[0:29] going to call the
[14:59] Commission on School
[15:10] vice chair. And then
[15:11] we'll get to, I think,
[15:12] a round of
[15:13] introductions after
[15:14] the election. And so
[15:17] with that, is there a
[15:18] motion for the chair?
[15:30] >> All right. Is
[15:31] there a motion and a
[15:33] second. Any further
[15:35] nominations and all
[15:50] And I've done my part
[15:51] today. Thank you.
[15:53] >> Thank you, Mr.
[15:54] Chair. I appreciate
[15:55] it. Now we are going
[15:57] to. The floor is open
[15:58] for nominations for
[16:10] Although it's a
[16:11] little different.
[16:12] That has a a non
[16:15] senator. But I think
[16:16] the Senate did so
[16:17] much work on this
[16:18] over the last four
[16:30] attendance. So
[16:31] appreciate that
[16:32] Senator. So there's a
[16:34] motion with a second
[16:35] to elect Delegate
[16:39] Simons as the vice
[16:39] chair. All those in
[16:50] left to right and
[16:51] then down front for
[16:53] introduction. So
[16:54] we'll start with
[16:55] delegate commerce.
[16:55] Fowler.
[16:57] >> Thank you, Mr.
[16:58] Chair. I'm Delegate
[17:10] Herring. I represent
[17:11] the fourth House
[17:13] district, which is
[17:13] West Alexandria City
[17:14] in the Bailey's
[17:15] Crossroads of area of
[17:18] Fairfax County. I
[17:19] also serve as the
[17:30] Beach and eastern
[17:31] Norfolk.
[17:32] >> I'm Jeremy McPike,
[17:34] representing the 29th
[17:35] Senate District,
[17:36] Quantico, Dale city,
[17:39] Dumfries. Nokesville.
[17:49] Newport News.
[17:51] >> Good afternoon.
[17:52] Delegate Chris Runyon
[17:53] and I represent
[17:54] Highland and Bath,
[17:55] the two of the
[17:56] smallest school
[17:57] districts in the
[17:59] Commonwealth, as well
[18:08] >> Mr. Robertson.
[18:11] >> Mr. Robertson.
[18:13] >> Mr. Robertson, can
[18:14] you please use the
[18:16] mic button on the
[18:17] right side? Gray.
[18:29] retired as chair and
[18:31] president of Moseley
[18:32] Architects, and now
[18:34] I'm a senior advisor
[18:35] with McGuire Woods
[18:37] Consulting and the
[18:38] chair of the Virginia
[18:50] is Banshee and I'm
[18:51] the director of
[18:52] Department of General
[18:53] Services.
[18:58] >> Thank you, Mr.
[18:59] Chair. Christina Bird,
[18:59] chief operations
[19:10] I'm the state
[19:11] treasurer. I've been
[19:12] serving in that
[19:13] capacity since 2022.
[19:14] Before that, I was a
[19:15] partner at McGuire
[19:16] Woods Law Firm. So
[19:17] there's a theme here.
[19:29] D young. I'm on a
[19:32] planning commission
[19:32] in Caroline County
[19:33] for the district, as
[19:34] well as the chairman
[19:36] for the Vdot
[19:37] Committee in Caroline.
[19:50] next we are moving to
[19:52] bullet two, where the
[19:53] adoption of
[19:55] electronic meeting
[19:55] policy. And I'll turn
[19:56] it over to Attorney
[20:10] the Commission. The
[20:12] last time this
[20:13] Commission met, it
[20:15] operated under an
[20:17] electronic meeting
[20:18] policy. So I have a
[20:19] copy of that same
[20:29] point during this
[20:31] interim, or an
[20:33] individual would like
[20:34] to participate
[20:35] virtually, that you
[20:37] have a written policy
[20:38] on file. So again,
[20:50] policy. But if you do
[20:51] want to permit
[20:54] virtual participation
[20:55] either as a whole or
[20:57] individually, you
[20:58] would need to adopt a
[21:10] current policy?
[21:13] Seeing none, we are
[21:15] going to vote to
[21:16] accept the current
[21:17] policy.
[21:17] >> Move to adopt the
[21:18] policy. Second.
[21:19] >> There's been a
[21:29] adopted by roll call.
[21:32] >> Roll call, vote in
[21:34] clerk to open roll.
[21:36] >> Sure. Delegate
[21:37] Simons. Yes. Delegate.
[21:40] Askew.
[21:40] >> Yes.
[21:49] McPike. Yes. Senator.
[21:51] Fevola. Let's see.
[21:53] Doctor Robertson.
[21:54] >> Yes.
[21:56] >> Doctor. Cotton.
[21:57] Mr. Young.
[22:10] >> Miss. Gandhi. Yes.
[22:12] And Mr. Crumlish.
[22:14] >> Yes.
[22:16] >> It's unanimous,
[22:17] Mr. Chair.
[22:30] history of the
[22:31] Commission.
[22:33] >> Yeah, thank you,
[22:34] Mr. Chairman. Members
[22:35] of the commission
[22:36] thought it would be a
[22:37] good idea again,
[22:38] since you all haven't
[22:48] in its history. So
[22:51] first, Mr. Chairman,
[22:53] quickly, you have
[22:54] eight statutory
[22:55] duties. First, five
[22:56] have have existed
[22:57] since inception.
[23:10] modernization and
[23:11] construction,
[23:12] creating standardized
[23:13] construction designs
[23:14] and procurement
[23:15] practices, and
[23:17] identifying potential
[23:18] cost saving measures
[23:19] that school divisions
[23:30] tasked with updating
[23:32] annually the
[23:33] statewide needs
[23:33] assessment and
[23:35] developing and
[23:35] delivering a ten year
[23:36] capital roadmap,
[23:38] taking into
[23:39] consideration
[23:50] space now, by
[23:51] collaborating with
[23:52] the early childhood
[23:53] ready regions and the
[23:55] community colleges in
[23:55] the Commonwealth to
[23:58] look at facility
[24:10] not currently being
[24:12] utilized. And finally,
[24:14] you're you're
[24:14] required to submit an
[24:16] annual report. So the
[24:18] executive and
[24:19] legislature knows
[24:30] six year charter in
[24:32] 2020, just this past
[24:34] year, again per year
[24:35] bill. Mr. chairman,
[24:36] that expiration date
[24:37] was removed. So this
[24:39] commission is now a
[24:50] primarily on
[24:52] understanding the
[24:53] history of school
[24:54] construction funding,
[24:55] what the current
[24:56] resources are for
[24:59] constructing and
[25:10] The commission
[25:13] received input,
[25:14] guidance and data
[25:15] from various partners,
[25:18] including school
[25:18] boards, local
[25:30] and the Board and
[25:31] Department of
[25:32] Education. So I've
[25:36] included a bunch of
[25:37] reading material for
[25:38] you in your in your
[25:49] over that two year
[25:51] period. Also in your
[25:54] folders. And one
[25:55] thing I particularly
[25:57] recommend that you
[26:10] information in there
[26:11] that that, that
[26:12] publication was, was
[26:15] key in this
[26:16] commission's work and
[26:18] recommendations and
[26:18] those two interims
[26:29] over 50 years old at
[26:31] that time, according
[26:33] to a school board
[26:34] survey that they
[26:35] conducted, would be
[26:37] approximately $24.8
[26:50] action in the ensuing
[26:52] legislative sessions,
[26:53] both legislative and
[26:56] budgetary. So I'm
[26:57] just going to run
[26:58] through those
[27:10] recommended. And the
[27:11] General Assembly
[27:13] passed a law that
[27:14] made several changes
[27:15] to the Literary Fund
[27:17] loan process for to
[27:19] use to construct or
[27:30] excuse me, open
[27:31] application process,
[27:32] an increased the
[27:34] maximum loan amount
[27:35] from 7.5 to 25
[27:38] million. It also
[27:50] small school
[27:51] divisions, to cap
[27:53] those at 2% and then
[27:55] indexed interest
[27:56] rates to a market
[27:57] rate as well. And
[27:59] finally, it permitted
[28:10] recommended, and the
[28:12] General Assembly
[28:13] passed a law to
[28:15] establish the School
[28:16] Construction
[28:16] Assistance Program
[28:17] and fund the purpose
[28:19] purpose of which is
[28:29] school buildings. And
[28:33] that same bill also
[28:34] required any revenues
[28:36] remaining in the
[28:37] Casino Gaming
[28:39] Proceeds Fund. After
[28:50] in assistance to to
[28:52] school boards for
[28:55] school construction.
[29:10] school boards. This
[29:12] requires dough and
[29:14] consultation with DGS
[29:16] and using DGS
[29:18] existing Mr. Fix tool
[29:19] as a template to
[29:29] school division, and
[29:31] the amount of
[29:32] maintenance reserve
[29:32] funds that are
[29:33] necessary to restore
[29:36] those buildings. I
[29:49] go too deep into
[29:51] those, but those were
[29:53] those were
[29:54] established in 2022.
[30:10] this would permit
[30:11] school boards, with
[30:12] the concurrence of
[30:13] the local governing
[30:14] body, to establish a
[30:17] capital reserve fund
[30:18] as a as a sort of a
[30:30] expenditures, subject
[30:31] to conditions like
[30:35] designating the
[30:36] specific project to
[30:36] be funded at the time
[30:50] finally, this past
[30:51] June as a part of the
[30:52] final budget
[30:54] negotiation process
[30:56] this summer, you now
[30:58] have a provision of
[30:59] law that this
[31:09] renovation. This, as
[31:11] you know, started
[31:12] with one school
[31:13] division. It was
[31:14] expanded to ten over
[31:16] time, and now it's an
[31:18] option for all all
[31:29] won't go into too
[31:31] much detail, but that
[31:34] was just this past
[31:36] special session that
[31:49] the General Assembly
[31:51] made some pretty
[31:52] major investments in
[31:53] school construction
[31:54] over the past three
[31:56] biennium. I included
[31:59] a one pager in your
[32:10] grants in the past
[32:11] six years and a
[32:14] little under half a
[32:15] billion in loans for
[32:17] a total investment of
[32:30] guess I'll just close
[32:32] Mister, Mister
[32:32] Chairman, by saying
[32:34] that that's a lot of
[32:36] information. But, you
[32:37] know, we now that
[32:38] this commission is
[32:50] appreciate it. Are
[32:51] there any questions
[32:52] for Mr. Brimmer in.
[32:55] Please use your.
[32:56] There's a yellow
[32:58] button on the bottom
[32:59] right underneath the
[33:10] Thank you so much.
[33:11] And we'll move ahead.
[33:15] And as Ryan stated,
[33:17] he did invite
[33:29] thank you so much.
[33:36] >> Thank you, Mr.
[33:37] Chair. Members of the
[33:38] Commission today, I
[33:40] have prepared for you
[33:50] has adopted
[33:51] initiatives for the
[33:51] Virginia Department
[33:52] of Education to
[33:53] tackle. So here are
[33:56] several projects that
[33:57] we have been working
[33:58] on. And what I will
[33:59] go through. I will
[34:10] region and where each
[34:11] school division rests
[34:12] within the
[34:13] Commonwealth and what
[34:14] region they reside in.
[34:15] There are 131 school
[34:17] divisions across the
[34:30] is a data collection
[34:31] that began in 2023.
[34:34] The Code of Virginia
[34:35] requires the Virginia
[34:35] Department of
[34:36] Education to
[34:37] collaborate with the
[34:38] Department of General
[34:39] Services and use
[34:50] allows Vdoe to have a
[34:52] central repository of
[34:54] data of state owned
[34:55] buildings and systems,
[34:57] data on the school
[34:58] buildings and school
[35:00] sites is collected
[35:10] data collection needs
[35:11] in partnership with
[35:13] DGS, as required
[35:15] through Senate Bill
[35:17] 498 and House Bill
[35:19] 554. Vdoe utilized
[35:30] required, and a full
[35:31] listing of the
[35:32] inventory, school
[35:33] buildings and
[35:33] instructional
[35:34] facilities is located
[35:36] on Vdoe website. This
[35:38] report is also
[35:39] derived from
[35:50] have that available
[35:51] for your review.
[35:53] Taking a look at that
[35:54] data, this slide
[35:56] shows the number of
[35:56] Virginia school
[35:57] buildings by type.
[36:10] 16.4% of the school
[36:11] facilities are middle
[36:12] schools, and 15.2% of
[36:15] facilities are high
[36:16] schools. The
[36:17] remaining facilities
[36:17] are academic support
[36:19] buildings such as
[36:30] More than half of all
[36:31] schools and academic
[36:32] support buildings in
[36:33] the state are greater
[36:34] than 50 years old.
[36:37] 24.2% are between 26
[36:50] provides a snapshot
[36:51] of the instructions
[36:52] that are used to
[36:53] interpret system
[36:54] replacement,
[36:55] replacement index or
[36:57] SRI data and the
[36:58] relative age are a
[37:10] system. Sri is
[37:12] expressed by a
[37:13] percentage of the
[37:13] expected life of all
[37:15] systems, building and
[37:16] site that have been
[37:18] consumed. A 100%
[37:29] systems are brand new,
[37:31] a higher value
[37:33] indicates that the
[37:34] building and sites
[37:35] are in need of system
[37:36] upgrade or
[37:37] replacement. Relative
[37:38] age is not a calendar
[37:49] index times life span
[37:51] the lifespan assumed
[37:52] is 50 years. A
[37:54] building renovation
[37:56] will decrease the
[37:57] relative age, and a
[37:58] newly constructed
[38:10] Public Schools by
[38:11] superintendents
[38:12] region. Based on the
[38:13] most recent Mr. Fix
[38:14] reporting, this chart
[38:16] provides data based
[38:17] on the building and
[38:19] site. The relative
[38:30] assumption that it
[38:31] has a useful life
[38:32] equating to 50 years.
[38:34] This demonstration is
[38:35] that 8.8 years of
[38:37] useful life remains
[38:37] for both site and
[38:39] buildings. In
[38:41] two.
[38:51] >> Before you move on
[38:52] to security. So when
[38:53] you talk about
[38:55] systems, I'm assuming
[38:56] Hvac roofs, what
[38:59] other systems would
[39:08] a city. Well, it
[39:11] could be any of those
[39:12] things. We have a
[39:13] variety.
[39:13] >> What about
[39:14] technology?
[39:15] >> No, that would not
[39:17] be generally that is
[39:29] >> So I know in my
[39:33] home school district
[39:34] of Newport News
[39:35] Public Schools, a lot
[39:36] of the 1950s
[39:38] buildings were not
[39:50] Would it also take
[39:51] into account when a
[39:53] building is just not
[39:54] well designed and it
[39:55] needs to be renovated
[39:56] so the front office
[39:57] can see the front
[39:58] door or not really.
[40:09] that would be part of
[40:11] a renovation. But we
[40:13] do have schools that
[40:14] have not gone through
[40:16] those security
[40:18] enhancements.
[40:19] >> So it would not be
[40:29] equipment grant. The
[40:33] school security
[40:34] equipment grant began
[40:34] in 2013 through the
[40:36] General Assembly
[40:37] session with the
[40:38] creation of a
[40:39] competitive grant
[40:39] program for school
[40:50] million is annually
[40:51] awarded to enhance
[40:52] security and help
[40:53] protect students,
[40:54] faculty, staff and
[40:56] visitors. Each school
[40:57] division is awarded
[40:59] the. Each school
[41:10] program. Since its
[41:11] inception in 2013,
[41:14] $126 million has been
[41:15] awarded to school
[41:16] divisions and
[41:16] regional programs.
[41:19] There are ten grant
[41:30] Total. There is a
[41:32] list of eligible
[41:33] equipment located on
[41:34] the website. In the
[41:36] current grant year,
[41:37] applications were
[41:38] received from seven
[41:39] regional centers. The
[41:50] provided to 399
[41:52] qualifying schools
[41:52] and 91 school
[41:54] divisions. This slide
[41:58] demonstrates the most
[41:59] purchased eligible
[42:10] hardware cameras, two
[42:11] way radios for staff,
[42:13] and metal or firearm
[42:15] detection systems at
[42:16] our school building
[42:17] entrances. The use of
[42:30] school busses and
[42:32] passenger tracking,
[42:33] as well as passenger
[42:34] ID card readers on
[42:36] school busses. The
[42:39] next program that I
[42:50] During the 2026
[42:52] General Assembly
[42:53] session, an
[42:53] investment of $519
[42:56] million has been made
[42:57] for 2027 and 2028.
[43:09] grants. This slide
[43:11] provides you with a
[43:11] snapshot of the
[43:12] awards that have
[43:13] occurred since the
[43:14] inception of the
[43:15] program in fiscal
[43:16] year 2022 through
[43:17] last fiscal year of
[43:30] guidelines and
[43:31] criteria that were
[43:32] approved by the Board
[43:33] of Education. Several
[43:34] of those criteria
[43:36] include local
[43:36] governing body
[43:37] commitment to a
[43:39] project, inclusion in
[43:39] the Capital
[43:49] contributes ten, 20
[43:51] or 30% of a of a
[43:52] project cost based on
[43:54] the school division's
[43:55] local composite index,
[43:57] with the local
[43:58] locality contributing
[43:59] the balance of the
[44:10] projects from 2022
[44:11] include new schools
[44:13] resulting from school
[44:15] consolidation or
[44:16] increased enrollment,
[44:17] extensive school
[44:19] renovations,
[44:30] safety and security,
[44:32] structural
[44:33] improvements. Picture
[44:36] is worth a thousand
[44:37] words to highlight a
[44:38] few of the projects
[44:39] that have been funded
[44:49] County. It is a 203
[44:53] 200,332 square foot
[44:54] school building on a
[44:55] 50 acre site, which
[44:56] has 1032 school
[44:58] student capacity. It
[45:10] small high schools
[45:11] and consolidate them
[45:12] into one school,
[45:13] providing an
[45:14] opportunity for more
[45:15] programs that support
[45:16] modern education.
[45:17] This school has a
[45:18] special CTE center
[45:30] Elementary school,
[45:31] Arnett Hill in
[45:32] Danville. It was the
[45:33] first new school in
[45:35] 35 years. It was
[45:36] built on the same
[45:37] site as the old
[45:38] school. Danville
[45:40] sixth Grade Academy
[45:50] was a project that
[45:51] added six new
[45:52] classrooms to meet
[45:53] and enhance learning
[45:54] opportunities for
[45:55] students in Dickenson
[45:56] County. One
[46:10] of Education. We were
[46:12] awarded $5 million
[46:13] through a competitive
[46:14] grant process. This
[46:16] grant ends in
[46:17] November of 2028. The
[46:30] state and local
[46:31] resources to improve
[46:31] public school
[46:32] facilities to ensure
[46:33] safe, healthy,
[46:35] sustainable and
[46:36] quality learning
[46:37] environments. High
[46:38] needs schools were
[46:39] determined through a
[46:50] to determine if a
[46:51] school can offer free
[46:52] or reduced lunch to
[46:53] students through
[46:55] Community Eligibility
[46:56] Program. Under the
[46:58] sassy grant, the
[46:59] Department of
[47:00] Education is actively
[47:10] anticipated to be
[47:11] completed in February
[47:11] of 2027. As part of
[47:14] the grant, we are
[47:15] working to develop a
[47:16] database and a
[47:17] dashboard to improve
[47:18] and provide a virtual
[47:30] address their
[47:31] facility improvement
[47:32] needs. The dashboard
[47:34] will also be an
[47:34] effective tool for
[47:35] the Department of
[47:36] Education in
[47:37] documenting school
[47:37] building conditions
[47:38] across the
[47:49] with completed
[47:51] assessments, and the
[47:52] red asterisks
[47:53] indicate the division
[47:54] with one of two
[47:55] completed assessments
[47:56] so far in the process.
[48:08] of 2027. All sassy
[48:12] assessment data will
[48:13] be collected in the
[48:14] dashboard. Divisions
[48:15] will have access to
[48:16] the updated
[48:17] information and be
[48:18] able to complete
[48:30] included. This will
[48:31] allow the dashboard
[48:32] to become a
[48:33] repository for all
[48:34] school facility data
[48:36] and school fidelity
[48:37] facility conditions
[48:49] the Commission in
[48:52] 2024, the state
[48:53] budget included $18.5
[48:55] million through a
[48:56] combination of state
[48:57] and federal funds to
[48:58] provide one time
[48:59] grant funding to
[49:10] there is 3.95 million
[49:13] in unclaimed
[49:14] reimbursements from
[49:14] this grant award, and
[49:15] school divisions have
[49:16] until November 1st to
[49:17] submit their
[49:18] reimbursements. These
[49:30] training of staff.
[49:34] Also in accordance
[49:35] with the Code of
[49:36] Virginia, Vdoe
[49:37] provides guidelines
[49:38] for school divisions
[49:39] in Virginia's public
[49:50] additions. There is
[49:51] also recommendations
[49:53] governing the
[49:54] instructional,
[49:55] operational and
[49:55] health and
[49:56] maintenance needs not
[49:57] addressed in the
[49:58] Virginia Uniform
[49:59] Statewide Building
[50:08] of 2026. That
[50:11] completes my
[50:12] presentation this
[50:13] afternoon for the
[50:14] commission. I'll turn
[50:14] it back to you, Mr.
[50:15] Chair.
[50:15] >> Thank you so much,
[50:16] Miss Berta. Does
[50:17] anybody have any
[50:18] questions for the
[50:30] assessment tool. You
[50:32] know, one of our
[50:33] tasks involves
[50:36] modernization. And I
[50:37] just feel like some
[50:38] of our schools are,
[50:50] for renovations of
[50:52] front offices for,
[50:54] for line of sight or
[50:57] learning cottages
[50:58] that might be on the
[50:59] property that really,
[51:10] Delegate Simon. I
[51:11] think that is an
[51:12] opportunity for us.
[51:13] This is this is a
[51:14] great stride forward
[51:15] when I tell you we're
[51:16] collecting. Mr. fix
[51:17] sits on an Excel
[51:18] spreadsheet, and it's
[51:19] very antiquated. And
[51:30] sure my Director of
[51:31] Support Services
[51:32] hears that loud and
[51:33] clear too. And
[51:33] whatever we can do to
[51:35] make this process
[51:35] better for our school
[51:36] divisions, that's our
[51:37] ultimate goal. They
[51:38] work really hard and
[51:50] can join us back on
[51:51] the dais, but we
[51:52] appreciate your
[51:52] presentation, and
[51:54] we'll look forward to
[51:54] continuing to work
[51:55] with you on some of
[51:56] these, some important
[51:58] information data that
[51:59] you're collecting so
[51:59] we can move forward
[52:10] Josette Bulova, who
[52:11] is the policy
[52:12] communications
[52:13] coordinator for the
[52:14] Virginia Municipal
[52:14] League.
[52:30] by Josette Bulova,
[52:31] policy communications
[52:32] coordinator with the
[52:33] Virginia Municipal
[52:34] League VML. And we
[52:35] appreciate the
[52:36] opportunity to update
[52:37] the Commission on the
[52:38] local option. Voter
[52:50] commission
[52:52] recommendation back
[52:52] in 2021, and many of
[52:54] the members here have
[52:55] carried legislation
[52:56] and worked on other
[52:57] areas, and it's so
[52:58] nice to see it
[52:59] actually come to
[53:00] fruition. So we truly
[53:09] the K-12 stakeholders
[53:11] community. And again,
[53:13] we appreciate
[53:14] appreciate the
[53:14] opportunity to be
[53:15] back before this
[53:15] commission to talk
[53:16] about this and just
[53:17] like to give an
[53:18] overview of how we
[53:19] got to where we are,
[53:30] around back then,
[53:32] myself included, you
[53:33] may recall that
[53:34] Halifax County was
[53:35] the first locality
[53:36] that was granted the
[53:37] statewide authority
[53:38] by the Assembly and
[53:39] the governor, and
[53:49] of course, in 2021, a
[53:51] major turning point.
[53:52] As part of the
[53:53] commission's work, it
[53:54] evaluated and then
[53:55] recommended that this
[53:56] authority should be
[53:57] given to counties and
[53:58] cities statewide. And
[54:10] stalled or was vetoed.
[54:12] But very fortunately,
[54:13] this year, the
[54:15] legislature and
[54:16] Governor Spanberger
[54:17] enacted this idea
[54:19] through the budget
[54:29] that 47 localities
[54:31] have approved the
[54:32] resolution placing
[54:32] the referendum on
[54:33] this November 3rd
[54:35] ballot, which is for
[54:36] those who can do the
[54:37] math, more than one
[54:38] third of all counties
[54:39] and cities in the
[54:50] construction tools.
[54:52] And just an important
[54:53] distinction. The
[54:53] General Assembly
[54:54] provided this
[54:55] authority, but local
[54:56] governments must
[54:56] decide whether to
[54:57] pursue it or not. And
[54:58] then ultimately,
[54:59] voters make the
[55:00] decision about
[55:10] authority, as I was
[55:12] going to say, it's no
[55:13] longer an untested
[55:14] concept. We've seen
[55:14] it in action, and 909
[55:17] localities already
[55:17] have the referendum
[55:18] authority. And those
[55:19] are the counties of
[55:29] this issue. And every
[55:31] referendum effort has
[55:32] eventually passed.
[55:34] More importantly,
[55:35] though, what has this
[55:36] authority
[55:37] accomplished? And
[55:37] according to our data,
[55:39] in these eight
[55:40] localities, more than
[55:50] estimated project
[55:51] total. And that
[55:52] includes a you know,
[55:53] we talked about
[55:53] Halifax. It includes
[55:54] a brand new $125
[55:56] million high school
[55:56] in Halifax County.
[55:58] And I think it
[55:58] demonstrates the
[55:59] authority can
[55:59] translate into real
[56:10] as real estate tax.
[56:13] So this this map is
[56:14] from the Virginia
[56:15] Mercury. I'd like to
[56:16] give them credit, but
[56:17] I think it really
[56:18] tells the story in
[56:19] terms of the demand,
[56:29] the green is the ones
[56:31] that are currently
[56:31] seeking this
[56:32] authority this year.
[56:33] And I should just
[56:34] point out that just
[56:35] because they're
[56:35] seeking authority
[56:36] doesn't necessarily
[56:36] mean that this is an
[56:37] automatic increase in
[56:39] tax, it still needs
[56:39] to go to the voters
[56:50] this authority.
[56:53] >> Thank you, Jeremy,
[56:54] and good afternoon,
[56:55] Commission members.
[56:57] This next map
[56:58] highlights the
[56:59] individual names of
[57:09] in green. Over the
[57:11] years, when statewide
[57:11] authority was debated,
[57:13] one of the questions
[57:14] constantly asked of
[57:15] us was whether this
[57:16] was primarily an
[57:17] issue for one
[57:18] specific area of
[57:19] Virginia or the whole.
[57:30] presentations this
[57:31] morning, this map
[57:33] shows the immediate
[57:34] interest of local
[57:34] governments,
[57:35] regardless of their
[57:36] geographic location.
[57:38] So the next three
[57:39] slides will provide
[57:50] Taxation. For fiscal
[57:51] years, FY 26 through
[57:54] 2028. I just wanted
[57:55] to note that this
[57:56] sales tax does not
[57:57] include food and
[57:58] personal hygiene
[58:00] products, so keep
[58:08] revenues. If all 47
[58:13] referendum were
[58:13] approved and
[58:14] implemented, total
[58:14] estimates would be
[58:15] around 414 million in
[58:17] FY 26, 423 million in
[58:30] dollars annually.
[58:31] Although this is a
[58:32] wide range, even 1 or
[58:34] 2 million in
[58:34] recurring revenue can
[58:37] make a meaningful
[58:38] difference for local
[58:39] governments when
[58:40] determining the
[58:50] issue of this is the
[58:51] same addressing
[58:52] school capital needs.
[58:54] So this next slide
[58:55] aims to show you the
[58:57] geographic and fiscal
[58:59] diversity. Further
[59:10] western Virginia,
[59:12] Chesterfield County
[59:12] and the city of
[59:13] Richmond in central
[59:14] Virginia, Isle of
[59:15] Wight in Hampton
[59:16] Roads, Fairfax City
[59:17] in Northern Virginia,
[59:18] City of Martinsville
[59:19] and Southside, and
[59:30] million right here in
[59:31] Richmond and nearly
[59:33] 60 million in
[59:34] Chesterfield, all
[59:34] based on the FY 26
[59:36] estimates. This range
[59:38] really highlights the
[59:39] construction needs
[59:50] this particular tool
[59:52] fits, or if they need
[59:54] it for their
[59:55] particular needs. So
[59:57] next steps. You may
[59:58] be wondering where do
[59:59] we go from here? The
[1:00:10] voter approval is not
[1:00:11] the final
[1:00:12] administrative step.
[1:00:13] If a render from
[1:00:15] passes, the local
[1:00:15] governing body must
[1:00:16] then formally adopt
[1:00:17] an ordinance to
[1:00:18] actually levy the
[1:00:19] school construction
[1:00:29] Identify the date on
[1:00:31] which the tax will
[1:00:32] expire 20 years from
[1:00:34] the passing of the
[1:00:35] resolution, not the
[1:00:36] referendum. And
[1:00:37] finally, a certified
[1:00:38] copy of the ordinance
[1:00:39] must be forwarded to
[1:00:49] with the rest.
[1:00:51] >> Thank you. Josette.
[1:00:52] So just to reiterate,
[1:00:54] November is not the
[1:00:55] end of the
[1:00:55] conversation.
[1:00:56] Obviously, it's
[1:00:56] really the beginning
[1:00:57] of the next phase,
[1:00:58] and it will be
[1:00:59] important, I think,
[1:01:10] tax supported capital
[1:01:11] needs. And we would,
[1:01:12] of course, love to
[1:01:13] come back to the
[1:01:14] commission and update
[1:01:15] you after the
[1:01:17] referendum results.
[1:01:18] And then potentially,
[1:01:19] as things go forward,
[1:01:30] once, being able to
[1:01:31] do this and
[1:01:32] implementing it. And
[1:01:33] inevitably, it will
[1:01:33] identify some
[1:01:34] implementation
[1:01:35] questions, as each
[1:01:36] experience will
[1:01:37] inevitably vary
[1:01:37] community to
[1:01:38] community. So we look
[1:01:39] forward to working
[1:01:50] ultimately not in the
[1:01:51] final budget.
[1:01:52] Language was the
[1:01:53] issue of debt service.
[1:01:54] You know, the current
[1:01:56] authority, which
[1:01:56] we're very grateful
[1:01:57] of, does allow only
[1:02:10] they unfortunately
[1:02:11] had to move forward
[1:02:13] with construction
[1:02:14] projects just because
[1:02:15] the need was so great.
[1:02:17] So they dug deep into
[1:02:18] their existing
[1:02:19] revenue sources to
[1:02:29] maybe future
[1:02:31] consideration. But in
[1:02:31] closing, I just want
[1:02:32] to return to where we
[1:02:34] started and thank the
[1:02:36] Commission again for
[1:02:37] its and I don't if
[1:02:38] there are any
[1:02:39] questions I'll get to
[1:02:50] about the scale of
[1:02:51] the need that you've
[1:02:52] all identified back
[1:02:53] in 2021, and the
[1:02:54] department is doing a
[1:02:55] great job cataloging
[1:02:56] going forward, and
[1:02:57] the demand for
[1:02:58] additional local
[1:02:58] tools to help address
[1:03:10] should also like to
[1:03:11] acknowledge the
[1:03:12] General Assembly and
[1:03:13] the Department for
[1:03:14] all the work that's
[1:03:15] done through programs
[1:03:15] like the Literary
[1:03:16] Fund, the School
[1:03:17] Construction
[1:03:18] Assistance Program,
[1:03:19] the Virginia Public
[1:03:20] School Authority. As
[1:03:29] forward. And but this
[1:03:31] is a significant
[1:03:32] addition to the
[1:03:33] toolbox that
[1:03:33] preserves local
[1:03:34] decision making
[1:03:34] authority. Local
[1:03:36] governing bodies
[1:03:37] determine whether to
[1:03:37] pursue it. And then
[1:03:38] ultimately, voters
[1:03:39] make the final
[1:03:50] may have.
[1:03:51] >> Thank you so much.
[1:03:53] I'm going to take
[1:03:54] over the gavel from
[1:03:56] Chair Askew. Do we
[1:03:58] have any questions
[1:04:10] the allocation of
[1:04:12] grants as well as the
[1:04:13] new use of sales and
[1:04:15] use tax as our
[1:04:18] population cohort
[1:04:30] you know, Weldon
[1:04:31] Cooper data
[1:04:32] indicating some are
[1:04:33] up to 10% reduction
[1:04:34] in cohort size. 10%
[1:04:37] over a school system
[1:04:38] is a fairly
[1:04:38] significant chunk of
[1:04:50] around. And hopefully
[1:04:51] that Vaiko and VML
[1:04:52] and others can start
[1:04:53] to have those
[1:04:54] discussions, because
[1:04:54] I think it'd be wise
[1:04:56] for the state to sort
[1:04:57] of keep an eye on
[1:04:58] where those funds are
[1:05:10] >> Thank you.
[1:05:12] >> Mr. Bennett.
[1:05:13] >> Yes, thank you,
[1:05:14] Madam Vice Chair. And
[1:05:16] and Senator McPike.
[1:05:17] It is it is obviously
[1:05:18] an issue of concern,
[1:05:19] especially in rural
[1:05:30] seeing a larger
[1:05:31] capital infront
[1:05:33] consolidate as as you
[1:05:35] know, as economies of
[1:05:36] scale take effect,
[1:05:37] also declining in
[1:05:38] population. And I
[1:05:50] whether it's due to
[1:05:51] declining population
[1:05:52] or the need for just
[1:05:54] a, you know, reducing
[1:05:55] the, the capital
[1:05:57] imprint on their
[1:05:58] community. So we'll
[1:05:59] definitely keep that
[1:05:59] in mind, take that
[1:06:10] going to get choked
[1:06:11] up on. Literally.
[1:06:15] >> I'll pass.
[1:06:30] consolidate schools
[1:06:31] that that can be
[1:06:33] baked into funding,
[1:06:36] funding available
[1:06:38] opportunities.
[1:06:50] do know, thinking
[1:06:52] back, I want to say
[1:06:54] 2021, but several
[1:06:55] years ago, the last
[1:06:57] joint consolidation
[1:06:58] between school
[1:06:59] divisions with the
[1:07:10] joint division, which
[1:07:12] I think it generated
[1:07:14] savings of around $1
[1:07:15] million per year. And
[1:07:16] they were able to do
[1:07:17] it in a way that
[1:07:19] didn't actually lose
[1:07:30] regionalism and
[1:07:31] consolidation was
[1:07:32] encouraged and
[1:07:33] supported by the
[1:07:34] General Assembly.
[1:07:35] >> Thank you.
[1:07:36] >> Any other
[1:07:37] questions from
[1:07:38] members of the
[1:07:48] sales tax is the
[1:07:51] opportunity to issue
[1:07:52] bonds around a new,
[1:07:55] you know, flow of, of
[1:07:58] revenue. Can you tell
[1:08:10] the sunset in 20, 20
[1:08:12] years with like
[1:08:14] issuing bonds for
[1:08:15] school construction
[1:08:17] project?
[1:08:18] >> Okay, okay.
[1:08:30] with the date in
[1:08:31] terms of when the 20
[1:08:33] years kicks off and
[1:08:35] general bonding, and
[1:08:36] there are procurement
[1:08:37] experts here much
[1:08:38] more qualified than I
[1:08:39] to comment about it.
[1:08:50] maybe something to
[1:08:51] consider with future
[1:08:52] legislative action.
[1:08:53] If that is indeed an
[1:08:55] issue.
[1:08:56] >> What do my fellow
[1:09:10] maybe for a future
[1:09:12] meeting, maybe we
[1:09:13] could address that.
[1:09:14] What do you all think.
[1:09:15] >> Would be great?
[1:09:16] >> Yeah. Okay. Maybe
[1:09:17] that's we could
[1:09:18] bookmark that as
[1:09:19] something we want to
[1:09:30] localities I have
[1:09:31] four that that I
[1:09:33] represent. One of
[1:09:33] them have talked
[1:09:34] about the real need
[1:09:36] for to be able to go
[1:09:37] back and fund
[1:09:38] existing bond,
[1:09:38] purchase a bond,
[1:09:50] high quality
[1:09:51] education that we're
[1:09:52] demanding from them,
[1:09:53] I think it makes
[1:09:54] sense, and I would
[1:09:55] encourage us to
[1:09:56] readdress that issue.
[1:09:56] I think, in a sense
[1:09:57] of fairness to both
[1:10:10] payment of bonds that
[1:10:13] have already been or
[1:10:14] construction projects
[1:10:15] that have already
[1:10:16] been started?
[1:10:17] >> Yes. Yeah. Under
[1:10:18] the 1% program, the
[1:10:30] addressing the debt
[1:10:31] service?
[1:10:33] >> Yeah.
[1:10:34] >> Okay.
[1:10:34] >> That the Senate
[1:10:35] agrees.
[1:10:36] >> Okay.
[1:10:36] >> So he.
[1:10:38] >> Just speaks for
[1:10:50] >> All right. Going
[1:10:51] back to the agenda,
[1:10:53] our next item of
[1:10:55] business is public
[1:10:56] comment and other
[1:10:58] business. Do we have
[1:11:09] of the commission?
[1:11:11] >> Madam chair.
[1:11:12] >> Delegate Runyon.
[1:11:14] >> Madam chair, I
[1:11:15] appreciate this. And
[1:11:15] this is really
[1:11:16] interesting as we
[1:11:17] look or saw some of
[1:11:19] the presentation
[1:11:30] interesting. I find
[1:11:31] that very appreciate
[1:11:32] that. What is what's
[1:11:34] fascinating is I have
[1:11:35] a regional career,
[1:11:36] actually, I have two
[1:11:37] regional career and
[1:11:38] technical centers in
[1:11:50] district technical
[1:11:51] center. And so I'd
[1:11:52] like for this
[1:11:52] commission to take
[1:11:53] that up and look at
[1:11:54] that. It does make
[1:11:55] sense to me, at least
[1:11:57] in my rural area, for
[1:11:58] us to create some
[1:12:11] for students to
[1:12:12] participate in a
[1:12:13] nontraditional way.
[1:12:14] But we've got to be
[1:12:15] innovative, and we've
[1:12:16] got to allow the
[1:12:17] system to provide for
[1:12:29] requesting
[1:12:31] information on how
[1:12:33] regional education
[1:12:34] centers or regional
[1:12:35] career and tech
[1:12:36] center schools are
[1:12:38] constructed or their
[1:12:50] someone can present
[1:12:52] how these regional
[1:12:54] education centers
[1:12:55] when they need
[1:12:56] upgrading, what what
[1:13:10] to look at in future
[1:13:12] meetings? Okay.
[1:13:16] Hearing none, that
[1:13:17] completes our agenda.
[1:13:18] >> Motion to adjourn.
[1:13:19] >> Second.