by Stewart D. Roberson
With the country’s current economic challenges, American families are facing necessary expenses with fewer resources. Dollars don’t go as far, making it increasingly difficult to keep families fed, vehicles fueled and bills paid. Much like the families they serve, Virginia’s K-12 public schools face many of the same financial pressures, operating without the proper resources to fully meet student needs.
While Virginia legislators have increased state support by restoring K-12 funding to pre-pandemic levels, those investments also came after years of underfunding. In 2023, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission found that Virginia school divisions received approximately $2,000 less per student than the national average. That persistent funding gap puts Virginia’s students, schools and future workforce at a competitive disadvantage.
Every student in Virginia deserves a strong education and the opportunity to succeed after graduation. Delivering on that promise requires great teachers and school leaders, strong academics, clear pathways to colleges and careers, and schools and students equipped for a world that is changing quickly.
It also requires substantial investment.
That is the clearest message from new statewide polling commissioned by the Virginia Business-K12 Partnership, an organization I am honored to chair. We engaged bipartisan pollsters to survey Virginians about our public schools and where the state should focus its attention.
Judging by state spending on K-12 education, you might expect Virginians to be dissatisfied. The polling found quite the opposite: 70% agree that Virginia’s K-12 schools are generally well run, provide high-quality instruction and are a sound place to invest public dollars. And nearly three-quarters also say Virginians should be proud of them.
While 7 out of 10 agree our public schools are good, we know there is room for improvement. More than 90% believe it is important to invest more in K-12 education and 87% support a new funding model that invests at or above the national average.
Virginians also recognize the important role our schools play in producing the talent that helps make Virginia an economic draw. Ninety-seven percent believe investing in K-12 public education is important to maintaining our “top state for business” reputation and attracting new investment and job creation.
That is an important connection: we can value what our public schools are accomplishing today while recognizing that maintaining Virginia’s economic position will require us to keep strengthening them for tomorrow.
More money by itself is not the answer. If Virginia is going to invest more, we should be clear about what Virginians expect that investment to accomplish.
Start with teachers. Great schools depend on great teachers in the classroom. Nearly all (97%) agree on the need for more high-quality teachers, and 87% recognize the need to create additional pathways for qualified people to enter the profession without lowering standards.
At the same time, we cannot lose sight of the fundamentals. Students need strong foundations in reading and math. Ninety-five percent say additional investment is important to address student performance, pandemic-related achievement gaps and workforce readiness.
Students also need to be able to write, think critically, solve problems, participate in society and continue learning. Eighty-six percent support additional efforts in media literacy education, and nearly 9 out of 10 support efforts around civics instruction.
Providing students the opportunities that prepare them for life after graduation, whether through college, military service, community college, an apprenticeship, an industry credential or a skilled trade, should be a top priority. Making dual enrollment easier, more affordable, and expanding career and technical education can broaden those opportunities.
Those opportunities also need to lead somewhere. Ninety-five percent agree that every Virginia K-12 graduate should have access to education or training that can lead to an in-demand job.
Finally, the environment where students learn matters. Many of Virginia’s school facilities are outdated, and communities are struggling to renovate or replace them. Seventy-eight percent support allowing localities to adopt a sales tax increase to address aging school facilities.
These results are not foreign to those who have spent years in education. They reveal a clear consensus around the need to invest in public education and where that investment should be focused.
Virginia’s business community understands the importance of our public school system to the state’s economic future and remains committed to its improvement. By partnering with education and industry leaders to develop sustainable solutions, we believe Virginia can maintain its reputation as one of the premier states for business while continuing to produce a skilled workforce.
Now is the time to help Virginia’s K-12 students and public schools reach their full potential. That means investing more, investing smarter, and keeping the focus on what those investments ultimately need to deliver: stronger schools, greater opportunities for every Virginia student, stronger communities and the talent Virginia needs to compete and grow.
Stewart D. Roberson is the chair of the Virginia Business-K12 Partnership and can be reached at stewart@vabusinessk12.org. Previously, he led Virginia’s largest education design firm, Moseley Inc., was one of Virginia’s longest-serving school superintendents and served on the Virginia Board of Education.