RD26 - Actual Fiscal Year 2011 Required Local Effort and Required Local Match; Budgeted Fiscal Year 2012 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 2011, through the 2010-2011 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 2012.

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 2011 calculations are based on actual local operational expenditures, whereas fiscal year 2012 calculations are based on budgeted local operational expenditures.

For fiscal year 2011, all school divisions except Lee County have submitted the required information to review their required local effort for SOQ accounts. As of the date of this report, Lee County has not submitted its fiscal year 2011 Annual School Report Financial Section and is not included in this report for fiscal year 2011. All reporting school divisions met required local effort in fiscal year 2011.

For fiscal year 2012, all school divisions have submitted the required information to review their budgeted required local effort for SOQ accounts. All school divisions have budgeted local operational funds sufficient to meet budgeted required local effort for fiscal year 2012. School divisions whose local appropriations for fiscal year 2012 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 local appropriations are available based on current enrollment levels.

Pursuant to Item 132, Paragraph B.10, Chapter 890, 2011 Acts of Assembly, for fiscal year 2011, the Department of Education collected data on actual local expenditures for Lottery programs that have a required local match. In fiscal year 2011, school divisions were required to report on local expenditures to support the actual required local match for each of the applicable Lottery accounts: At Risk; Virginia Preschool Initiative; Early Reading Intervention; K-3 Primary Class Size Reduction; and SOL Algebra Readiness. All reporting school divisions certified actual local operational expenditures sufficient to meet required local match for the programs in which they elected to participate in fiscal year 2011.

For fiscal year 2012, all school divisions have submitted the required information to review their budgeted required local match for Incentive and Lottery accounts (At Risk, Virginia Preschool Initiative, Early Reading Intervention, K-3 Primary Class Size Reduction, SOL Algebra Readiness, and Supplemental Support for School Operating Costs). The Supplemental Support for School Operating Costs program is funded in both the Incentive and Lottery service areas; all other programs with a required local match are located in the Lottery service area in fiscal year 2012. Of the reporting school divisions, one school division (Appomattox County) must request additional local appropriation in order to meet local match requirements for the Supplemental Support for School Operating Costs program. All other school divisions have budgeted local operational funds sufficient to meet budgeted required local match for all Incentive and Lottery-funded accounts in which they have elected to participate in fiscal year 2012.