School leaders in the Valley are urging local legislators to fight for more funding at the state level.
Harrisonburg and Rockingham County leaders say educators and students are having to do more with less.
"The challenges are greater and greater with increased class sizes and the rigor or instruction, but at the same time, not having a compensation support, a salary support for those folks that are doing the job every day," said Carol Fenn, Rockingham County Public Schools Superintendent.
School leaders held an open discussion in Harrisonburg Wednesday with Delegates Tony Wilt and Steve Landes, about Governor Bob McDonnell's proposed two-year budget, which totals nearly $85 billion.
"Most of the new state aid that we receive will go just to support the Virginia Retirement System increase, which will then not give us the opportunity to do other very important things to improve instruction," said Dr. Scott Kizner, Harrisonburg City Schools Superintendent.
As part of the governor's proposed budget, schools could lose about $800,000 for vocational and special education.
"That will be a tremendous loss for us, before we even begin our budget process to look to find support for programs, teachers, employees in our division," said Fenn.
"Part of the problem is in this economy, and with local and state budgets, we've had to make cuts. In Virginia, we do have to balance the budget, unlike our federal friends, we can't just print more money," said Delegate Steve Landes, R-25th District.
It's that lack of money that's hurting local school systems.
"We'll fight the whole way to secure as much funding as we can for them," said Delegate Tony Wilt, R-26th District.
School leaders say if the governor's proposed budget is passed, they will simply have to embrace some challenges.
According to Landes, more money is coming in to the state, a sign that the economy is improving.
Landes says a lot of that additional funding will go to public education.
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