Bill.N. Wrote:
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> You've obviously got better data than I do at the moment, so just a few comments.
1. I am aware the TJ Partnership fund provides grants for the TJ Middle School program, but I have never seen anything indicating the cost of the TJ Summer School program is underwritten by grant money that could not be allocated to other purposes. Do you have a source on this? [Program Budget p. 145 see here:
https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/FY-2017-Program-Budget.pdf]
2. In many instances where Fairfax County imposes fees on students, there is a waiver for kids on free and reduced lunches. This is what I am talking about by "freebies". They probably don't show up as a separate budget item because they
represent a reduction in revenue rather than an expenditure. [FRM qualifies at up to 1.8X poverty level or ~$48,000 for a family of 4. I expect that the fee reductions for FRM are small but they are not separately identified in the budget documents.]
3. I doubt you will find specific budget references to remediation, but it does show up in TJHSST Literature. For example "How does the system of support
individualize interventions and differentiate instruction for identified students whose pace/style of learning differs in some way?" (From TJ Self Assessment) [this sounds like adapting instruction to accommodate learning styles but does not mean (necessarily) "remediation". Given the competitive nature of TJ admissions, I would be surprised to find a need for remediation.]
4. You say FCPS has already abolished County provided transportation for attending schools other than base schools except for TJ, and then expressly add in transportation for special ed and AAP centers. Not the same thing. Even if Federal law requires FCPS provide transportation for special ed, the Fairfax AAP center program has long since ceased being a special ed program and should be treated as any other alternative school for purposes of transportation. This is one of the buried costs associated with the AAP program. [Agreed, AAP is difficult as the Centers necessitate transportation, but offering classes in schools means higher staffing requirements and/or insufficient student interest to warrant providing a class.]
[The comments of the GT parent are instructive. Many parents, of all kinds of kids, believe that their kid is entitled to some service. There is a limited amount of money. How do we rank the "equity" of providing $12,000 of services to a regular kid and $24,000 to a special ed kid and $18,000 to a TJ kid and $16,000 to a GT kid...?? Comments such as "they can damn well provide ___ for these kids." represent the raw emotional self-righteousness that make reaching an equitable distribution of funds and services a challenge.]