FCPS demographic changes are largest cost increase besides salary. explain it.

[Anonymous]

Does your neighborhood pay for itself?

Mine doesn't. We live in McLean and the our neighborhood of about 40 houses are in the $800-$900 range, with half a dozen over $1.5m. 34 children attend public school- 3 special needs of which I am aware. Our neighborhood property taxes do not even cover the school costs - it has been this way since mine started 12 years ago and will continue into the future. We have 4 graduates this year and next Sept, 4 kindergarteners - an even swap. Plus, two retirees just sold their houses - so I expect more to come next year. Condos and rentals are not the only places that have burgeoning enrollments.

You don't purchase anything either? 1%of sales tax goes to Fairfax County.

I suspect your neighborhood is paying way more than its fair share.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Does your neighborhood pay for itself?

Mine doesn't. We live in McLean and the our neighborhood of about 40 houses are in the $800-$900 range, with half a dozen over $1.5m. 34 children attend public school- 3 special needs of which I am aware. Our neighborhood property taxes do not even cover the school costs - it has been this way since mine started 12 years ago and will continue into the future. We have 4 graduates this year and next Sept, 4 kindergarteners - an even swap. Plus, two retirees just sold their houses - so I expect more to come next year. Condos and rentals are not the only places that have burgeoning enrollments.

You don't purchase anything either? 1%of sales tax goes to Fairfax County.

I suspect your neighborhood is paying way more than its fair share.

I don't purchase enough to cover the rest. My house has two students in school, that alone is $26k a year. We pay $8500 in property taxes. 1% of our income is not enough to make up the differnce, let alone 1% of what we spend. I would wager to be my neighbors do not spend enough to cover the difference either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dta/

Does your neighborhood pay for itself?

Mine doesn't. We live in McLean and the our neighborhood of about 40 houses are in the $800-$900 range, with half a dozen over $1.5m. 34 children attend public school- 3 special needs of which I am aware. Our neighborhood property taxes do not even cover the school costs - it has been this way since mine started 12 years ago and will continue into the future. We have 4 graduates this year and next Sept, 4 kindergarteners - an even swap. Plus, two retirees just sold their houses - so I expect more to come next year. Condos and rentals are not the only places that have burgeoning enrollments.

Wow......your neighbors don't own any cars?

Seriously, real estate taxes are not the only source of revenue in Fairfax County. Let's see: 40 houses, I would guess at LEAST 80 vehicles--and, I would imagine with the teens that there are probably a lot more. And, seeing the property value you cited, I would imagine that the cars are fairly nice. That adds up to lots of additional property tax. Add that to the real estate tax, and I suspect your neighborhood is doing its part.

Also, you do know that businesses also pay taxes?

It does not add up to enough. Car property taxes and the 1% sales tax are not enough to make up for the gap between house property taxes and cost of schooling the children in our neighborhood. Our house property taxes are the biggest nut of the bunch- by far. We pay around $8500 for ours. One student is over $13k a year. Plus, we are only talking about schools, the taxes also pay for everything else- library, police, fire, parks and rec/...

[Anonymous]

I don't purchase enough to cover the rest. My house has two students in school, that alone is $26k a year. We pay $8500 in property taxes. 1% of our income is not enough to make up the differnce, let alone 1% of what we spend. I would wager to be my neighbors do not spend enough to cover the difference either.

No one says you need to do so. Did you pay any taxes before your kids went to school? Hate to tell you, but you will pay taxes after they are out of school. Do you own any vehicles? What is the value of your vehicle? Do you or DH work in Fairfax County? The businesses pay taxes.

You said your neighborhood did not cover the expense for 34 kids. I say that your neighborhood more than covers it. I bet that your neighborhood has way more than 80 cars. That alone is probably at least another. At a minimum, I bet your neighborhood pays 100K in car tax alone.

My kids have been out a few years. We lived in our house before they went to school. We covered their expenses in property tax alone by now.

Oh, yes, and the schools do get some money from the state--so your state taxes are also going towards their "tuition".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I don't purchase enough to cover the rest. My house has two students in school, that alone is $26k a year. We pay $8500 in property taxes. 1% of our income is not enough to make up the differnce, let alone 1% of what we spend. I would wager to be my neighbors do not spend enough to cover the difference either.

No one says you need to do so. Did you pay any taxes before your kids went to school? Hate to tell you, but you will pay taxes after they are out of school. Do you own any vehicles? What is the value of your vehicle? Do you or DH work in Fairfax County? The businesses pay taxes.

You said your neighborhood did not cover the expense for 34 kids. I say that your neighborhood more than covers it. I bet that your neighborhood has way more than 80 cars. That alone is probably at least another. At a minimum, I bet your neighborhood pays 100K in car tax alone.

My kids have been out a few years. We lived in our house before they went to school. We covered their expenses in property tax alone by now.

Oh, yes, and the schools do get some money from the state--so your state taxes are also going towards their "tuition".

My neighborhood is 1/3 retired folk with one car. That is why there are only 34 children in school out of 40 houses. One of the issues Fairfax County has is the number of children per capita. In Arlington only 10% of its population goes to public school. In Fairfax it is closer to 18%. That is the real reason, it is difficult. It isn't just the poor neighborhoods that have large numbers of students in school. It is all over the map.

[Anonymous]

My neighborhood is 1/3 retired folk with one car.

Very likely those people have paid taxes for many more years than they had kids in school. And, lots of retired folk still have two cars. And, you all spend money. And, once more, part of your Virginia taxes also go to the schools. We may not get enough from the state, but it does come out to several thousand per kid. So, you need to adjust your "tuition" cost down if you are only counting Fairfax County taxes. Do you pay state income tax? Do your neighbors? Do you eat out? Do you buy clothes? Groceries? etc.?

[Anonymous]

Just looked it up. Virginia pays for about 20% of FCPS funding. So, you can reduce that $26000 to around $20,000.

[Anonymous]

You're questioning if the McLean guy spends money and has vehicles on one hand and on the other hand lamenting that all these undocumented folks are not paying into the system?

hahaha you racist m'f.

So all those undocumented folks don't have to pay a car tax (oh, right, they all have MD tags) and they don't pay sales tax on anything (oh right, they are probably using their tax exempt ids at the stores). Speaking out both sides of your mouth must be natural for you.

[Anonymous]

You're questioning if the McLean guy spends money and has vehicles on one hand and on the other hand lamenting that all these undocumented folks are not paying into the system?

hahaha you racist m'f.

So all those undocumented folks don't have to pay a car tax (oh, right, they all have MD tags) and they don't pay sales tax on anything (oh right, they are probably using their tax exempt ids at the stores). Speaking out both sides of your mouth must be natural for you.

Funny. Are you aware that several people can post as "anonymous"? You really think there is only one person responding?

[Anonymous]

How can all these undocumented immigrants afford to rent/buy in good school pyramids in Fairfax? Is it that inexpensive to live there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You're questioning if the McLean guy spends money and has vehicles on one hand and on the other hand lamenting that all these undocumented folks are not paying into the system?

hahaha you racist m'f.

So all those undocumented folks don't have to pay a car tax (oh, right, they all have MD tags) and they don't pay sales tax on anything (oh right, they are probably using their tax exempt ids at the stores). Speaking out both sides of your mouth must be natural for you.

Funny. Are you aware that several people can post as "anonymous"? You really think there is only one person responding?

Well, I hope it's just one misinformed person who's been going on and on about FCPS "yield" calculations and how it relates to real estate tax receipts [it doesn't].

It's easier to live my life thinking there is only one such woefully uninformed person out there. It'll be a shame if there is a phalanx of them. But then again, my neighbor is an idiot so maybe the county is full of them.

[Anonymous]

The typical non-special needs, non FARM, non ESL student costs FCPS less than $14,000. Probably more like $8000-$10,000 per year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't purchase enough to cover the rest. My house has two students in school, that alone is $26k a year. We pay $8500 in property taxes. 1% of our income is not enough to make up the differnce, let alone 1% of what we spend. I would wager to be my neighbors do not spend enough to cover the difference either.

No one says you need to do so. Did you pay any taxes before your kids went to school? Hate to tell you, but you will pay taxes after they are out of school. Do you own any vehicles? What is the value of your vehicle? Do you or DH work in Fairfax County? The businesses pay taxes.

You said your neighborhood did not cover the expense for 34 kids. I say that your neighborhood more than covers it. I bet that your neighborhood has way more than 80 cars. That alone is probably at least another. At a minimum, I bet your neighborhood pays 100K in car tax alone.

My kids have been out a few years. We lived in our house before they went to school. We covered their expenses in property tax alone by now.

Oh, yes, and the schools do get some money from the state--so your state taxes are also going towards their "tuition".

My neighborhood is 1/3 retired folk with one car. That is why there are only 34 children in school out of 40 houses. One of the issues Fairfax County has is the number of childre per capita. In Arlington only 10% of its population goes to public school. In Fairfax it is closer to 18%. That is the real reason, it is difficult. It isn't just the poor neighborhoods that have large numbers of students in school. It is all over the map.

Your income taxes also go toward the schools. Based on your analysis, no neighborhood would be covering its schools. You are ignoring income taxes and business property taxes, etc. I can assure you, having apartments with four families including 8 kids will burden the system more than your neighborhood. Also, where do you think the 18% vs. 10% is coming from? Largely from those neighborhoods with large numbers of kids living in apartments. I don't object to having these kids in the schools, I just think property taxes should be appropriately calculated for these buildings to account for the added burden on the schools. Or that housing codes should be enforced so that multiple families aren't living in one apartment because that too would help to bring the property taxes on each unit back in line with the burden on the system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How can all these undocumented immigrants afford to rent/buy in good school pyramids in Fairfax? Is it that inexpensive to live there?

They are mostly in bad school pyramids, but it is affordable if you cram 3 families into one apartment or 6 families into one house.

[Anonymous]

I was speaking to that - if units can fit multiple families illegally, it will rent for more than units that cannot so it will bring in more revenue.

Yes, but the revenue is for the landlord, not for the county.