Youngkin blames Democrat predecessors after report showed Virginia underfunded public schools: 'Wake up call'

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US has lost decades of progress in the classroom: Gov. Glenn Youngkin

 Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin says US education system is a ‘massive problem’ and offers solutions as students fall behind in math and reading.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin blamed his Democratic predecessors on Tuesday after a report showed that Virginia underfunded its schools compared to other states.

Youngkin tweeted a quote from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), a VA legislative watchdog agency, that blamed the previous two administrations for underfunded public schools based on their newly released report about the Commonwealth’s education budget.

Youngkin said that the results should be a "wake-up call."

"Today’s report should serve as a wake-up call that our biggest problem and greatest opportunity is how we reform our system to drive dollars to improve student academic achievement, support our teachers, and deliver results to parent," he tweeted.

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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin blasted his Democratic predecessors on Tuesday after a report showing that Virginia underfunded its schools compared to other states. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The results were discovered after looking into the state’s public school funding formula, which is also known as the Standards of Quality.

The commission's report shows that under the formula, schools in Virginia received less funding per student than the nation's average and also below the regional average of neighboring states. 

"Compared to the 50-state average, Virginia students are being shortchanged by about $1,900. Additionally, the report found that the current formula for funding schools in Virginia makes it even tougher for small school divisions," the report stated. 

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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said that a legislative watchdog report showing the past two administrations underfunded K-12 public schools should be a "wake-up call." (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

JLARC ripped the past two administrations for failing to provide "adequate funding in K-12 education."

"Today’s JLARC report lays plain that the previous two administrations failed to provide adequate funding in K-12 education and more importantly, never sought to reform the system to ensure that funding supports students and teachers in the classroom."

JLARC goes on to credit Youngkin for passing the "largest education budget in history."

"JLARC’s report ignored the record education funding and 10% raises for our teachers that Governor Youngkin has already made. While liberals make the false claim that you aren’t able to invest in schools and cut taxes, the governor will continue to push to save Virginians money," a spokesperson for the Youngkin administration told Fox News Digital in a statement. "With a multibillion-dollar surplus, we can both fund education, behavioral health, and public safety while lowering the cost of living for Virginians."

The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission report shows that "school divisions in Virginia receive less funding per student than the 50-state average, the regional average and three of the state’s neighbors under the formula." (iStock)

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This comes after the last Nation's Report Card showed that Virginia students' math and reading scores plummeted since 2019.

Youngkin highlighted education as a critical issue of his gubernatorial campaign. After defeating Democratic opponent and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Youngkin touted that his campaign became a "movement led by parents."