Anonymous
01/23/2026 10:14
Subject: How would you cut the budget?
Anonymous wrote: . . .
2. Cut all GT centers except TJ. Cut gifted resource teachers.
5. Cut all math specialists at the elementary level
. . .
8. Push LLIV up to fourth grade, instead of third.
We really need to get the budget under control so we can give raises to teachers. This will help with retention.
This plan is likely illegal. It is also unethical.
AAP (gifted and talented) students are SPECIAL NEEDS.
Public schools are required to provide an appropriate education for students at all levels; that includes advanced levels. Your proposals 2, 5, and 8 are horrendously bad.
Anonymous
01/23/2026 09:33
Subject: How would you cut the budget?
Anonymous wrote:
I'd like to see French, Spanish, Chinese, and ASL at as many schools as possible.
The issue is finding Chinese and ASL teachers. We always have openings but never enough applicants
The teachers have to be certified. That requires courses in education.
I taught in a DOD school in Germany. The high school German teacher was an American teacher because the teacher had to be certified. Kind of ironic, since there was certainly no lack of well-educated Germans in the area.
Anonymous
01/23/2026 09:24
Subject: How would you cut the budget?
I'd like to see French, Spanish, Chinese, and ASL at as many schools as possible.
The issue is finding Chinese and ASL teachers. We always have openings but never enough applicants
Anonymous
01/23/2026 09:23
Subject: How would you cut the budget?
Anonymous wrote:1. Cut gatehouse staffing by 50%. Cut superintendent salary in half as well.
2. Cut all GT centers except TJ. Cut gifted resource teachers.
3. All high schools teach the same three languages: Spanish, French, and Chinese
3. Only two low-income schools would host IB, one on each side of the county
4. Cut all language at the elementary level
5. Cut all math specialists at the elementary level
6. Phase out computers at the elementary level. Go back to the lab model.
7. And high school class with fewer than 18 people.
8. Push LLIV up to fourth grade, instead of third.
We really need to get the budget under control so we can give raises to teachers. This will help with retention.
#3 - how does limiting language choice save money? Students will still take a language so we'd just need more Spanish, French, and Chinese teachers, while firing those who teach the other languages. If they have enough students for full classes sign up (22+) then keep the language
#5 Elementary reading and math specialists are crucial. These are the people who are working with students to get them up to grade level.
Anonymous
01/23/2026 08:58
Subject: Re:How would you cut the budget?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:How does cutting elementary language (immersion?) save money? Those students will be in classes that still need to be staffed.
DP. Pretty sure you have extra teachers. It also affects staffing ratios--instead of distributing the teachers evenly among the classes, you have shifts.
In our school, each grade level 1-6 has two classes of immersion students. They “flip” between teachers, but it seems if they weren’t in immersion each class would still need a teacher. Maybe it would save because some would’ve going back to base schools which might not tip the need for another class?
That may be true, but it still results in "shifts" between the immersion and non-immersion classes. The principal cannot just say "I have x many kids in first grade and five teachers. So, we will divide the number by five." If 1/3x is immersion, the principal cannot divide them five ways.
This is also true for AAP/GenEd. Principals have to allot the teachers accordingly. That is why in some schools the AAP classes may be very large, while GenEd is small and vice versa in other schools.
This likely also affects a principal's willingness--or non-willingness-to principal place kids in AAP.
This has always applied to allotting teachers among grade levels. That is why some grades have bigger classes than others.
Anonymous
01/23/2026 08:43
Subject: How would you cut the budget?
Anonymous wrote: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.
+1
Anonymous
01/23/2026 07:38
Subject: How would you cut the budget?
Anonymous wrote:The 2027 budget ask last night by Reid is now $4.1 billion, a $197 million (5% increase) over last year, with that $197 million being due to union collective bargaining agreements. That’s a 57% increase ($1.5 billion) increase over the past 10 years, even though there are fewer students than 10 years ago. And the school board voted to give principals, supervisors, and admin collective bargaining rights last night.
I'm glad we're all paying the meals tax so liberals can waste more money on the bloated school system.
Anonymous
01/23/2026 07:01
Subject: How would you cut the budget?
The 2027 budget ask last night by Reid is now $4.1 billion, a $197 million (5% increase) over last year, with that $197 million being due to union collective bargaining agreements. That’s a 57% increase ($1.5 billion) increase over the past 10 years, even though there are fewer students than 10 years ago. And the school board voted to give principals, supervisors, and admin collective bargaining rights last night.
Anonymous
01/14/2026 19:12
Subject: How would you cut the budget?
Anonymous wrote:1. Cut gatehouse staffing by 50%. Cut superintendent salary in half as well.
2. Cut all GT centers except TJ. Cut gifted resource teachers.
3. All high schools teach the same three languages: Spanish, French, and Chinese
3. Only two low-income schools would host IB, one on each side of the county
4. Cut all language at the elementary level
5. Cut all math specialists at the elementary level
6. Phase out computers at the elementary level. Go back to the lab model.
7. And high school class with fewer than 18 people.
8. Push LLIV up to fourth grade, instead of third.
We really need to get the budget under control so we can give raises to teachers. This will help with retention.
I'd like to see French, Spanish, Chinese, and ASL at as many schools as possible.
Anonymous
01/14/2026 19:03
Subject: Re:How would you cut the budget?
Anonymous wrote:How does cutting elementary language (immersion?) save money? Those students will be in classes that still need to be staffed.
DP. Pretty sure you have extra teachers. It also affects staffing ratios--instead of distributing the teachers evenly among the classes, you have shifts.
In our school, each grade level 1-6 has two classes of immersion students. They “flip” between teachers, but it seems if they weren’t in immersion each class would still need a teacher. Maybe it would save because some would’ve going back to base schools which might not tip the need for another class?
Anonymous
01/14/2026 18:26
Subject: Re:How would you cut the budget?
How does cutting elementary language (immersion?) save money? Those students will be in classes that still need to be staffed.
DP. Pretty sure you have extra teachers. It also affects staffing ratios--instead of distributing the teachers evenly among the classes, you have shifts.
Anonymous
01/14/2026 18:17
Subject: How would you cut the budget?
Anonymous wrote:1. Cut gatehouse staffing by 50%. Cut superintendent salary in half as well.
2. Cut all GT centers except TJ. Cut gifted resource teachers.
3. All high schools teach the same three languages: Spanish, French, and Chinese
3. Only two low-income schools would host IB, one on each side of the county
4. Cut all language at the elementary level
5. Cut all math specialists at the elementary level
6. Phase out computers at the elementary level. Go back to the lab model.
7. And high school class with fewer than 18 people.
8. Push LLIV up to fourth grade, instead of third.
We really need to get the budget under control so we can give raises to teachers. This will help with retention.
1. How are you arriving at 50%? What’s the breakdown?
4. How does cutting elementary language (immersion?) save money? Those students will be in classes that still need to be staffed.
Anonymous
01/14/2026 16:53
Subject: How would you cut the budget?
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.
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.
Anonymous
01/14/2026 16:33
Subject: How would you cut the budget?
1. Cut gatehouse staffing by 50%. Cut superintendent salary in half as well.
2. Cut all GT centers except TJ. Cut gifted resource teachers.
3. All high schools teach the same three languages: Spanish, French, and Chinese
3. Only two low-income schools would host IB, one on each side of the county
4. Cut all language at the elementary level
5. Cut all math specialists at the elementary level
6. Phase out computers at the elementary level. Go back to the lab model.
7. And high school class with fewer than 18 people.
8. Push LLIV up to fourth grade, instead of third.
We really need to get the budget under control so we can give raises to teachers. This will help with retention.
2. Cut all GT centers except TJ. Cut gifted resource teachers.
3. All high schools teach the same three languages: Spanish, French, and Chinese
3. Only two low-income schools would host IB, one on each side of the county
4. Cut all language at the elementary level
5. Cut all math specialists at the elementary level
6. Phase out computers at the elementary level. Go back to the lab model.
7. And high school class with fewer than 18 people.
8. Push LLIV up to fourth grade, instead of third.
We really need to get the budget under control so we can give raises to teachers. This will help with retention.
Anonymous
01/14/2026 16:17
Subject: How would you cut the budget?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I'd prefer that we collectively pay more local Fairfax County taxes than that we cut funding for our public schools.
If that money were allocated to actually help the students and school-based teachers, I'd agree. However, money is being used for upper management and non-school- based positions that have minimal impact on bettering students' education or helping teachers.
Having an entire department of people whose job is to train teachers how to run meetings with other teachers is a complete waste of money. Having an entire department whose job is to visit schools and tell teachers how to write better goals on their whiteboard is a complete waste of money.
This.
The educators running FCPS have been out of the classroom much too long. They forget what schools are for.