McDaniel on FCPS budget

[Anonymous]

https://www.ffxnow.com/2024/08/01/fairfax-county-school-boards-new-budget-chair-suggests-change-in-approach-to-funding-challenges/

Just saw this and had to laugh. They must be smoking something if they think they’re going to have the public on their side for the meals tax or increased budget after detrimentally pressing reset on the boundaries.

If anything, the FCPS SB is doing everything that it can to get vouchers in Virginia.

[Anonymous]

I'm for it. Will tax more undocumented individuals.

[Anonymous]

There is definitely a bit of fat in FCPS, but the vast majority is salaries for underpaid instructional staff. Simple supply and demand economics dictates that wages for teachers need to rise, or this shortage is only going to get worse. The division is already hundreds of teachers in the hole going into this school year, with ever-decreasing enrollments at teacher colleges.

Would love to hear OP’s strategies for recruiting a workforce when most of our staff aren’t currently paid a wage that allows them to even rent in Fairfax.

[Anonymous]

The states that don’t have teacher shortages are union and high tax (NY,NJ,PA,CA,WA). The schools are going to have to pay up to get staff. Being short 100s of teachers is dysfunctional and detrimental for students.

[Anonymous]

Count us as two in support of a meals tax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The states that don’t have teacher shortages are union and high tax (NY,NJ,PA,CA,WA). The schools are going to have to pay up to get staff. Being short 100s of teachers is dysfunctional and detrimental for students.

Agreed. A teacher or instructional assistant shouldn’t have to marry an attorney to have a prayer of affording a home in our community. Insanity. I’m all for a meals tax. Y’all in your McMansions will manage.

[Anonymous]

I’m all for a meals tax.

McDaniels seems like a publicity hound, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is definitely a bit of fat in FCPS, but the vast majority is salaries for underpaid instructional staff. Simple supply and demand economics dictates that wages for teachers need to rise, or this shortage is only going to get worse. The division is already hundreds of teachers in the hole going into this school year, with ever-decreasing enrollments at teacher colleges.

Would love to hear OP’s strategies for recruiting a workforce when most of our staff aren’t currently paid a wage that allows them to even rent in Fairfax.

OP here. I voted for the meals tax the last go round. I was a supporter of public schools until the spring 2024 “great boundary reset” exercise. So, at this point, I just can’t support a school district that is running itself into the ground because of equity. They’ve done nothing to garner my support and everything to lose it. Maybe they don’t need my support, but I don’t think I’m the only one thoroughly disgusted with the 8130 push over the objection of constituents.

I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t have a strategy and it’s more of a protest vote, unfortunately. Though, I’m not the one making the decisions and they aren’t listening to people like me anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The states that don’t have teacher shortages are union and high tax (NY,NJ,PA,CA,WA). The schools are going to have to pay up to get staff. Being short 100s of teachers is dysfunctional and detrimental for students.

Agreed. A teacher or instructional assistant shouldn’t have to marry an attorney to have a prayer of affording a home in our community. Insanity. I’m all for a meals tax. Y’all in your McMansions will manage.

You say we’ll manage, but I’m pretty sure the meals tax got voted down a few years ago. The board of supervisors may ram it through regardless, but I don’t think it is quite as done a deal as you seem to think it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.ffxnow.com/2024/08/01/fairfax-county-school-boards-new-budget-chair-suggests-change-in-approach-to-funding-challenges/

Just saw this and had to laugh. They must be smoking something if they think they’re going to have the public on their side for the meals tax or increased budget after detrimentally pressing reset on the boundaries.

If anything, the FCPS SB is doing everything that it can to get vouchers in Virginia.

FCPS does not present actual program/detail budgets per school for IB, immersion as well as actual class size counts. No easy excel psreadsheets for the public on transfers, what square footage on sites like Chantilly for academies, academy enrollment at sites per base and sending schools etc...

Board of Supervisors has to approve school bond referendums. One for West Potomac had McKay state the elephant in the room was open capacity at Mount Vernon. So NO on meals tax since the public doesn't know facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is definitely a bit of fat in FCPS, but the vast majority is salaries for underpaid instructional staff. Simple supply and demand economics dictates that wages for teachers need to rise, or this shortage is only going to get worse. The division is already hundreds of teachers in the hole going into this school year, with ever-decreasing enrollments at teacher colleges.

Would love to hear OP’s strategies for recruiting a workforce when most of our staff aren’t currently paid a wage that allows them to even rent in Fairfax.

Cut administration and gatehouse staff for starters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is definitely a bit of fat in FCPS, but the vast majority is salaries for underpaid instructional staff. Simple supply and demand economics dictates that wages for teachers need to rise, or this shortage is only going to get worse. The division is already hundreds of teachers in the hole going into this school year, with ever-decreasing enrollments at teacher colleges.

Would love to hear OP’s strategies for recruiting a workforce when most of our staff aren’t currently paid a wage that allows them to even rent in Fairfax.

Cut administration and gatehouse staff for starters.

Forgot to post, I am not the OP.

[Anonymous]

There is a disconnect. The School Board only wants to make staff happy with promises they are advocating for increased salaries.

Parents also care about stable boundaries, strong academics, and decent facilities.

But the School Board acts like these priorities are mutually exclusive. Ask them to focus on any of the latter priorities and their knee-jerk reaction is to blame Richmond while pushing an unwanted redistricting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is definitely a bit of fat in FCPS, but the vast majority is salaries for underpaid instructional staff. Simple supply and demand economics dictates that wages for teachers need to rise, or this shortage is only going to get worse. The division is already hundreds of teachers in the hole going into this school year, with ever-decreasing enrollments at teacher colleges.

Would love to hear OP’s strategies for recruiting a workforce when most of our staff aren’t currently paid a wage that allows them to even rent in Fairfax.

OP here. I voted for the meals tax the last go round. I was a supporter of public schools until the spring 2024 “great boundary reset” exercise. So, at this point, I just can’t support a school district that is running itself into the ground because of equity. They’ve done nothing to garner my support and everything to lose it. Maybe they don’t need my support, but I don’t think I’m the only one thoroughly disgusted with the 8130 push over the objection of constituents.

I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t have a strategy and it’s more of a protest vote, unfortunately. Though, I’m not the one making the decisions and they aren’t listening to people like me anyway.

The 8130 push is one of the few options to get school transportation and facility costs under control. Roughly 85% of the FFX County school system budget is spent on teachers and teaching assistants. The remainder of the budget is where there is potential for savings, namely transportation costs (5.4% or $207 million), facilities management (3.8% or $145 million), and general support and administration (5% or $190 million). School board members have seen staff estimates showing that annual transportation costs could be cut by 10% to 20% and facilities management costs could be cut by 5% to 10% through more efficient district boundaries and better utilization of county-wide capacity. That’s potential for up to $50 million in annual savings that could be put toward more teachers and reducing classroom sizes. But opposition to 8130 and similar measures makes it very difficult for the administrator and board to make changes to realize those savings.

The current school system budget is unsustainable, as teachers are underpaid (relative to the surrounding counties) and attrition is excessive (leading to severe understaffing and many classes led by assistants and subs), so significantly more funding is needed, and, if it’s not going to come through more efficient district boundaries and better utilization of county-wide capacity, then it needs to come from the state (which the county has no control over) or through local taxes (property taxes or meal taxes). Realistically, if Richmomd won’t provide more funding, then it will likely require an all-of-the-above approach of more efficient school boundaries and new/higher taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is definitely a bit of fat in FCPS, but the vast majority is salaries for underpaid instructional staff. Simple supply and demand economics dictates that wages for teachers need to rise, or this shortage is only going to get worse. The division is already hundreds of teachers in the hole going into this school year, with ever-decreasing enrollments at teacher colleges.

Would love to hear OP’s strategies for recruiting a workforce when most of our staff aren’t currently paid a wage that allows them to even rent in Fairfax.

OP here. I voted for the meals tax the last go round. I was a supporter of public schools until the spring 2024 “great boundary reset” exercise. So, at this point, I just can’t support a school district that is running itself into the ground because of equity. They’ve done nothing to garner my support and everything to lose it. Maybe they don’t need my support, but I don’t think I’m the only one thoroughly disgusted with the 8130 push over the objection of constituents.

I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t have a strategy and it’s more of a protest vote, unfortunately. Though, I’m not the one making the decisions and they aren’t listening to people like me anyway.

Plenty of constituents think a less political and more facts-based approach to boundaries makes sense. Plenty of us want the transportation savings, elimination of underenrolled next to overenrolled schools, elimination of attendance islands … Plenty of us didn’t fall for the great falls/fairfacts misinformation campaign focused entirely on self-interest of one or two areas in the county.