How would you cut the budget?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Starting cuts:

- AAP centers and associated multi-million dollar transportation apparatus. Students currently attending can finish their time through 6th grade at ES. No new admissions. All ES have local programs to meet this need. The cost is redundancy in transportation and staffing cost is INSANE when there is no longer a reason for ES centers to exist now that all schools have it. A poster above referenced "Nice white parents". This budget item is your posterchild and I won't be able to respect any FCPS budget until it's removed.

As an AAP parent I also agree with this. Our local school is one of the ones labelled as "off track". It's pretty clear they are off track because a big portion of our SOL-aged population goes to the local AAP center. I would argue that getting rid of the centers is important for not only $ reasons, but it is vital that all neighborhood ESs are educating their own students and have a vibrant cross-section of all students. Having a brain drain in patches all over the system is just going to perpetuate the notion that ESs that sit right next to each other on a map are inherently of mixed quality, when in actuality this is simply determined by one being a center and one not being a center. Makes no sense and FCPS is going to have failing schools through no fault of the schools until they address it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Starting cuts:

- AAP centers and associated multi-million dollar transportation apparatus. Students currently attending can finish their time through 6th grade at ES. No new admissions. All ES have local programs to meet this need. The cost is redundancy in transportation and staffing cost is INSANE when there is no longer a reason for ES centers to exist now that all schools have it. A poster above referenced "Nice white parents". This budget item is your posterchild and I won't be able to respect any FCPS budget until it's removed.

As an AAP parent I also agree with this. Our local school is one of the ones labelled as "off track". It's pretty clear they are off track because a big portion of our SOL-aged population goes to the local AAP center. I would argue that getting rid of the centers is important for not only $ reasons, but it is vital that all neighborhood ESs are educating their own students and have a vibrant cross-section of all students. Having a brain drain in patches all over the system is just going to perpetuate the notion that ESs that sit right next to each other on a map are inherently of mixed quality, when in actuality this is simply determined by one being a center and one not being a center. Makes no sense and FCPS is going to have failing schools through no fault of the schools until they address it.

+1

[Anonymous]

IB has to go. Costs more and drives transfers.

AAP centers should all go. Steals high scoring children from schools, driving down averages at those schools while raising them at others. The long term effect being a downward spiral for many non-center schools. On top of all that are the extra bus costs.

Overhead at Gatehouse trimmed significantly.

Probably find a few schools to close, particularly in the southeast part of the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IB has to go. Costs more and drives transfers.

AAP centers should all go. Steals high scoring children from schools, driving down averages at those schools while raising them at others. The long term effect being a downward spiral for many non-center schools. On top of all that are the extra bus costs.

Overhead at Gatehouse trimmed significantly.

Probably find a few schools to close, particularly in the southeast part of the county.

+1

IB or AP, pick a goddam lane

AAP centers don't actually save much money if you are only going to have those 2 tracks. and the bussing issues prevents later start times for middle and high school when sleeping in is arguably an important issue.

Gatehouse needs to shrink a LOT. It's become the land of misfit toys to warehouse people like Bonitatibus.

There should be a BRAC commission every 10 years for school zoning. All the liberal parents in northern virginia turn into bougie racists when it comes to school zoning.

[Anonymous]

FCPS teacher here. This is what I would cut:

1) Reid’s security detail & School Board staff - sets the tone that these cuts are necessary and affecting everyone
2) 75% reduction in needs based extra staffing for low income / high esol schools.
3) All support positions on teacher contracts that do not have classes of students (examples are academic coaches, SOSA and dean positions, special ed department chairs, testing coordinators)
4) DO NOT OPEN A NEW HS that will have additional operating and staffing costs in a terrible budget year
5) Decrease the length of the teacher contract by 1 or 2 days and make all AP positions 11 month instead of 12

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS teacher here. This is what I would cut:

1) Reid’s security detail & School Board staff - sets the tone that these cuts are necessary and affecting everyone
2) 75% reduction in needs based extra staffing for low income / high esol schools.
3) All support positions on teacher contracts that do not have classes of students (examples are academic coaches, SOSA and dean positions, special ed department chairs, testing coordinators)
4) DO NOT OPEN A NEW HS that will have additional operating and staffing costs in a terrible budget year
5) Decrease the length of the teacher contract by 1 or 2 days and make all AP positions 11 month instead of 12

Agree with #1 and #3.

Do not agree with #3 and #4
Yes, there will be a need for staffing in the new school. But, not much additional staffing as other schools will lose staffing.
I do not see how you can reduce staffing for low income and ESOL schools. This is based on need, and some is required by law.

[Anonymous]

The needs based staffing formula for FCPS is not required by law.
All of the admin and support staff positions at the new HS will be extra positions. The teaching positions will be a wash, but all the people needed to make a school run (admin, secretaries, cafeteria workers, security, custodians) will be extra positions. Probably 25+full time positions added.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS teacher here. This is what I would cut:

1) Reid’s security detail & School Board staff - sets the tone that these cuts are necessary and affecting everyone
2) 75% reduction in needs based extra staffing for low income / high esol schools.
3) All support positions on teacher contracts that do not have classes of students (examples are academic coaches, SOSA and dean positions, special ed department chairs, testing coordinators)
4) DO NOT OPEN A NEW HS that will have additional operating and staffing costs in a terrible budget year
5) Decrease the length of the teacher contract by 1 or 2 days and make all AP positions 11 month instead of 12

Conspicuously missing from this list is:

Gatehouse

I wonder if PP works there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Starting cuts:

- AAP centers and associated multi-million dollar transportation apparatus. Students currently attending can finish their time through 6th grade at ES. No new admissions. All ES have local programs to meet this need. The cost is redundancy in transportation and staffing cost is INSANE when there is no longer a reason for ES centers to exist now that all schools have it. A poster above referenced "Nice white parents". This budget item is your posterchild and I won't be able to respect any FCPS budget until it's removed.

- Reduce DEI staff by 75%

- Hopefully cut a lot of overstaffed ESOL positions this summer with enrollment going down

- Remove 8-hour contracts for special ed teachers. They were fine for COVID when supplemental paperwork and workload was added, but the pay inequity is no longer defensible. Maybe take a look at the specific sped positions where turnover is highest (severe disabilities, emotional disturbance, etc.) and keep only that small %

- Reduce SBTS positions to .5 per school, unless school is over 1000 students.

- pay remaining staff more, when possible, to continue to retain top talent

This strikes me as a reasonable, bipartisan list and for that reason I’m sure it will never happen!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS teacher here. This is what I would cut:

1) Reid’s security detail & School Board staff - sets the tone that these cuts are necessary and affecting everyone
2) 75% reduction in needs based extra staffing for low income / high esol schools.
3) All support positions on teacher contracts that do not have classes of students (examples are academic coaches, SOSA and dean positions, special ed department chairs, testing coordinators)
4) DO NOT OPEN A NEW HS that will have additional operating and staffing costs in a terrible budget year
5) Decrease the length of the teacher contract by 1 or 2 days and make all AP positions 11 month instead of 12

Conspicuously missing from this list is:

Gatehouse

I wonder if PP works there.

I do not work at Gatehouse and honestly have no clue how many people could be cut from there. I’m sure there are some region people that could be cut as well some curriculum people. I’ve been told most of gatehouse is HR and payroll people and if so probably not much to cut there.

[Anonymous]

“Gatehouse” is code for central office.
The general public doesn’t know about Willow Oaks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The needs based staffing formula for FCPS is not required by law.
All of the admin and support staff positions at the new HS will be extra positions. The teaching positions will be a wash, but all the people needed to make a school run ([b]admin, secretaries, cafeteria workers, security, custodians) will be extra positions. Probably 25+full time positions added.[/

And, many of these will be reduced at the schools losing membership. Staffing for most of those is done by membership.

[Anonymous]

+1 Another vote here to rid ourselves of AAP centers. Not needed, and a big drag on the budget that can be spent elsewhere or just removed.

[Anonymous]

Eliminate the 60+ person office of Division, Equity, Inclusion, and Access.

[Anonymous]

FCPS teacher here.

Here are my top things to be cut.

1)Instructional Coaches. The SB asked how much this would save two years ago at it was about 28 million dollars.
2) Cut Equity Department. I believe it still should exist but does not need 60 or so people working there.
3) AAP Centers - not needed if all schools offer.
4) AP/IB- stop paying for these tests for kids unless FRM. Also go to AP only at all high schools.
5) Cut down on leadership positions.
6) Would cut the 6th grade Art field trips cause they are not very good. Not sure that will save a ton.
7) Reid’s security and SB assistants- self explanatory.
8) Cut FLES unless immersion programming.

I would keep the following:
Special Ed Leads, AARTS, SBTS These positions work directly with kids and make workload more manageable for teachers.

Things we can do to raise revenue/decrease spending.

Minimal fees for sports in high school. Increase parking at high school level minimally. Get rid if paying AP/IB tests. Community Use fees(again minimal).
Cut down ACE programming.

I would start there and then see how much of a shortfall we are in.