PSA: Fairfax County Proposed Budget CANCELS Middle School After School Programs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that these programs or after school busses could be cut in favor of having funds for other priorities like teacher raises

Agreed. Let’s also cut the food service budget and other nice to haves. We can’t afford everything and teachers should be the priority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oof, if I were a local business owner I’d be campaigning to keep the program. On Fridays when it doesn’t happen the local shopping centers are mobbed with middle schoolers behaving poorly, to the point cops have been called many times.

12-14 year olds cannot get out at 2:15 and be on their own for 3-5 hours. They will find trouble.

If they’re pushing middle schoolers to be the late start/end schools, I’m okay with it.

What kind of 12-14 year olds do you know? This is odd, that they can't entertain themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oof, if I were a local business owner I’d be campaigning to keep the program. On Fridays when it doesn’t happen the local shopping centers are mobbed with middle schoolers behaving poorly, to the point cops have been called many times.

12-14 year olds cannot get out at 2:15 and be on their own for 3-5 hours. They will find trouble.

If they’re pushing middle schoolers to be the late start/end schools, I’m okay with it.

What kind of 12-14 year olds do you know? This is odd, that they can't entertain themselves.

So you obviously have never been to a shopping plaza near a middle school between 2:15-4:00 PM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t realize they were funding these clubs and FCPS running them.

The teachers were running the clubs after school and the late buses were getting the kids home after the clubs.

[Anonymous]

So not only do our middle school kids have to still have a crappy 7:30 at start time next year, but now they have absolutely nothing to look forward to after school. And they may have to move middle schools due to the boundary changes. F you, school board and Reid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oof, if I were a local business owner I’d be campaigning to keep the program. On Fridays when it doesn’t happen the local shopping centers are mobbed with middle schoolers behaving poorly, to the point cops have been called many times.

12-14 year olds cannot get out at 2:15 and be on their own for 3-5 hours. They will find trouble.

If they’re pushing middle schoolers to be the late start/end schools, I’m okay with it.

What kind of 12-14 year olds do you know? This is odd, that they can't entertain themselves.

My neighborhood shopping center gets huge crowds. I don't know that there is any criminal activity, but they do mill around. They can easily walk from their homes. They like hanging with their friends--and, if they don't have activities at school, they will find a place to do it. In some ways, it is better than having them at home in front of a screen.

I think middle school activities are more important than UPK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t realize they were funding these clubs and FCPS running them.

The teachers were running the clubs after school and the late buses were getting the kids home after the clubs.

I know. My kids have participated. I was just confused because I didn’t realize this wasn’t part of FCPS budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are they looking to cancel these programs because they are planning on the option where middle starts at 9:30??

What I was thinking. This would make it easy to do late middle bc no argument messes up afterschool programs since would be none. Problem solved for School board. Too bad for kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are they looking to cancel these programs because they are planning on the option where middle starts at 9:30??

What I was thinking. This would make it easy to do late middle bc no argument messes up afterschool programs since would be none. Problem solved for School board. Too bad for kids.

That’s probably why they are dismantling the after school activities program next year. Then parents will be grateful when they make the late time change instead of pissed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oof, if I were a local business owner I’d be campaigning to keep the program. On Fridays when it doesn’t happen the local shopping centers are mobbed with middle schoolers behaving poorly, to the point cops have been called many times.

12-14 year olds cannot get out at 2:15 and be on their own for 3-5 hours. They will find trouble.

If they’re pushing middle schoolers to be the late start/end schools, I’m okay with it.

What kind of 12-14 year olds do you know? This is odd, that they can't entertain themselves.

My neighborhood shopping center gets huge crowds. I don't know that there is any criminal activity, but they do mill around. They can easily walk from their homes. They like hanging with their friends--and, if they don't have activities at school, they will find a place to do it. In some ways, it is better than having them at home in front of a screen.

I think middle school activities are more important than UPK.

What is UPK?

[Anonymous]

Tell Youngkin to stop cutting the budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are they looking to cancel these programs because they are planning on the option where middle starts at 9:30??

What I was thinking. This would make it easy to do late middle bc no argument messes up afterschool programs since would be none. Problem solved for School board. Too bad for kids.

That’s probably why they are dismantling the after school activities program next year. Then parents will be grateful when they make the late time change instead of pissed.

So the reason one of the start time options is zero cost is because don’t have to run late buses bc no after school activities…. And they won’t be able to say they’d do in morning as them blow the reason they’d be doing late start- can’t say must change times to allow sleep and then have FCPS sponsored clubs before school starts. A shame as rich parents can still pay for activities but no so everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell Youngkin to stop cutting the budget.

The issue is not Youngkin.

It is the school board blowing through a 4 billion dollar budget, and the Board of Supervisors wasting money on Universal Basic Income for certain zip codes, and a multi million dollar Covid Memorial. The hidden cost is that the scores of new arrivals who don't speak English costs thousands of dollars more per pupil than the legal residents of FCPS.

Tell your Board of Supervisors and school board to quit wasting money on stupid stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are they looking to cancel these programs because they are planning on the option where middle starts at 9:30??

What I was thinking. This would make it easy to do late middle bc no argument messes up afterschool programs since would be none. Problem solved for School board. Too bad for kids.

That’s probably why they are dismantling the after school activities program next year. Then parents will be grateful when they make the late time change instead of pissed.

So the reason one of the start time options is zero cost is because don’t have to run late buses bc no after school activities…. And they won’t be able to say they’d do in morning as them blow the reason they’d be doing late start- can’t say must change times to allow sleep and then have FCPS sponsored clubs before school starts. A shame as rich parents can still pay for activities but no so everyone else.

Another reason why option E would be better for all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are they looking to cancel these programs because they are planning on the option where middle starts at 9:30??

It’s this people.
It’s hrs to have an “afterschool” program when your school gets out at 4:15.