Reply to How would you cut the budget?

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[quote=Anonymous]FCPS keeps asking for more money.

In 2026 alone, the county is adding about $180 million for schools.
That is on top of
$460 million school bond approved in November 2025
$435 million school bond approved in November 2023
$360 million bond approved in 2021

Instead of piling on more taxes and debt, we should look at what is driving costs.

Over the past 20 years, FCPS has seen explosive growth in ESOL enrollment and Hispanic enrollment.
ESOL students made up a small share of FCPS in the early 2000s. Today, more than one in four FCPS students speaks a language other than English at home, and ESOL enrollment has more than doubled.
Hispanic enrollment has grown from under 10 percent of FCPS to roughly one third of the system.

This growth did not happen by accident.

Independent estimates suggest roughly 7,000 to 9,000 FCPS students are undocumented, costing about $150 million to $190 million per year at roughly $21,000 per student.
In addition, an estimated 11,000 to 22,000 US born students live with at least one undocumented parent, adding another $230 million to $460 million per year.

Many of these students qualify for above average services like
ESOL instruction
Free meals through FARMS
Additional aides, specialists, and support staff

Those services cost thousands more per student beyond the average.

All in, annual school spending tied to households with undocumented adults likely exceeds $400 million and could approach $700 million per year.

Before asking taxpayers for more money and more bonds, county leaders should enforce existing laws and address the enrollment pressures already driving costs.

You cannot tax your way out of a problem you refuse to acknowledge.[/quote]

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