Fairfax school board seeks taxing authority
By T. Rees Shapiro, Friday, October 25, 8:23 PM

The Fairfax County school board approved a measure Thursday night that would allow the board to seek both fiscal autonomy and taxing authority from the state.

The 9 to 3 vote was part of the school board’s 2014 legislative program, which asks the General Assembly to grant school boards the power to tax residents in order to generate revenue for classroom needs.

Fairfax schools face a $140 million deficit next year, and in almost any scenario the administration must make deep cuts to its $2.5 billion budget.

Every year, the board must ask for funding from the county Board of Supervisors. But in recent years, members of the school board have said, the funding needs have not been met by the supervisors.

A solution for the dilemma emerged in Thursday’s meeting. School board members have discussed in the past the possibility of local taxing authority. But the motion voted on by board members urged that “the General Assembly grant fiscal autonomy to elected local school boards.”

More than half of the Fairfax County budget is allocated to the schools. But with the ability to tax residents, the school administration would have more flexibility to address a shortfall like as the one they face this year.

“We want the fiscal autonomy — period,” said board member Patricia Reed (Providence), who proposed adding the motion into the legislative program to seek taxing authority.

“It’s an issue of accountability,” said board member Ted Velkoff (At Large), chair of the board’s budget committee. “If we’re the folks deciding how the money is going to be spent, I want to decide how it gets raised.”


http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/fairfax-school-board-seeks-taxing-authority/2013/10/25/96742040-3dbd-11e3-b7ba-503fb5822c3e_story.html?wprss=rss_local-virginia-social&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Unbelievable! As a Fairfax Co. homeowner, I'm already being taxed heavily to support the schools.

In all the drama, I've yet to hear anyone propose the obvious: don't raise salaries as planned, the largest cost center. FCPS is not having trouble filling openings, so don't tell us we have to increase teacher salaries to be competitive.

This is abuse. The BOS holds the purse strings. Thats enough

Im all for it. There is no better use of taxes then a free public education.

First, they can convince me that I benefit from the turf fields. Then we can move to this issue.

I can't see the BoS going along with this-where would Ed Long get money to waste?

Because the school board would be hitting you with what ever tax they decide then Ed would get you for the rest.. Double Whammy worst then any snow storm..

This needs to be put to rest. Its enough to have a elected school board.

Allowing this is putting the fox in charge of the hen house..

Who were the 3 school board members that voted against this idea?

Those are the ones I will vote for next time they run for reelection.

The others just gave me a compelling reason to vote against them.

We need to fund education 100%...no turning our back on our children.

Here and now Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We need to fund education 100%...no turning our
> back on our children.

Why not? The world is overpopulated and you rats continue to multiply.

So because fcps can't seem to work a budget, they want to tax us even more? Is 50%+ of the taxes not enough? Bullshit on display.

Now why didnt we think of this sooner?!?! Taxing their homes, their cars, their boats, their cell phones, their utilities etc just doesnt seem enough. Bring on the school tax.

Here and now Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We need to fund education 100%...no turning our
> back on our children.


Fuck 'em. Most of them aren't worth a shit anyway.

Couldnt be the huge influx of illegals children that are causing the added costs to the taxpayers.

I think this is a wonderful idea, but only ask this:

If FCPS will begin taxing folks, they should only do so to those that have kids in FCPS schools. This way, Mr.Joe Public can continue to pay their taxes to the County w/out having the majority go to a school system that they don't use (assuming they don't have kids).

Or they can wake the f'up, realize what's going on, do some cuts and keep things the way they are.

Empty wallets Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Couldnt be the huge influx of illegals children
> that are causing the added costs to the taxpayers.

There will never be meaningful attempts to close the borders.

Congress's corporate masters want that cheap labor. The little people can pay for the social ills that come with it.

In other words, the crap at WalMart or MickeyD's or a visit from the Merry Maids ain't as cheap as you thought.

I would only support this after fcps have restructured their overpaid administrative staff.

When Hell freezes over. These lib shits cannot manage a budget nor can they be trusted to ever do the right thing by taxpayers. Any questions, just take a look at every lib-run city in America - Detroit, Baltimore, Philly, or right here at DC.

The "Health insurance rate increase ($27 million)" amounts to $1000 per year increase for each of the 25,000 FCPS employees.
**********************************************

Although the budget development process has barely started for next school year’s funding, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is facing a bottom-line budget deficit of $140.7 million in FY 2015, due to revenues that have not kept pace with growing enrollment and increasing mandatory costs. The primary drivers include:
Student enrollment growth, projected to be an additional 2,800 students for next school year ($25 million).

Health insurance rate increase ($27 million).

Increased contributions to the Virginia Retirement System ($37 million).

Loss in state revenue through the recalculation of the state funding formula, known as the LCI, and the loss of one-time incentive funding ($21 million).

Shortage Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The "Health insurance rate increase ($27 million)"
> amounts to $1000 per year increase for each of
> the 25,000 FCPS employees.
> **********************************************
>
I'm a idiot who doesn't know much about the way things work. My insurance went up and I have to pay more. The insurance for county employees went up and I have to pay for that too? Why isn't each employee paying more for their insurance?

Shortage Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The "Health insurance rate increase ($27 million)"
> amounts to $1000 per year increase for each of
> the 25,000 FCPS employees.
> **********************************************
>
> Although the budget development process has barely
> started for next school year’s funding, Fairfax
> County Public Schools (FCPS) is facing a
> bottom-line budget deficit of $140.7 million in FY
> 2015, due to revenues that have not kept pace with
> growing enrollment and increasing mandatory costs.
> The primary drivers include:
> Student enrollment growth, projected to be an
> additional 2,800 students for next school year
> ($25 million).
>
> Health insurance rate increase ($27 million).
>
> Increased contributions to the Virginia Retirement
> System ($37 million).
>
> Loss in state revenue through the recalculation of
> the state funding formula, known as the LCI, and
> the loss of one-time incentive funding ($21
> million).

The school board should pursue the following:

1. Raise capital for school construction and other large growing or unexpected material needs from the private sector via school foundations like those used in other parts of the country.

2. Pass on more of the health care and retirement costs of the employee benefits packages to employees. (I come from a family of educators, and I speak with familiarity of the exceptionally generous pension and health care received by retired educators and administrators. Unfortunately, such benefits are increasingly unusual in today's economy and likely not sustainable for future taxpayers; the county should begin restructuring the ratio of county-paid contributions before they are forced to do so by even greater budget crises.)

3. Measure/track the costs of educating the large and growing population of undocumented immigrants in FCPS schools in order to seek aid (call it "reimbursement") from the federal government for the adverse impacts of insufficient border control and immigration law enforcement. It is worth proposing something parallel to the impact aid the school system receives for the children of military families in the area (who often pay little or no property taxes).

Do NOT give the SB taxing power. That is like being allowed to set your own credit card limit and making your neighbors pay your bills.

I know a county employee and their health care cost went up 60%. The spouse is also FCPS. That was a big help in reducing their cost, but has now evaporated.

Now, let's consider this.....everyone needs to show proof of paying county taxes to enroll and get their class schedule. With at least 15% of students hailing from families with "limited documentation" the county govt is missing out on millions of dollars while still providing educational services.

Everyone can join the American dream quest, but you have to pay for your slice. We already pay for all those who lie to get free/reduced lunch.

Just cut out the health insurance and let these predominately liberal democrats go into Obama Care and pay for it themselves.

>Re: Fairfax School Board Seeks Taxing Authority

Posted by: Three new proposed solutions ()

Date: October 26, 2013 09:49AM
>. Pass on more of the health care and retirement costs of the employee benefits packages to employees. (I come from a family of educators, and I speak with familiarity of the exceptionally generous pension and health care received by retired educators and administrators. Unfortunately, such benefits are increasingly unusual in today's economy and likely not sustainable for future taxpayers; the county should begin restructuring the ratio of county-paid contributions before they are forced to do so by even greater budget crises.)

Maybe in California but not here in Fairfax

FYI Cigna 90% will be as follows in 2014 per month FXCO employees. Police and Fire included.

1 person 591.00
2 people 1161.00
Family 1708.00

Retired employees pay full price less a susidy for years of service. the Max is 220 dollars off for 25 years service. Thats 941 a month for a couple.

Take a look at how much federal employees pay for health care after they retire. Way less then FXCo teachers.

Retired Poor Folk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >Re: Fairfax School Board Seeks Taxing Authority
>
> Posted by: Three new proposed solutions ()
>
> Date: October 26, 2013 09:49AM
> >. Pass on more of the health care and retirement
> costs of the employee benefits packages to
> employees. (I come from a family of educators, and
> I speak with familiarity of the exceptionally
> generous pension and health care received by
> retired educators and administrators.
> Unfortunately, such benefits are increasingly
> unusual in today's economy and likely not
> sustainable for future taxpayers; the county
> should begin restructuring the ratio of
> county-paid contributions before they are forced
> to do so by even greater budget crises.)
>
> Maybe in California but not here in Fairfax
>
> FYI Cigna 90% will be as follows in 2014 per month
> FXCO employees. Police and Fire included.
>
> 1 person 591.00
> 2 people 1161.00
> Family 1708.00
>
> Retired employees pay full price less a susidy for
> years of service. the Max is 220 dollars off for
> 25 years service. Thats 941 a month for a couple.
>
> Take a look at how much federal employees pay for
> health care after they retire. Way less then FXCo
> teachers.


Retired FCPS teacher says that's not accurate re: high health care costs paid in retirement.

More significant, you should be aware, before comparing fed benefits, that the old civil service pensions (like those all current FCPS employees still expect to receive) were phased out starting in 1987.

Giving these out of control turds taxing authority is like giving a heroin addict the keys to a pharmacy.

Post what exactly FEDS pay for heath care when they retire..

Or shut the hell up. They are heavily subsidized by the government.

FXCO Teachers who are retired are not.

Feds pay 200-400 a month thats it

Getting this done will take YEARS, involving an amendment to the Va. Constitution, put to the voters. So, good luck with that. Not a worry, not a concern. Won't happen. Just more School Board blather to get everyone worked up.

Somehow it is fitting that this would be posted close to Halloween.

>Re: Fairfax School Board Seeks Taxing Authority

Posted by: Three new proposed solutions ()

Date: October 26, 2013 09:49AM
>2. Pass on more of the health care and retirement costs of the employee benefits packages to employees. (I come from a family of FEDERAL employees, and I speak with familiarity of the exceptionally generous pension and health care received by retired FEDERAL employees. Unfortunately, such benefits are increasingly unusual in today's economy and likely not sustainable for future taxpayers; the county should begin restructuring the ratio of county-paid contributions before they are forced to do so by even greater budget crises.)


Fixed it ...This is more like it..

This isn't the first time these zanies have tried that pitch. Found this online:

Sun Gazette Newspapers
December 21, 2011

"While you won’t find the phrase “independent taxing authority” inside the Fairfax County School Board’s 2012 state and federal legislative package, you will find “fiscal autonomy.” It’s tucked away on Page 29 of a nearly 40-page wish list of things the School Board wants from the General Assembly and Congress in the coming year."


It's becoming clear that the School Board has fostered this illusion for quite a while. Most of the members are clearly too arrogant and untrustworthy to remain in office.

Not a Republican but... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Who were the 3 school board members that voted
> against this idea?
>
> Those are the ones I will vote for next time they
> run for reelection.
>
> The others just gave me a compelling reason to
> vote against them.


Wow, how do you get to vote for/against all twelve school board candidates?

Shit, I can only vote for the candidates in my district and the at-large.

What's your secret?

Shortage Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> The primary drivers include:
> Student enrollment growth, projected to be an
> additional 2,800 students for next school year
> ($25 million).

I want to see their math on that one.

Since when does a student cost almost 9k each. Even if you gave them free books thats maybe 200 300 dollars a kid. What is this money being spent on?

How about we get back to actually teaching kids and not just waiting massive amounts of money on useless technology that keeps getting shoved into the class room for no reason. You dont need laptops or smart board or ipads to teach a class.

Vote against all at large school board members.

Vote against your school board member.

Tell your delegate/senator this idea blows.

Tell your county supervisor/Sharon Bulova this idea blows.

Liberal Logic 29 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Shortage Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > The primary drivers include:
> > Student enrollment growth, projected to be an
> > additional 2,800 students for next school year
> > ($25 million).
>
> I want to see their math on that one.
>
> Since when does a student cost almost 9k each.
> Even if you gave them free books thats maybe 200
> 300 dollars a kid. What is this money being spent
> on?
>
> How about we get back to actually teaching kids
> and not just waiting massive amounts of money on
> useless technology that keeps getting shoved into
> the class room for no reason. You dont need
> laptops or smart board or ipads to teach a class.

From the FCPS website:
Expenditures by Category:

Instructional: 85.5%
Transportation: 5.6%
Facilities Management: 4.4%
General Support: 4.6%
Average cost per student: $13,472
The cost per student includes EVERYTHING in the FCPS budget used to educate a student - materials and personnel costs. FCPS has a lower per pupil cost than some of the surrounding school systems.

Taxpayer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Unbelievable! As a Fairfax Co. homeowner, I'm
> already being taxed heavily to support the
> schools.
>
> In all the drama, I've yet to hear anyone propose
> the obvious: don't raise salaries as planned, the
> largest cost center. FCPS is not having trouble
> filling openings, so don't tell us we have to
> increase teacher salaries to be competitive.


How much does a notebook and a pencil cost?

Require proof of citizenship or legal residence in the country to be able to enroll in public school and you will see a budget reduction like you have never seen before.

This is about as likely to happen as the sun falling out of the sky.

@ Not a Republican but...

The three School Board members who voted against this proposal are Elizabeth Schultz (Springfield), Kathy L Smith (Sully) and Megan McLaughlin (Braddock).

It is unfortunate that Patty Reed voted in favor of this proposal.

LetsRock Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Taxpayer Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Unbelievable! As a Fairfax Co. homeowner, I'm
> > already being taxed heavily to support the
> > schools.
> >
> > In all the drama, I've yet to hear anyone
> propose
> > the obvious: don't raise salaries as planned,
> the
> > largest cost center. FCPS is not having trouble
> > filling openings, so don't tell us we have to
> > increase teacher salaries to be competitive.
>
>
> How much does a notebook and a pencil cost?


The good teachers will go to neighboring counties and the teachers that are not good enough to get a job there will find a job in fairfax. It is already happening.

"The good teachers will go to neighboring counties and the teachers that are not good enough to get a job there will find a job in fairfax. It is already happening."

So, are you implying the "bad" teachers will stay? Teachers generally LOVE FCPS. The reason they leave the area is cost of real estate and commuter times. They are compensated just as well or better in FFX than in PW or Loudoun, and class sizes are smaller in FCPS schools. No amount of taxpayer compensation will ever overcome the cost of living and commute in FFX that drives teachers (good and bad) away.

This will never happen. The school board showed its true colors with the great turf hustle. Karen Garza understands nothing but football, and Ryan McElveen still thinks he is in high school. Kaufax can go back to running her import export business. Velkoff can go back to being a beltway bandit, Moon can go back to the practice of law and Reed never should have been in there in the first place. What's-his-name can look for a full time job impersonating Lincoln.

Let's go over this,
Taxing authority approved by Patty Reed a Republican? Good God does that woman know who she is representing? Heard she was not dealing with a full deck but this proves it.

Taxing Authority should not be given to this Board and the County should go back to an appointed Board. These members are out of line and have not read their job description.

Clean house on the School Board and on the BOS. We will all be better off.

If we are so much in the hole, then they need to look at special programs, approval for turf fields in such a tough fiscal environment, AAP centers, immersion programs, after school programs, staffing for such programs, benefits, etc. All should be on the table.

Be sure you get your individual State Delegates on record as not supporting this prior to election day.....if they won't, don't vote for them.

Allowing school board members to be elected was the first bad move. Now what??

Water authority Tax ,Park Authority Tax ,Police Tax ,Fire Tax, Obamacare Tax opps already got that.

The BOS in every county creates the overall budget, Schools have to live with that... Who the hell do these people think they are?? They have way overplayed their hand..Throw them out..

FCP$ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think this is a wonderful idea, but only ask
> this:
>
> If FCPS will begin taxing folks, they should only
> do so to those that have kids in FCPS schools.
> This way, Mr.Joe Public can continue to pay their
> taxes to the County w/out having the majority go
> to a school system that they don't use (assuming
> they don't have kids).
>
> Or they can wake the f'up, realize what's going
> on, do some cuts and keep things the way they are.

Only in our dreams, pal. My Mom lives in PA, and at 82 is still paying school tax each year. Once they start collecting a tax, it never stops. And everybody pays, otherwise it wouldn't bring in enough revenue.

My cousin lives in PA, he told me the PA school tax makes our car tax look like a walk in the park.

So who is taxed? Home owners or all residents?

This will never get past the State House, It would wreck havoc all over the state with police and fire funds, health depts ect.

Bled em again Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So who is taxed? Home owners or all residents?

Property tax only affects homeowners directly, but all landowners pay it. Those renting have the tax passed on in their rent. But they don't pay it directly.

One of our priorities over here in Mason will be to get rid of that train wreck known as Sandy Evans. She's in the hip pocket of the Lake Barcroft Fat Cat's Association which has her voting to fund all of their pork barrel school projects. In case you missed the memo, most of the School Board members are elected by various community and homeowner associations for the purpose of getting their pet projects paid from the public fisc.

To Tom Mason:
You need to get Evans out, her views are far left of normal. She was a W.Post reporter and she will bleed the system dry with her issues of Barcroft and ESOL students. She rarely travels outside the beltway, has no real knowledge of the county and is a tired and poor excuse for a Board member. Can't handle morning meetings, can't get it together for school visits. However she does get all dolled up on picture day for the School Board.

Brian Schoeneman- Patty didn't just vote for this- she proposed it.

It's a game they're playing to try and weasel an additional $140M out of the BOS. Just like Garza's recent 'Chicken Little' the sky is falling pleas.

It should backfire and cost them their seats. Remember who voted for this the next election, and I'm sure challengers for seats will remind us if we forget.

-------------------------------------------------
“We don’t have any rude, unpleasant people here. We’re different!”

Not Larry Sabato Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Brian Schoeneman- Patty didn't just vote for this-
> she proposed it.

I'm still not sure why she runs with the Republican endorsement.

It appears that no one is willing to slash the budget because it involves work!!!! FCPS's budget should be cut and cut royally! The school system spends as if money is going out of style! Positions in the administrative offices in which no one is doing his/her job and the overseer protects the person working under him/her should be looked at for WASTE, WASTE and more WASTE!!!!!! The items already on the chopping block do not include administrative positions in the upper echelon....in which there is an abundance of WASTE! No one returns calls, a human cannot be contacted....where are these people????

I say drastically cut the budget and get on with the program.....I am paying enough taxes for a school system that cannot teach everyone to READ, WRITE and COMPUTE.......

I wish just one of these people would treat taxpayer dollars as something to be used carefully and not waste it. The way things are now they just think the county residents are a bottomless well of cash to keep taking and taking from.

C N B Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wish just one of these people would treat
> taxpayer dollars as something to be used carefully
> and not waste it.

I am an FCPS teacher, and couldn't agree more. I don't think many residents object to their tax contribution being spent reasonably and responsibly IN local schools. Unfortunately, an inordinate percentage of what residents pay goes to fund the growing number of non-essential "fluff" positions at Gatehouse and Fairfax Ridge, particularly in the office of Professional Learning and Accountability.

Fairfax County taxpayers need to start asking why neighboring Virginia school districts are not experiencing the same fiscal "crisis". Perhaps it is because they do not fund an ever-increasing number of "educational specialists"that have absolutely NO impact on the quality of day to day classroom instruction, other than causing the dilution of the funds and resources available to those classrooms, teachers and students.

Fiddler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> C N B Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I wish just one of these people would treat
> > taxpayer dollars as something to be used
> carefully
> > and not waste it.
>
> I am an FCPS teacher, and couldn't agree more. I
> don't think many residents object to their tax
> contribution being spent reasonably and
> responsibly IN local schools. Unfortunately, an
> inordinate percentage of what residents pay goes
> to fund the growing number of non-essential
> "fluff" positions at Gatehouse and Fairfax Ridge,
> particularly in the office of Professional
> Learning and Accountability.
>
> Fairfax County taxpayers need to start asking why
> neighboring Virginia school districts are not
> experiencing the same fiscal "crisis". Perhaps it
> is because they do not fund an ever-increasing
> number of "educational specialists"that have
> absolutely NO impact on the quality of day to day
> classroom instruction, other than causing the
> dilution of the funds and resources available to
> those classrooms, teachers and students.


+1000

I am a special education teacher of students with autism and I have had enough of FCPS. The blatant disregard for the instructional staff of FCPS is pretty unbelievable and now they are talking about taxing ME more to pay for programs that we cannot afford. The entire administrative structure of FCPS needs to be adjusted and there are many positions in schools that are simply not needed. They could easily make this deficit more manageable without having it all fall on the backs of teachers. We need less suits walking around talking about closing the gap and more people IN the classrooms actually doing it. Any idiot can walk around talking about everything that is wrong and what needs to happen to fix it.

A comment was made earlier about decent teachers moving to neighboring counties due to better working conditions and salaries. It is true. An extra $16,000 in Arlington County is pretty hard to ignore.

Sped and other teachers,

Which positions in the schools are not needed and why?

sped Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>The entire administrative structure of
> FCPS needs to be adjusted and there are many
> positions in schools that are simply not needed.
> They could easily make this deficit more
> manageable without having it all fall on the backs
> of teachers. We need less suits walking around
> talking about closing the gap and more people IN
> the classrooms actually doing it. Any idiot can
> walk around talking about everything that is wrong
> and what needs to happen to fix it.

Budget Info posted information from the FCPS website showing 85.5% of FCPS expenditures go to Instruction. But, according to the Virginia Dept. of Education's definition of "instruction," FCPS spent 67.6% of its budget. When asked about this discrepancy--between what FCPS claims in its annual budget documents and what it reports in accordance with state requirements--budget staff have said "Oh, that's just how the state defines it."
And school leaders wonder why there isn't must faith in their statements about the upcoming apocalypse. Every year since the recession began FCPS has said it NEEDS millions more than it gets. And every year the failure of the system they decried did not occur. The new supt. has a lot of work ahead of her.

That 85.5% number is complete bs - count the number of teachers in each school and compare it to what FCPS calls "instructional" - it doesn't add up! FCPS hides "instructional" positions in central office positions but these people never provide instruction to students.

If you take 85.5% of the budget and subtract the real instructional percentage of 67.6%, I think you'll find the bloat in the budget! And you might have found the answer to the budget gap!

If the increase went just to teachers I would be ok with it. But Gatehouse is full of friends and relatives of connected high ups. Jobs that appeared out of nowhere but with a great need to be filled if you listen to them tell it. Cut the waste in admin then get back to me about another new tax.

Ted Velkoff and Patti Reed are clearly deluded and autocratic. They would fit in well at the Harvest Bible Chapel, where authoritarianism, high levels of tithing and forcible sodomy are the order of the day.

restructure Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would only support this after fcps have
> restructured their overpaid administrative staff.

This, or just a few reasonable steps to save money, such as getting rid of FLES in the elementary schools and the wasteful IB programs bureaucracy. There is no demand for eight IB programs in the county, and the costs are much higher than at the AP schools. It is a gigantic waste of money, but they won't even put it on the table. All they'll do is increase class sizes in the areas where people actually pay taxes and don't rely on the county to feed their kids 2-3 times a day.

Let the school board take the ridiculous turf fields off the table as an act of good faith before anyone even considers giving them the power to tax.

Teachers yes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If the increase went just to teachers I would be
> ok with it. But Gatehouse is full of friends and
> relatives of connected high ups. Jobs that
> appeared out of nowhere but with a great need to
> be filled if you listen to them tell it. Cut the
> waste in admin then get back to me about another
> new tax.


+1,000,000

Thank you!!

keep taxing us and wasting the revenue

how much of this shortage is attributed to the kids sucking the resources through ESOL, free lunch - how many of those kids parents help out with donations and fundraising at school?

How much can taxes be raised if salaries are in decline (federal furloughs, no raises in most jobs in the aftermath of the recession---including the teachers themselves)? If the SB thinks that they can raise taxes in this kind of an environment, they are seriously delusional. This is the reason that the BOS is very unlikely to be intimidated by the "taxing authority" threat. There is a tipping point when it comes to taxing a shrinking middle class while those at poverty level are a growing percentage of the population (which is happening).

Maybe the people who run Boosterthon can berate and humiliate people into contributing the needed funds?

When I moved to Fairfax County I was amazed - they don't do anything. I have to pay for trash pick-up? I have to pay for water? What do they do? Why are residents happier to have lower taxes? We don't get anything.

Not much anyway. And why so proud of our education system? This county is the most affluent (one of) in the country. If FCPS can't do a decent job educating our students, heaven help them.

It's hard for any one person to get their arms around the huge, multi-tentacled monster that is FCPS. I do not envy Dr. Garza. She has to rely on others in the bureaucracy to advise her and those others have various interests that she can only begin to glean. The SB is altogether another animal. If she can use whatever power she has to push for more efficiency from both staff and the SB, she will be doing well. As this year is beginning, it doesn't look good . . . another "crisis" with the SB already poised to ask for more money and even "taxing authority". It just looks like more of the same . . . this can't keep on year after year.

I'm still trying to figure out where I stand on this issue...

I did some researching and found that MOST school districts have tax authoirty in the US. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_school_district

Of course, I'm not saying it's a good idea just because "most people are doing it"..

As a taxpayer, there's an advantage of a "seperation of powers" that exists between the County Board of Directors and the School Board.

But, when it comes to reforming FCPS and identifying savings, and I'm a citizen/activist attending a school board meeting trying to advocate for that, it might be easier to be talking to a school board that BOTH spends the money and raises the money through tax revenue.

It would be somewhat of a headache of having to deal with the back and forth between the School Board and County Board of Directors when I attend a school board meeting.

Again, I understand both sides to this issue.. This is an important debate to have..

Commuting Choice Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
And why so proud of our education
> system?

Because they have told the lie about how they are the best school system in the country long enough people start to believe it.

Dollar Biil. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Commuting Choice Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> And why so proud of our education
> > system?
>
> Because they have told the lie about how they are
> the best school system in the country long enough
> people start to believe it.


How is it a "lie"? I'm actually one of the "fools" who believes FCPS is one of the top public school systems in the country...

I'm still trying to figure out where I stand on this issue...

I did some researching and found that MOST school districts have tax authoirty in the US. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_school_district

Of course, I'm not saying it's a good idea just because "most people are doing it"..

As a taxpayer, there's an advantage of a "seperation of powers" that exists between the County Board of Directors and the School Board.

But, when it comes to reforming FCPS and identifying savings, and I'm a citizen/activist attending a school board meeting trying to advocate for that, it might be easier to be talking to a school board that BOTH spends the money and raises the money through tax revenue.

It would be somewhat of a headache of having to deal with the back and forth between the School Board and County Board of Directors when I attend a school board meeting.

Again, I understand both sides to this issue.. This is an important debate to have..



>>>This is interesting. Having taxing authority does not guarantee that they will be able to raise taxes. It really depends on how things are done. I lived in New York where the school budget had to be voted on every year by every voter in the district. It was either a "yes" or "no" vote. If the vote came back as "no", the SB had to go back to the drawing board and try again. If it came back "yes", well hurray. I can tell you that this system motivated them to be very careful about hiring personnel, raising taxes, etc. (the best they could find were hired and they were highlighted in the materials sent to every household ahead of the vote). They did not go cheap on teacher salaries (as a rule). If there were "no" votes (I can't recall how that worked exactly), the state put a "floor" on what had to be paid for in terms of local education (there were mandated limits). I lived in an area where "yes" votes were common, but it was also a very good school system (and they didn't brag about it).

Thats not what they want..they want the same powers as the BOS to squeeze every nickle out of your pocket.. Take it or leave it.. Then the BOS with the
support of the Police and Fire unions will come round and squeeze your b... for every nickel they will be able to get..

>How is it a "lie"? I'm actually one of the "fools" who believes FCPS is one of the top public school systems in the country...

Yes you are a Fool! Or are at least Fooled!

Because parents here are well off and can afford to send their off spring to colleges .. Thay why the high % of FCPS students go.. A goat could go to college today if they could afford it..

Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, PW, Henrico all other counties dont send any one to college right..Because FCPS is so good...and they are so bad...

Ugh...there is so much waste. It's disgusting. Been teaching in the county for over a decade. It's amazing how many positions we have now that we didn't have before. They all came about during the years of the housing boom. The county had more money than it knew what to do with. Rather than SAVE it, you know, like the government keeps telling us WE should be doing with our money, they spent it they spent it on a bunch of bullshit. Now everyone has become accustom to these excess positions and funding and no one wants to let any of it go.

The IB program is an absolute joke. Whatever we're paying for that, it's got to go. We have an IB coordinator at our school pulling in about 100k/year. To do what? Absolutely nothing but sit in an office all day and create powerpoints to tell everyone how amazing IB is (not) and to try to make up stuff to show the head IB honchos that we're doing such amazing things with their program (not).

For awhile, they had teachers on extended contract working an extra month and getting paid for it. I BELIEVE they cut out those extras but I'm not sure. Worth looking into.

A few years ago, they changed the SBTS positions from 10 month (teacher contract) to 11. Uh, why? What the hell do they need an extra month for? Of all the SBTS I've known, not one has done much more than hand out laptops to the staff and then do an occasional training during the school year. Their job is to support teachers in the classroom. So why do they need to be working when the teachers aren't? There's some more money for your deficit right there.

Testing coordinators? New positions now opening up. They get paid an administrator salary and the one at my last school was as incompetent as they come. An astounding waste.

Instructional coaches. I have found them somewhat useful but could most definitely do without them if need be.

The after school program is nice but it's really just free babysitting for the parents. Massive source of funding right there.

Summer school is an absolute f-ing joke up to 8th grade. Do you know that at the middle school level, the only summer school classes offered are math and literacy? So...you fail science which automatically means summer school and...you go sit in math and literacy classes for half a day for two weeks. Why? What the hell is the point of that???? Summer school has basically just become a punishment and serves no actual purpose other than to make sure the child "pays" for failing. There's hundreds of thousands back into the budget.

Don't even get me started on the priority schools. They're given a shit ton of
extra money because their kids suck and they pour it into technology and extra programs and it's NOT WORKING! They're still failing. Know why? Because the kids
and their parents are the problem, not the lack of resources at the school.

I'm sure there's more but it's late and that's all I can come up with right now. All of that should be sufficient to make up for the shortfall in the budget without raising taxes.

Apologize for typos. Autocorrect sucks.

Because Parents Are Well Off Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >How is it a "lie"? I'm actually one of the
> "fools" who believes FCPS is one of the top public
> school systems in the country...
>
> Yes you are a Fool! Or are at least Fooled!
>
> Because parents here are well off and can afford
> to send their off spring to colleges .. Thay why
> the high % of FCPS students go.. A goat could go
> to college today if they could afford it..
>
> Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, PW, Henrico
> all other counties dont send any one to college
> right..Because FCPS is so good...and they are so
> bad...


College admission is one "benchmark" to measure a school system's success... What about performance on the SOL exams? Doesn't FCPS do better on the SOLs than many other school districts?

There is no perfect benchmark to measure performance... Standardized tests are crticized all the time.. But ALL kids in VA, regardless if they're going to college, must take the SOL exams..

How does FCPS do on those? I think they do pretty darn good from what I've read..

Jef3r Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ugh...there is so much waste. It's disgusting.
> Been teaching in the county for over a decade.
> It's amazing how many positions we have now that
> we didn't have before. They all came about during
> the years of the housing boom. The county had more
> money than it knew what to do with. Rather than
> SAVE it, you know, like the government keeps
> telling us WE should be doing with our money, they
> spent it they spent it on a bunch of bullshit. Now
> everyone has become accustom to these excess
> positions and funding and no one wants to let any
> of it go.
>
> The IB program is an absolute joke. Whatever we're
> paying for that, it's got to go. We have an IB
> coordinator at our school pulling in about
> 100k/year. To do what? Absolutely nothing but sit
> in an office all day and create powerpoints to
> tell everyone how amazing IB is (not) and to try
> to make up stuff to show the head IB honchos that
> we're doing such amazing things with their program
> (not).
>
> For awhile, they had teachers on extended contract
> working an extra month and getting paid for it. I
> BELIEVE they cut out those extras but I'm not
> sure. Worth looking into.
>
> A few years ago, they changed the SBTS positions
> from 10 month (teacher contract) to 11. Uh, why?
> What the hell do they need an extra month for? Of
> all the SBTS I've known, not one has done much
> more than hand out laptops to the staff and then
> do an occasional training during the school year.
> Their job is to support teachers in the classroom.
> So why do they need to be working when the
> teachers aren't? There's some more money for your
> deficit right there.
>
> Testing coordinators? New positions now opening
> up. They get paid an administrator salary and the
> one at my last school was as incompetent as they
> come. An astounding waste.
>
> Instructional coaches. I have found them somewhat
> useful but could most definitely do without them
> if need be.
>
> The after school program is nice but it's really
> just free babysitting for the parents. Massive
> source of funding right there.
>
> Summer school is an absolute f-ing joke up to 8th
> grade. Do you know that at the middle school
> level, the only summer school classes offered are
> math and literacy? So...you fail science which
> automatically means summer school and...you go sit
> in math and literacy classes for half a day for
> two weeks. Why? What the hell is the point of
> that???? Summer school has basically just become a
> punishment and serves no actual purpose other than
> to make sure the child "pays" for failing. There's
> hundreds of thousands back into the budget.
>
> Don't even get me started on the priority schools.
> They're given a shit ton of
> extra money because their kids suck and they pour
> it into technology and extra programs and it's NOT
> WORKING! They're still failing. Know why? Because
> the kids
> and their parents are the problem, not the lack
> of resources at the school.
>
> I'm sure there's more but it's late and that's all
> I can come up with right now. All of that should
> be sufficient to make up for the shortfall in the
> budget without raising taxes.
>
> Apologize for typos. Autocorrect sucks.

Thanks so much for this! I've saved this on my computer.. I will be looking into this and bringing this up in school board meetings as a parent, taxpayer, voter, and activist.

There's a lot of meaningless noise on this website.. so it's a real joy to catch a few gems of information like this here..

Jef3r Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> The IB program is an absolute joke. Whatever we're
> paying for that, it's got to go. We have an IB
> coordinator at our school pulling in about
> 100k/year. To do what? Absolutely nothing but sit
> in an office all day and create powerpoints to
> tell everyone how amazing IB is (not) and to try
> to make up stuff to show the head IB honchos that
> we're doing such amazing things with their program
> (not).

I'm still not clear on what the IB program is.. I researched it and found it's the International Baccalaureate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Baccalaureate)

What the heck is the point in an international diploma program? How is this really supposed to be different than VA education standards? This does seem pointless.. Unless there's something I'm not understanding..

It seems like some internationalist global "new world order" crap...

When I look at the FCPS budget I see 70% of its funding coming from the county, a little over 20% coming from the state, and an anemic 1.7% coming from the Federal Government..

I DON'T SEE ANY MONEY COMING IN FROM THE UNITED NATIONS OR ANY OTHER INTERNATIONAL BODY!

If the UN or Switzerland wants to send FCPS a check for the IB program, then "cool!", maybe we should keep it... If not, then GET RID OF IT!

There's plenty of "college prep" through AP classes.. You'd think there'd be more focus on THAT than this IB nonsense..

FCPS Budget Watcher Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Budget Info posted information from the FCPS
> website showing 85.5% of FCPS expenditures go to
> Instruction. But, according to the Virginia Dept.
> of Education's definition of "instruction," FCPS
> spent 67.6% of its budget. When asked about this
> discrepancy--between what FCPS claims in its
> annual budget documents and what it reports in
> accordance with state requirements--budget staff
> have said "Oh, that's just how the state defines
> it."
> And school leaders wonder why there isn't must
> faith in their statements about the upcoming
> apocalypse. Every year since the recession began
> FCPS has said it NEEDS millions more than it gets.
> And every year the failure of the system they
> decried did not occur. The new supt. has a lot of
> work ahead of her.


I was quoting that 85.5% percent figure on a different post on this site.. I'm glad you brought this discrepency up.. I'm saving this on my computer and plan to bring this up in school board meetings.. I don't give a rat's ass what the state "defines" as "instrictutional.. They can make one budget report that meets the state's political definition of "instructional", and then they can make a different budget report that shows the taxpayer's COMMON SENSE defnition of "instructional"...

So when concerned parents and taxpayers show up to meetings, we have a clear picture of what's what..

Huh, wonder which one I'll tell people to vote for in the future? About time someone on the board said something honest. Interesting cutoff in copy of Post article by curiousminds
Ted Velkoff. At Large, chair of the board’s budget committee. If we’re the folks deciding how the money is going to be spent, I want to decide how it gets raised.
Board member Elizabeth Schultz, Springfield, did not support the measure, which she said would hurt already burdened taxpayers.
Fiscal autonomy for the School Board means that the School Board is going to come after your wallet, Schultz said. That’s the bottom line...Watch out.

FCPS does well because WE (all of us) MOVED HERE. They just take credit for it.

I sent Ms. Patti Reed, my "Providence" school board drone, a fairly nasty email about this tax thing. I wonder if she will even bother to reply? I certainly plan to vote against her and would really enjoy seeing her butt tossed out of office so she can go and sell Mary Kay or something.

In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made School Boards.

The state will be very happy to give Fairfax schools taxing authority. So the FCPS collects 50 million in taxes the state will deduct 50 million they were going to give Fairfax in the first place. Fools.

In the not too distant future I will be retiring and leaving Fairfax. I will smile when I see the damage the tax and spend liberals like Sharon and Gerry have bought to the citizenry. But there will still be a part of me that's sad having been a lifelong resident and recall the fiscal responsibility the county used to have and what a nice place it was to live and raise kids. Now it is just L A County east.

Insurance did go up for the employee as well as the County contribution. I am sure the same as your employer dummie.

Employee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Insurance did go up for the employee as well as
> the County contribution. I am sure the same as
> your employer dummie.


Someone on this post, or on a different post on this site, said that the VRS system is mandatory; that teacher HAD to pay into it. They don't have an option to opt out of it.

I'm still researching if that's true...

I believe teachers, like most workers, shouldn't be forced to put money into an employee retirement plan if they don't want to. They should be free to put their money into any retirement plan of their choosing. If they don't like the VRS, then they should be free to move their money to a Roth IRA or something else.

This issue should be a legitimate concern the taxpayers in Fairfax County because when the teachers are forced to pay more into the VRS system, then they feel politically forced to demand a salary increase. The public, who may not have a detailed understanding of the situation, only sees the "greedy public school" asking for more money...

Whereas, if teachers were free to put their money into an investment plan of their choosing, instead of being forced to pay into the VRS, then they may not be put into the dillema of having to demand a salary increase as often.

I could be completely wrong about what I said, but that's where my thinking is right now...

What you are suggesting is a defined contribution. Sounds great but unless you are experienced in financial matters it can be a disaster come retirement time. A defined benefit is much better.

risky joe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What you are suggesting is a defined contribution.
> Sounds great but unless you are experienced in
> financial matters it can be a disaster come
> retirement time. A defined benefit is much better.


Right! All investments involve risk.. and I believe it's up to the individual to make that choice based on their preferred level of risk tolerance.

Thanks for your help...

I found more answers here also.. http://www.thomasjeffersoninst.org/files/3/Pension%20study.pdf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2013 07:22PM by SpeedFx187.

SpeedFx187 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Employee Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Insurance did go up for the employee as well as
> > the County contribution. I am sure the same as
> > your employer dummie.
>
>
> Someone on this post, or on a different post on
> this site, said that the VRS system is mandatory;
> that teacher HAD to pay into it. They don't have
> an option to opt out of it.
>
> I'm still researching if that's true...
>
> I believe teachers, like most workers, shouldn't
> be forced to put money into an employee retirement
> plan if they don't want to. They should be free
> to put their money into any retirement plan of
> their choosing. If they don't like the VRS, then
> they should be free to move their money to a Roth
> IRA or something else.
>
> This issue should be a legitimate concern the
> taxpayers in Fairfax County because when the
> teachers are forced to pay more into the VRS
> system, then they feel politically forced to
> demand a salary increase. The public, who may not
> have a detailed understanding of the situation,
> only sees the "greedy public school" asking for
> more money...
>
> Whereas, if teachers were free to put their money
> into an investment plan of their choosing, instead
> of being forced to pay into the VRS, then they may
> not be put into the dillema of having to demand a
> salary increase as often.
>
> I could be completely wrong about what I said, but
> that's where my thinking is right now...


Teachers are hired and given a pay scale that involves yearly step increases. I don't think that is unreasonable for any employee to expect the annual raise that was advertised by the employer. If the school board/BOS can just decide that this pay scale is frozen then they should just get rid of it, and that goes for police/fire/education, also. People very rightly get upset when they feel that they are being cheated for years on end.

se Wrote:
>
> Teachers are hired and given a pay scale that
> involves yearly step increases. I don't think that
> is unreasonable for any employee to expect the
> annual raise that was advertised by the employer.
> If the school board/BOS can just decide that this
> pay scale is frozen then they should just get rid
> of it, and that goes for police/fire/education,
> also. People very rightly get upset when they feel
> that they are being cheated for years on end.


Right! The employer should follow through with their promises; otherwise there's a serious morale problem in the organization. If the employer can't be sure they'll deliver on their promises, then they should have never made the promise. Thanks for pointing that out to me :-)

SpeedFx187 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> se Wrote:
> >
> > Teachers are hired and given a pay scale that
> > involves yearly step increases. I don't think
> that
> > is unreasonable for any employee to expect the
> > annual raise that was advertised by the
> employer.
> > If the school board/BOS can just decide that
> this
> > pay scale is frozen then they should just get
> rid
> > of it, and that goes for police/fire/education,
> > also. People very rightly get upset when they
> feel
> > that they are being cheated for years on end.
>
>
> Right! The employer should follow through with
> their promises; otherwise there's a serious morale
> problem in the organization. If the employer
> can't be sure they'll deliver on their promises,
> then they should have never made the promise.
> Thanks for pointing that out to me :-)


So quit. How hard is that?

Quitting is not easy if you have 20 years in and a mortgage, kids, etc. Plus it's the career you chose for a reason that goes beyond money. If it were easy, people would quit!

X6x93 Wrote:

>
> So quit. How hard is that?


Fixing the symptom and not the problem is one possible answer. Another solution is to hold our elected school board officials accountable when they say they're gonna do one thing, and then later decide to do another. How can FCPS retain talent in its workforce when they lower the morale by failing to do what they say they're gonna do?

I have a job I would rather not have but it does offer good health care benefits, solid retirement, matching 401k funds to a certain amount and good hours plus it is close to my home. I just weigh it against other jobs with much less perks and further out. So I just slug through it for one more day waiting to ring the retirement bell some day.

All jobs have pluses and negatives you just have to weigh the alternatives.

Same pay freeze for the Fed. Govt. Teachers, why are you so special?