by Babur B. Lateef, M.D.
Chairman At-Large
Prince William County School Board
We are excited to see that Governor Northam has placed education funding among the top priorities in his budget submitted to the General Assembly.
Virginia is the number one state for business, and we believe that it should be number one for education as well. The greatest opportunity for sustaining economic prosperity, ensuring a strong workforce with future-ready skills, and empowering individual success is through an outstanding and equitable PreK-12 education for all.
The foundation of a great education is a great teacher. In order to recruit and retain the best educators, competitive compensation is critical. We are pleased to see the Governor propose a teacher salary increase, in addition to last year’s, and it is our hope that the General Assembly will find a means to add funding for teachers in the first year of the biennium budget.
While state and local authorities work in partnership to ensure a quality education for students in the Commonwealth, past changes to Virginia’s funding for public education widened the gap between the true local-level cost of providing programs and services and the amount reimbursed by the state.
We are optimistic that our elected officials both in the General Assembly and at the Board of County Supervisors will support our students and teachers through their actions this year. Together we will ensure that we truly deliver a world-class education for all.
