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Thursday, November 13, 2008

FCPS Superintendent Proposes Three-Tiered Plan of Budget Cuts to Address FY 2010 Shortfall

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Jack D. Dale has proposed a three-tiered plan of budget cuts to enable the school system to address a budget shortfall for FY 2010. The first tier represents a fiscally responsible budget that includes program and reduction efficiencies where possible without critically affecting instruction. Cuts in this tier would amount to $43 million.

The second tier would ask the Board of Supervisors to provide the same amount of funding as last year plus add funds to educate the 5,000 additional students expected to enroll in FCPS for the 2009-10 school year and to make up for anticipated decreases in state funding of nearly $50 million. This tier requires a cut of $123 million and a reduction of more than 775 positions.

The third tier assumes no increase in the amount of the county transfer of funds over last year and would require a cut of $219 million and a reduction of nearly 1,500 positions. 

The three budget tiers were presented to the Fairfax County School Board on November 10 and to the Board of Supervisors on November 14.

“This was an exhaustive process that included input from every corner of the school system as well as from the public,” says Dale.  “We went through our budget line by line to look for possible efficiencies and programs where we  would do the least amount of damage.  Whether you’re cutting tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, you cannot avoid having a negative impact on students, school services, and jobs for community residents.  Implementation of these cuts has the potential to affect student performance, services for all students, and the community as a whole.  Central support will be reduced by $29 million, but, even with those cuts, we will still be unable to cover the deficit without affecting instruction.”

If implemented, the Tier 1 cuts would eliminate the girls’ gymnastics program in high schools and reduce funding for middle school after-school initiatives.  The Changing Education Through the Arts program and the MentorWorks program would also be eliminated.  Counselors, social workers, and psychologists would see their caseloads increase.

In Tier 2, the Superintendent presents deeper cuts, including increasing class size by .5 student in elementary, middle, and high school and closing the planetariums.  Printed copies of the FamilyGram newsletter would no longer be available, and elementary school magnet transportation would end.  Employees would not receive a market rate adjustment.

The deepest cuts would occur in Tier 3, including increasing class size by a total of 2.5 students, discontinuing transportation to high school academies with buses that currently serve five or fewer riders, and increasing rental rates for schools as community-use facilities by 15 percent.  Salary step increments for employees would be delayed by six months, employees would be furloughed for one day, and bus service to gifted and talented centers would be reduced.

“Across the board, we are cutting funding for professional development, administrative staff members, and office supplies and making reductions in existing contracts for instructional personnel,” adds Dale.  “Many of the cuts we are taking will show up over time, such as not replacing obsolete office equipment, slower service, lack of curriculum-related information for parents, and older computers and buses.  Our central offices have absorbed significant reductions, and two of our largest departments, the Instructional Services Department and the Department of Special Services, are in the midst of significant reorganizations that will provide greater efficiencies but fewer services.

“If we must take the cuts outlined in Tier 3, it will take us decades to recover.  We hope that the School Board and the Board of Supervisors can, by working together, find a way to reduce the negative impact on our schools so that we can continue to provide the high level of service citizens have come to expect from Fairfax County Public Schools,” stated Dale.

Up-to-date information about the FY 2010 budget can be found at www.fcps.edu/news/fy2010.htm .

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Note:  For more information, contact the FCPS Department of Communications and Community Outreach at 571-423-1200.