Roanoke Times Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: SATURDAY, June 12, 1993 TAG: 9308250343 SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A11 EDITION: METRO SOURCE: DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
State government, the league further estimates, will need to find an additional $367 million to pay its share of meeting official standards of quality for public schools in the two-year budget period.
These estimates are based on the projected increase in the number of Virginia schoolchildren for the '94-'95 and '95-'96 school years, and do not take into account provision of free textbooks (as approved by the '93 General Assembly) or possible improvements in state-designated standards of quality, such as mandating smaller class sizes.
Nor do they reflect the costs of implementing the state Department of Education's so-called "World-class" education initiative - or the costs of reducing funding disparities among school districts, a grievance over which some local jurisdictions have sued the state.
In light of all this, it's important that Virginia voters demand specific responses from aspirants to public office. When candidates, for local or statewide elective posts, come seeking votes, ask them how they would deal with these signs - in at least nine figures - of times to come.
by CNB