Roanoke Co. School Board issues joint resolution concerning education funding
At a news conference today, the Roanoke County School Board issued a joint resolution, along with the Roanoke City School Board and the Salem City School Board. This resolution, included below, urges state legislators to take the necessary steps to make education a first priority.
JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SCHOOL BOARDS REPRESENTING
THE ROANOKE CITY SCHOOLS, THE ROANOKE COUNTY
SCHOOLS, AND THE SALEM CITY SCHOOLS
Whereas, the Roanoke City Public Schools (“RCPS”), the Roanoke County Public Schools (“RCS”), and the Salem City Schools (“SCS”) provide universal access to a high quality education for all students;
Whereas, RCPS, RCS and SCS recognize the need for our students to be highly educated in order to be competitive in a global economy;
Whereas, RCPS, RCS, and SCS work tirelessly to continuously improve educational outcomes for all students and eliminate gaps in outcomes among various groups of students;
Whereas, RCPS, RCS, and SCS agree that it is imperative that all public school students reach their highest level of achievement possible;
Whereas, RCPS, RCS, and SCS agree that adequate funding of public schools has a direct impact on the quality of learning opportunities for all students;
Whereas, RCPS, RCS, and SCS advocate for fiscally responsible and educationally responsive school systems for students, parents, and staff;
Whereas, RCPS, RCS, and SCS, as public school systems in the Commonwealth of Virginia, are legally unable to generate revenue and are instead wholly dependent on revenue from federal, state, and local sources;
Whereas, RCPS, RCS, and SCS are fully cognizant of the economic situation facing the state and nation, but remain deeply concerned about both the short-term and long-term ramifications from underfunding public education;
Therefore, be it resolved that the School Boards representing RCPS, RCS, and SCS unanimously urge all state and federal legislators to take whatever steps are necessary to make education a first priority by considering bold and creative means to avoid or substantially offset the currently proposed significant cuts to the school divisions so that our educators may continue to provide a quality K-12 public education for all students, present and future.
Signed by:
David B. Carson, Chair
Roanoke City School Board
Michael Stovall, Chair
Roanoke County School Board
Sally Southard, Chair
Salem City School Board
(Last updated 3/10/10)