Reply to What do I need to know about the Fairfax County School Board?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I was interested in the suggestion that the FARMS enrollment in FCPS is spiraling out of control, or that this could be due in any way to School Board policies.

Turns out that the growth in the FARMS percentage in FCPS over the past 15 years has been lower than in the state of Virginia as a whole.  Loudoun is the only public school system of any size in Virginia with a lower FARMS rate than Fairfax.  Changes in the FARMS eligibility formulas may have something to do with the increase as well.  Families currently can have incomes that are 185% of the poverty level and qualify for assistance.

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Needs Based Staffing is current FCPS policy that allocates more resources (teachers, support staff and administrators - funding) to schools based on their FARMS percentage.  The changes in County population demographics are what they are, but these changes reflect in changing allocation of limited funds and resources between schools.  The School Board also determines whether and how to fund other identified needs.  As an example, spending on General Ed students has actually fallen (in inflation adj terms) over the past 5 years while spending on SpecEd and ESOL students has increased over the same period (all on a per pupil basis) - in large part a futile attempt to address the "achievement gap" (and to be responsive to organized groups advvocating and promoting special interests).  The allocation of funds as between the many programs and segments (GenEd, SpecEd, ESOL, AAP, AP, IB, TJHSS, arts, science, transportation, sports etc) is very much the purview of the School Board.  These allocations and entitlements, and seeking more pay and benefits for teachers, staff and administrators, are largely what challenges the School Board.  The net result is that increasing FARMS enrollment, under current FCPS policies, is diverting significant funds, and this is becoming more widely understood and advocates are devising and implementing actions to protect and advance their interests and concerns.  Normal stuff...[/quote]

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