Frost Middle School PTA
Fairfax, Virginia

A Little Bit of Background

As you may recall, in January, Superintendent Jack Dale put forth his proposed budget for FY2010, which you can read at http://www.fcps.edu/fs/budget/documents/proposed/2010/ProposedBudget10.pdf. This $2.2 billion budget was developed with the poor economy in mind: cost avoidance measures and reductions totaling $157.5 M have been factored in, and as a result, the budget is lower than last year’s by $10.3 M (for a list detailing some of the proposed changes and reductions, which will impact every child in the system, go to http://www.annandalehsptsa.org/documents/FCPSBudget/FCPSbudgetreductions.pdf). However, enrollment in our schools has drastically increased, plus other revenue sources besides the county funding (state and other) are also drying up, so the schools requested almost $60 M in additional funding from the county to help offset those new costs and funding losses.

The school board then voted in early February to approve this proposal and the budget then becomes known as the Advertised Budget. This Advertised Budget will be formally presented to the county Board of Supervisors – who decide how much funding to provide the schools – at the end of this month.

What’s Going On Right Now

In the meantime, the county is preparing its own budget. The County Executive recently released his proposed budget of $3.3 B, which includes numerous eliminations and significant reductions in county-wide services http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb/advertised/fy2010/citizens_guide.pdf. His proposal also holds school funding at the same level as last fiscal year, i.e., the nearly $60 M in additional funding requested by FCPS is not acknowledged.

The county budget is funded in large part by the real estate taxes they collect, but with housing values dropping dramatically, something needed to happen to maintain that revenue stream. So, the executive has also proposed a real property tax rate increase of $.12 – the current rate is $.92 -- and so the proposed rate would be $1.04 per $100 of assessed home value. There is also a new $.015 Stormwater Service District rate. In spite of these increases, the average homeowner’s tax bill would increase only $14 over the FY09 tax bill.

So, Then What?

Over the next month, school board members and FCPS administrators will be continuing to examine their budget, looking for substitutions and/or additional cost reductions should the county funding remain flat. Additional reductions would most likely take the form of even greater increases in class sizes at all levels, and Sup. Dale has warned that it could take decades for the school system to recover from these drastic cuts.

One piece of good news: about $24 M in federal stimulus funding will replace some of the state aid expected to be lost, and the school system has identified about $12 M in additional cuts by freezing hiring and other means. All of this combined will bring the school system’s request to the BOS for additional funding down to approximately $23 M.

What Can I Do About This?

Every citizen has a voice – how the county allocates its funds, what amount the schools should receive, and how the school system spends its money are all relevant issues with direct impact on your family.

The county will host public hearings on March 30, March 31, April 1 and April 2 – you can sign up to speak by clicking here https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bosclerk/speaker_bos.htm and filling out the form. You may also provide your comments on-line at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/survey/fy10suggestions.htm, or you can call the county at 703-324-9400 to leave a recorded message.

Your school board representative is Tessie.Wilson@fcps.edu.

FCPS FY2010 BUDGET UPDATE 2/8/09

On Feb. 5th, the School Board voted unanimously to approve Dr. Dale’s proposed budget for FY2010. This budget (highlights below), which seriously cuts jobs and services, and increases class sizes for the next school year - will now be presented to the county, which will then deliberate on how to allocate its dwindling dollars. Go to www.fcps.edu/news/FY2010.htm for more information.

FCPS FY2010 Budget Update 1/23/09

Jack Dale, FCPS Superintendent, released his proposed budget for FY2010 – the school year starting this July 1st - at the Jan. 8 School Board meeting (full details can be found at www.fcps.edu/news/fy2010.htm). Dr. Dale’s budget of $2.2 billion represents a decrease of $10.3 million from FY09’s approved budget. This may seem like a modest reduction, and wise in light of current economic conditions; however, this proposed budget does not ask for the full amount FCPS administration feels is needed to keep our schools “world class,” provide our teachers with even modest raises, and to educate the 5000 additional students that have arrived or will arrive at the County’s doorstep by next fall. After an extensive program review, this proposed budget has been formulated to include reductions and cost avoidance measures that add up to $157.5 million. In other words, FCPS needed far more than it has asked for, and the impact of having to do more – for more students - with less money will be felt in every school.

A sampling of some of the proposed reductions and changes in this budget:

• Class sizes in all schools (ES, MS & HS) will increase by another .5 student, which impacts the staffing formulas for teachers, instructional assistants, asst principals, clerical and custodial staff (all schools will have fewer staff in those categories)
• Teachers will not receive any cost-of-living adjustments or annual Step increments
• Elimination of the girls’ gymnastics program in high schools
• Guidance & Career Services Program will be reduced, increasing the student-to-counselor ration from 270:1 to 300:1 in high schools (which means fewer counselors)
• Psychological & Preventive Services staffing ratios will change from 2000:1 to 2350:1 and contracts will be shortened
• Social Work & Support Services staffing ratios will change from 2200:1 to 2500:1, and contracts will be shortened
• Student-to-teacher ratios will increase for students with disabilities and ESoL students, and secondary special education services will be affected by loss of staff
• Some students will lose transportation to High School Academies due to bussing reductions
• Library staff will be reduced
• AVID, CPP, EIP and Pathways to the Baccalaureate programs will be redesigned and combined
• Reduction in funding for after-school programs at middle schools will result in a reduction of activities offered
• Transportation to magnet elementary schools and for some Gifted and Talented ES students will be eliminated, and afternoon services for TJ students will be modified
• Adult Education Program becomes self-sustaining (which may raise tuition)
• Most FCPS administrative offices’ budgets have been cut by 10%

Several things need to be remembered at this time:

(1) This budget presumes an increase in funding from the County of $56.8 M, and the Board of Supervisors (BOS) has stated it would not give more than it did in FY09. Certainly an increase in real estate taxes will be considered as a means of raising revenue and community members can and should be making their voices heard about that and other elements in this process.

(2) The County is considering reductions (in programs they fund directly) that will also impact schools: elimination of clinic room aides, elimination of school resource officers, greater reductions in MS after-school programs as well as SACC

(3) Further reductions and eliminations would be probable if the county does not provide funding as requested – class sizes would increase more drastically, fees may be collected for testing and sports participation

(4) Parents and students need to remember this budget process is ongoing and every person who lives in the this county has a voice. The school board has already held one of two public hearings to collect community input (the next is Jan. 27), and will continue to deliberate until early February. They will vote on their “advertised” budget at that time, and then present it to the BOS on April 1st. The BOS will then deliberate, collect public opinion, and make final funding decisions in late April. Based upon the amount of money the Supervisors allocate to the schools, the School Board will then craft the final budget and vote for passage on May 21st.

FCPS FY2010 BUDGET UPDATE 1/5/09

On Thursday, 1/8, we will finally find out what FCPS Superintendent Jack Dale proposes to the School Board for the FY 2010 budget. He will make his presentation at the 7pm School Board meeting at Luther Jackson Middle School (the meeting will also be broadcast on Channel 21). The School Board will make its final decision in May. See the calendar on our website for public hearings and opportunities for your input.

It is not currently clear what will be in the proposed budget, but it is fully understood that even middle-of-the-road cuts would be very hard on the school system. At the December meeting of the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council, Dr. Dale said he was working on a Tier 4 approach to the budget crisis – to utilize “if necessary” - which would expand on the proposed Tier 3 cuts of $219 M (the worst of which is class size increases of 3 students). Tier 4 cuts would include everything in Tier 3 plus no raises and no Step increases for teachers, and an additional 1-day furlough for FCPS employees (bringing total furlough days to 2), saving an additional $25 M. It must be emphasized that we will not know until 1/8 what Dr. Dale’s proposed budget will contain and whether or not he will suggest the deepest cuts or a more modest proposal.

The Fairfax County projected budget deficit for FY2010 currently stands at about $650 M.

FCPS FY2010 Budget Update (11/24/08)

Fairfax County Public Schools normally begins to prepare their budget for the next fiscal year – starting July 1 – the preceding December. However, the dire economic financial situation in our county, the state and indeed in the whole country (and beyond!) has forced the county leaders and school administration to work now to identify how they might operate under much leaner circumstances. Property taxes and sales taxes – primary contributors to our county’s revenue stream – have decreased dramatically, while costs have increased due to a growing student body as well as cost of living increases. As a result, as of this date, the school system has identified a deficit of almost $219 million for FY2010, which represents about half of the county’s anticipated deficit of $540 million. To that end, the county’s Board of Supervisors directed the leadership in each program area – including the school system - to undergo a “Lines of Business Review” to identify what can be cut, tightened or streamlined.

To that end, FCPS Superintendent Jack Dale has proposed a three-tiered plan of budget cuts (you can read the document here) to enable the school system to address this budget shortfall. Each tier represents a proposed group of cuts and reductions:

• The first tier represents a fiscally responsible budget that includes program and reduction efficiencies where possible without critically affecting instruction. Cuts in this tier would amount to $43 million.
  
• The second tier would ask the Board of Supervisors to provide the same amount of funding as last year plus add funds to educate the 5,000 additional students expected to enroll in FCPS for the 2009-10 school year and to make up for anticipated decreases in state funding of nearly $50 million. This tier requires a cut of $123 million and a reduction of more than 775 positions.
  
• The third tier assumes the county will provide no additional funds over FY09 and would require a cut of $219 million and a reduction of nearly 1,500 positions. This translates into a large increase in class sizes and other reductions that would take decades from which to recover. Greater detail about the potential impacts of all proposed tiers of cuts can be found here: http://www.fcps.edu/news/fy2010/reductionimpacts.pdf

On this tab, Frost’s PTA will attempt to keep you up-to-date on the situation as it evolves. Important documents and other files are listed above and below. Please check back regularly and consider attending your school board and BOS meetings (a calendar is below); if nothing else, please write your school board representative, Tessie Wilson, at Tessie.Wilson@fcps.edu, and your Board of Supervisors representative, Sharon Bulova, Sharon.Bulova@fairfaxcounty.gov.

1. To read a user-friendly overview of the budget situation and a summary of the potential impacts, please open the following document:: FCPS FY10 Budget Overview

2. To watch a short (4 minute) video of the school superintendent, Jack Dale, talking about the budget deficit, click here

3. If you’d like to see the FCPS presentation to the county Board of Supervisors (11/14/08), click here

4. To read highly detailed documents from the county that show, line by line, what cuts would be under the Tiers 1, 2 and 3, open the following document: FCPS Program Review with Tier Cuts You can also review the program and reduction efficiencies to access another document that provides even greater details.

5. To submit your suggestions and comments to FCPS, go to http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/survey/fy10suggestions.htm

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Calendar of Board of Supervisors and School Board meetings related to the FCPS FY2010 budget deliberations

NOTES:

(1) all SB regular meetings and some work sessions are also broadcast on Channel 21
(2) all SB regular meetings are held at Luther Jackson MS
(3) all SB work sessions are at Gatehouse 1 except where noted otherwise
(4) all BOS meetings (noted in red) re: lines of business are held in rooms 9-10 of the Fairfax County Government Center