Virginia may study giving school boards power to levy taxes
A few bills introduced in this year's General Assembly by delegates of both parties aim to resurrect the contentious issue of whether elected school boards in Virginia should have the power to levy taxes. It's something that has been discussed since 1992, when state law cleared the way for school board members to be elected rather than appointed. Virginia is one of nine states in the country with fiscally dependent school boards, according to the National School Boards Association. Thirty-four states have autonomous boards, and 26 states allow districts to have taxing ability if they choose. Currently, school boards in Virginia request local funding from boards of supervisors or city councils. But only the supervisors or council members can raise taxes to fund schools. That process often leads to conflict. The school board is usually pushing to improve education, while the board of supervisors or council is under pressure to keep a lid on taxes. Proponents of giving school boards such authority say it would let school board members directly communicate with voters. Critics argue that allowing school boards to solely handle funds would take away the checks and balances now in place.
Dick Pulley, the Virginia School Boards Association’s (VSBA) chief lobbyist, said the association wants the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to determine whether fiscally independent school boards would benefit or harm the process, whether taxes would increase if they were autonomous and what kinds of taxing methods would be used. He has seen about eight similar bills fail in the same number of years. “It's hard for me to understand why the General Assembly will not at least allow a study of this issue,” Pulley said. “It's been before them for many years.” Gary Skinner, recently elected to the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors after serving four years on the School Board, said giving school boards taxing authority would make life easier for members of both boards. School board members are more knowledgeable on school matters, which leads to better-informed decisions, he said. “I think they're the experts in what they need to teach the children. It's not always easy for supervisors to understand everything,” Skinner said. “We're not all experts at everything.” Spotsylvania and Stafford schools Superintendents Jerry Hill and David Sawyer have worked in states with fiscally independent school boards. Sawyer said the current system makes the process more cumbersome, but he's unsure about any other advantages of a change. Fiscal autonomy won't necessary lead to higher taxes for residents, he said. “In terms of burden to the taxpayer, I think it's pretty much of a wash.” The current system works best when the two boards work well together, said Hill, who admitted relations between the Spotsylvania boards have been rocky. “It's more complex when you're trying to work with two boards than when you're trying to work with one,” he said.
Source: Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, 1/13/08, By Karen Bolipata