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

[Anonymous]

No! This is not SACC in middle schools. That county executive is a stinkmouth glitter monster!

[Anonymous]

Sounds like Carson is the only MS benefiting from the programs. I agree to just cancel if that's the case - not exactly fair that only one school in the area benefits from this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like Carson is the only MS benefiting from the programs. I agree to just cancel if that's the case - not exactly fair that only one school in the area benefits from this.

Huh? How did you reach that conclusion?

[Anonymous]

The number of regular users listed in the budget question are so low. I don’t think we need to spend $4 million for a small number of kids to go regularly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IT looks like they are going to propose parents pay for their students to have access to the middle school clubs and sports--citing other counties which charge $400+ per month and stating it is the same as SACC which has a sliding scale.

Not sure how that would work with kids picking and choosing which clubs they want to participate in. Its not the same programming as ES age childcare.

Also, this is an EXTREMELY misleading statement. There are no FCPS sponsored middle school after school activities other than one sport--running. Are they going to run the late buses for just one sport?

"It is anticipated that families in need of after-school care would have options to transition to alternative
programs. There are County, FCPS, and community-based options available for students including
sporting activities, clubs, teen centers and teen programs at community centers, private programs,
neighborhood resource centers, and a robust out-of-school time network of partners to which families
can be connected. Additionally, NCS community and teen centers that offer after-school programs are
strategically located within communities to serve the most vulnerable residents. Of the 27 locations,
four are Title I schools (Glasgow, Holmes, Key, and Poe), and transportation options for these schools
could be provided by FCPS or NCS to the closest community after-school program."

That's not fair, so we only care about after school activities for poor children?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like Carson is the only MS benefiting from the programs. I agree to just cancel if that's the case - not exactly fair that only one school in the area benefits from this.

What are you talking about? EVERY middle school has after school programs. You just happened to have a few Carson parents chime in that they are really good there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The number of regular users listed in the budget question are so low. I don’t think we need to spend $4 million for a small number of kids to go regularly.

It's not an accurate number. I think they are only using the bus counts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The number of regular users listed in the budget question are so low. I don’t think we need to spend $4 million for a small number of kids to go regularly.

It's not an accurate number. I think they are only using the bus counts.

Yep, not sure if it is intentional or incompetence but they're looking at the wrong metrics for the question they supposedly want to answer/understand.

[Anonymous]

That's interesting. Most of the kids don't use the busses because it takes too long to get home. When my kid stays they get picked up at 4:45 rather than waiting 45 minutes to get home. There are sign in sheets. They should be using them. Get rid of the busses some days if they have to.

[Anonymous]

Hardly anyone uses the buses. Kids walk,
Bike or are picked up.

Did they really use the bus counts?

[Anonymous]

Lots of kids at LBSS use the late bus. And our after school theater program has 100 kids in the musical and 40-50 in the play. So those numbers aren’t correct

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hardly anyone uses the buses. Kids walk,
Bike or are picked up.

Did they really use the bus counts?

100%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can the middle schools do what elementary PTAs do, and offer after school activities from outside organizations?

Or perhaps fcps can keep the activities but ditch the late busses. Parents who want the activities can pick up their own kids.

I know you mean well PP, but both suggestions revreal an extremely privileged lens. Please take a step back and remember that public schools are meant to provide opportunity and access to all students they serve.

HAHAHA enjoy the woke agenda of blue school districts.

[Anonymous]

The Katherine Johnson program is very well regarded; my 6th grader is looking forward to it if it's continued. If the numbers used come from bus riders only, that's nuts. KJ has tons of walkers, also lots picked up at Kiss and Ride as I see them when I pass by headed to my kids Elementary School. Also, the School is on a free Que bus line that would serve a bunch of other neighbors and kids who only wanted to stay for the first half so maybe one club could use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like Carson is the only MS benefiting from the programs. I agree to just cancel if that's the case - not exactly fair that only one school in the area benefits from this.

What are you talking about? EVERY middle school has after school programs. You just happened to have a few Carson parents chime in that they are really good there.

Agreed. My kid goes to Irving Middle School and the after-school programs there are very popular. A lot of parents (including me) pick up their kids instead of relying on the late bus, though.