Virginia will spend $27 million to get more cops in schools

Virginia will spend greater than $27 million to extend the variety of law enforcement officials in faculties beneath a state funds lawmakers despatched to Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday.

Why it issues: The homicide of 19 grade schoolers and two academics in Uvalde, Texas, final week has revived debate about the easiest way to guard college students from mass shootings.

Particulars: The funds settlement greater than quadruples state spending on police in faculties and is sufficient to rent 150 extra officers.

• The majority of the cash will seemingly fund police positions in elementary faculties as a result of most center and excessive faculties in Virginia are already staffed by law enforcement officials, Donna Michaelis, the director of the Virginia Heart for Faculty and Campus Security, tells Axios.

What they’re saying: Youngkin pushed for the spending, calling it an necessary step to maintain youngsters secure in faculties.

• His preliminary proposal would have mandated police in each elementary, center and highschool, however the remaining language makes it non-compulsory.
• “It’s vital that we have now college useful resource officers in faculties, security audits, and collaboration between college management and native legislation enforcement,” Youngkin’s press secretary, Macaulay Porter, tells Axios.

Sure, however: The function of police in faculties has come beneath growing scrutiny lately over considerations about youngsters getting charged for petty infractions.

• Virginia faculties referred extra Black college students to legislation enforcement than some other state in the course of the 2017-2018 college yr, based on an investigation by the Heart for Public Integrity.
• The botched legislation enforcement response in Uvalde has additionally sophisticated the controversy.

The opposite facet: Democratic lawmakers advised Axios that they might have most popular to see the cash go towards hiring extra college counselors and psychologists.

• “If you happen to take a look at what occurred in Florida and also you take a look at what occurred in Texas — college useful resource officers did not cease the violence,” Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg, a Henrico County Public Faculties instructor, mentioned.

The funds handed with broad bipartisan help. It additionally consists of:

• 5% raises for academics and state workers.
• $4 billion in tax cuts.
• Language prohibiting Richmond from holding a second on line casino referendum this yr.

What’s subsequent: The funds now goes to Youngkin’s desk for assessment.