent support for the program among Virginians. This includes 71 percent of Republicans, 69 percent of independents, 64 percent of Democrats, 66 percent of white Virginians, and 74 percent of black Virginians. From the Tidewater to the Piedmont to NoVa to Bristol, there is no region of the Old Dominion that Virginians do not provide this program with at least 64 percent support. You would be hard-pressed to find another program offered by the commonwealth with such widespread support. The goal of public education in Virginia today and in the years to come should be to allow all parents to choose which schools their children attend, require every school to compete for every student who walks through its doors, and make sure every child has the opportunity to attend a quality school. There has not been a time when providing these opportunities has been more urgent and more needed than right now. Enacting this tax credit increase would be an important, necessary step forward in advancing this goal. Thank you for your time.

The City of Newport News is opposed to HB1010. This bill potentially jeopardizes the ability of the City to provide critical services. Real property taxes account for 47 percent of City revenue which funds K-12 education, public safety, social services and much more. If real property revenue were to be capped the City would have to rely on the State to provide much needed funding to maintain service levels. Decisions about local taxes and the use of those revenue dollars should be left in the hands of the local officials who are most responsive to the communities who elect them.

OPPOSE Dear House Finance Committee- I submit these comments on behalf of the City of Falls Church Council in opposition to this bill. We respectfully request that you do not report this legislation out. The negative financial impact on a locality is significant as property tax is the largest portion of a localities revenue to fund critical public services. In essence localities would risk financial ruin and loss of high bond ratings necessary to build vital infrastructure. It is the locality that knows the needs of our citizens and businesses. In FY2020, the real property tax accounted for 55 percent of locally raised county revenues, 25 percent of town revenues, and 47 percent of city revenues. These revenues fund K-12 education, public safety, elections administration, social services, and behavioral health. It is counter intuitive for the House of Delegates to be considering repealing the grocery and personal hygiene sales tax, eliminating significant K-12 and transportation permanent sustainable funding, while requiring a voter referendum before a locality to raise a tax rate to offset a revenue loss caused by the state. The City of Falls Church citizens as well as all localities have a voice every year in the tax rates and well as amount and type of services thru our budget process which always includes advertised public hearings. Election of the local governing body is in essence a “referendum” and the City of Falls Church as well as many localities are staggered terms. If there are questions or need for follow up questions please contact Cindy Mester at 571-641-5586 or cmester@fallschurchva.gov

Dear Delegate, I am writing to urge you to support local control over tax dollars for school facilities. Local voters and local parents should have the right to approve or deny a special 1% sales tax for this purpose. These taxes don’t fill government coffers - they can only be used for school construction and renovation, can exempt groceries and medications, and have a built in-expiration date. The General Assembly has previously granted this authority to nine localities and this year, three politically diverse localities have requested this ability, the City of Charlottesville, Isle of Wight County, and Prince Edward County. There is also a bill to grant this local authority to all municipalities in the Commonwealth. This local tax for schools was unanimously recommended by the bipartisan Commission on School Construction and Modernization. Here in Cville it has a lot of support and momentum, and has already passed the Senate. Governor Youngkin has promised a record investment in education while also urging us to move beyond our fractured politics. I respectfully ask you to reconsider the decision to table bills HB531, HB545 and HB63. Please support local parents and voters with the authority to decide for themselves on local taxes for their schools. Please think about this important initiative for Charlottesville, its kids, and future generations. Matt Caesar

I select these particular bills because I feel that any increase in taxes that will go strictly to support the renovation of our school to prepare the environment for our students. Greatly needed.

Hello I’m Tisha Erby Mother of 5 boys , 4 are Richmond Public School Students and WE support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. [RPS-George Wythe High School] needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including George Wythe High School. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community. Thank you so much for listening and remember #WytheCantWait #AllRPSCantWait #WeAreRPS