VACo supports HB 544 (Askew) and SB 498 (Aird), which would eliminate the expiration date of the Commission on School Construction and Modernization, which, pursuant to current law, is set to expire on July 1, 2026. Both bills passed their respective chambers unanimously and have been referred to each chamber’s Committee on Rules. VACo testified in support of this legislation. The Commission has been instrumental in studying and developing policy and legislative recommendations to address the issue of aging school infrastructure in Virginia, such as HB 334 (Rasoul) and SB 607 (Lucas), as reported here.
The bills also direct the Commission to (i) meet at least four times each year and post notice of the date, time, and location of each meeting on the central, publicly available electronic calendar maintained by the Commonwealth in accordance with applicable law; (ii) update annually the statewide needs estimate for construction and modernization of school facilities; (iii) develop and deliver by November 1, 2026, a 10-year capital roadmap; and (iv) collaborate with early childhood care and education Ready Regions and comprehensive community colleges in the Commonwealth to collect and evaluate data relating to Ready Region and comprehensive community college facility usage, availability, and needs. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Education, in order to assist the Commission with its work, to update and make available to the Commission an inventory of all public school facilities in the Commonwealth by September 1, 2026.
VACo also supports HB 264 (Simonds), which is legislation limited to extending from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2029, the sunset date for the Commission on School Construction and Modernization. This bill was referred from the House floor to the Hose Rules Committee.
VACo supports additional state resources and additional statewide funding options for localities for capital and school construction costs, including expanding dedicated local sales and use tax authority first given to select counties by the General Assembly in 2019 as well as continuing to fund the School Construction Grant Program and School Construction Assistance Program. Funds from these latter two programs should be as accessible as possible.
VACo Contact: Jeremy R. Bennett