Virginia's Republican-controlled House proposes to take school funds from the poor and give to the rich

story by Washington Post editorial

AS VIRGINIA heads into the final days of the General Assembly, House and Senate negotiators will work to reach a budget agreement. Among the critical issues to be decided is how to apportion the state's precious education dollars. Here we hope that lawmakers don't abandon the important principle of directing resources to where they are most needed and where they do the most good.

Hard economic times make it unlikely that the state's school systems will be spared spending cuts. Budgets passed by both chambers include deep cuts to education, although the Senate would cushion the impact by raising $300 million in fees. Many districts are already planning layoffs and other cutbacks. But what many can't -- and shouldn't -- accept is the House's alarming bid to fundamentally reshape how funds are allocated for at-risk students. The House budget would lump together funding for the Virginia Preschool Initiative, early reading and other targeted programs for at-risk students. Instead of distributing the money based on the number of students who qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch programs (proven barometers for identifying at-risk students), block grants then would go to localities according to student enrollment as defined by average daily membership.

The effect would be to take money intended to help students who are at risk of educational failure and redirect it to districts that are larger and wealthier. As Angela A. Ciolfi of the JustChildren advocacy program said, it's stealing from the poor zip codes to give to the rich. Her group's calculations show the city of Richmond losing $6.9 million a year while adjoining, and less needy, Chesterfield County would gain $4.3 million a year. Fairfax County would gain $2.9 million while Petersburg, where 77 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, would lose nearly $1.3 million.

There's no question that all school systems, even the affluent ones, have needs, but it's misguided to take this money away from places that can least afford to lose it. What makes it even worse is that these programs are producing positive educational results.

The state Senate, which adopted a budget preserving funding dedicated to at-risk children, should hold firm on this issue. And Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) should make clear to the Republicans who control the House that this is a bad idea that needs a quick death.