RD21 - Actual Fiscal Year 2007 Required Local Effort; Budgeted Fiscal Year 2008 Required Local Effort and Required Local Match


Executive Summary:
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 22.1-97, Code of Virginia, the Department of Education collected data from school divisions on the actual local funding effort in support of the Standards of Quality for fiscal year 2007, through the 2006-2007 Annual School Report Financial Section (ASRFIN). Information was also collected from school divisions on budgeted required local effort in support of the Standards of Quality for fiscal year 2008.

This report provides the results of calculations made to ensure that each school division has expended or appropriated (depending upon the year under review) sufficient local funds to support its required local effort. The purpose of required local effort is to ensure that each school division has sufficient local operational expenditures to support its local share of the cost of the Standards of Quality. Fiscal year 2007 calculations are based on actual local operational expenditures, and fiscal year 2008 calculations are based on budgeted local operational expenditures.

For fiscal year 2007, all school divisions except Franklin County have submitted the required information to review their required local effort for SOQ accounts. As of the date of this report, Franklin County has not submitted its fiscal year 2007 Annual School Report Financial Section and is not included in this report for fiscal year 2007. All reporting school divisions met required local effort in fiscal year 2007.

For fiscal year 2008, all school divisions submitted the required information to review their budgeted required local effort for SOQ accounts. All reporting school divisions have budgeted local operational funds sufficient to meet budgeted required local effort for fiscal year 2008. School divisions whose local appropriations for fiscal year 2008 are only slightly in excess of the amount required to maintain local effort for the Standards of Quality have been advised to review their average daily membership on a monthly basis during the fiscal year, to ensure sufficient appropriations are available based on current enrollment levels.

Pursuant to Item 135, Paragraph B.10, Chapter 847, 2007 Acts of Assembly, for fiscal year 2007, the Department of Education collected data on budgeted required local match for School Facilities and Incentive accounts. Beginning with fiscal year 2007, school divisions are required to report on local expenditures to support the projected required local match for School Facilities accounts: Lottery, Additional Lottery, and School Construction; and for Incentive accounts: At Risk; Virginia Preschool Initiative; Compensation Supplement; Early Reading Intervention; K-3 Primary Class Size Reduction; and SOL Algebra Readiness.

For fiscal year 2008, all school divisions submitted the required information to review their budgeted required local match for School Facilities and Incentive accounts. Of the reporting school divisions, one school division (Westmoreland County) must request additional local appropriation in order to meet local match requirements for certain School Facilities and Incentive accounts. All other reporting school divisions have budgeted local operational funds sufficient to meet budgeted required local match for School Facilities and Incentive accounts for fiscal year 2008.