Spending per student up 53% in Virginia since pandemic, new budget adds nearly $500 million more for education

State spending on public education has significantly increased in recent years, with per-student funding rising 53% since the start of the pandemic. Under Governor Glenn Youngkin’s proposed amendments to the budget—referred to as the Strong-Dynamic-Winning-Together budget—direct aid to public education would increase by nearly half a billion dollars, adding $452.6 million on top of the current Chapter 2 budget and $166.1 million more than what was originally introduced.

Since the pandemic, total direct aid to public education has grown by nearly $7 billion, reaching over $21 billion for the FY25/FY26 biennium if the Governor’s amendments are approved. Although overall student enrollment has declined, the per-pupil increase in funding reflects this growth in aid across a smaller student population.

The amended budget includes several key investments in education, such as $84.7 million to raise the support cap to 25.5 positions per 1,000 students, $110.7 million to fully fund student-teacher ratios for English Language Learners, and $52.8 million in enhanced special education add-on support for school divisions. An additional $25 million is allocated for School Performance and Support Framework resources.

Instructional and support personnel would receive a $1,000 bonus in June 2025, funded by $134.4 million with no local match required. Early childhood education also sees a boost, with $7.5 million to expand access, adding 7,000 new slots and reducing the birth-to-five waiting list. This expansion aims to serve more than 52,000 children across the Commonwealth.

The Governor’s amendments also propose an additional $50 million for school construction grants and loans, bringing the total school construction funding to $610 million.

In addition to these education investments, the amended budget provides tax relief to Virginia families, fully funds Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and deposits over $500 million into the state’s reserve accounts. The proposal is designed to keep Virginia fiscally strong and flexible while maintaining a high level of support for students and schools.