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cent of the actual cost estimated by the State Department of Education.
Local governments are forced to pay the difference, said VaCO President Harry G. King. He said that unless the state increases funding, “the only resource that (local governments) have at the present time is to pass the burden on to the property owner.”
“We feel that is unfair,” he said.
All but the school boards group endorsed a one-percent increase in the state sales tax to raise what VML estimates would be about $260 million in new money for education.
Mr. Davies said that although “no tax is enthusiastically received by the electorate,” a sales tax ini- crease would be the most1 .’.“palatable.”
But as Mr. Davies himself acknowledged, the proposal does not appear palatable at this point to the majority of the General Assembly or to the governor.
“I think that there is limited support on the Hill at this time,” he said. Three legislators haVe submitted bills to raise the sales tax.
There are also proposals floating around the Capitol to implement a state lottery, with some of the proceeds going to education.
But a lottery bill died last year in the House of Delegates, and the governor said last week he is opposed to a lottery. He also refused to support either a tax increase or a bond issue.
The governor’s proposed $15.7 billion budget, which is under review by the legislature, calls for 10 percent salary increases for teachers in 1984-85 and 1985-86.
His proposal sets aside $3.2 billion for education over the next two fiscal years — a 20-percent increase in overall funding from the 1982-84 budget, according to the House Appropriatons Committee staff.
90.4%