Governor Abigail Spanberger Outlines Fiscal 2027 Priorities for K-12 Funding and Data Center Taxes

RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger delivered a comprehensive economic address before the Joint Money Committees of the General Assembly, presenting the official closing of Fiscal Year 2026 with a $1.1 billion state general fund surplus and outlining major executive budget development priorities.

Investing in Public Schools, Mental Health, and Clean Grid Infrastructure

Governor Spanberger outlined plans to deploy $600 million of the fiscal surplus directly into the Standards of Quality (SOQ) formula for public K-12 school funding, raising teacher pay to the national average and funding 500 new school mental health counselors. The Governor proposed a modernized statewide tax and grid impact fee framework for hyperscale data centers in Northern Virginia and Henrico County, ensuring that high-tech industrial facilities pay their fair share for high-voltage transmission and substation upgrades.

Governor Spanberger stated that Virginia’s strong fiscal position allows the Commonwealth to make generational investments in public education and infrastructure while maintaining structural budget discipline.

General Assembly Budget Leaders and Education Stances

House Appropriations and Senate Finance committee chairs commended the administration’s focus on formula-driven K-12 education funding.

Data center and tech industry representatives welcomed ongoing stakeholder consultations regarding standardized regional energy planning.

Formal Budget Submission Date

Governor Spanberger will deliver the administration’s formal biennial budget amendments to the General Assembly in December 2026.