Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Fairfax County schools have sunnier budget outlook
Fairfax County schools have sunnier budget outlook: "The dire forecast for Fairfax County's schools brightened after state lawmakers approved a budget last weekend that funnels new resources to local schools."
2010 General Assembly Session Highlights
2010 General Assembly Session Highlights: "
This is a document prepared by the Virginia Division of Legislative Services that describes some of the major legislative actions taken by the General Assembly during our regular session of 2010: http://dls.state.va.us/pubs/hilights/2010/Highlights2010.pdf
Highlights2010"Fairfax School Board shrinks budget request
Fairfax County school officials decreased their budget request to county supervisors by $80 million Tuesday, but spikes in class sizes and cuts to sports programs remain on the table as they grapple with funding for the county's so-called crown jewel.
Superintendent Jack Dale told supervisors the school board is no longer seeking an $82 million bump in funding from the county, as the school board requested last month. Instead, the school system will use more than $100 million saved in contributions to the Virginia Retirement System — the state General Assembly eased payment requirements for counties in the budget it approved Sunday -- to fill gaping holes for a school system routinely cited as the magnet for county residents.
Coupled with an expected surge in state funding, school officials say the budget isn't as dire as feared and requested the county maintain the money provided this year.
"We're plugging next year's budget with one-time money," said Dale, warning of fluctuations in the state's formula for determining school aid.
Still, some supervisors said the school board isn't doing enough to fix its financial woes, while Northern Virginia's largest suburb is poised to lay off police, slash library hours and gut bus routes serving thousands of residents.
"I don't think they've done an honest assessment on the school side," said Supervisor Pat Herrity, R-Springfield. "It's just throw out some popular programs and wait for the money to show up."
Under the school board's budget, most summer school programs would be eliminated, supplies and textbook funding cut by 15 percent, and employee salaries frozen.
School board members say if the county slashes schools funding by $16 million -- as County Executive Anthony Griffin proposed last month -- class sizes could grow.
Under the proposal, the county would spend $9,277 per student, down from $9,660 in fiscal 2009. It would mark the third straight year of budget cuts, highlighted by increasingly cramped classrooms, fewer Advanced Placement options and special education reductions.
Supervisors are scheduled to hold budget hearings next month, when they are expected to adopt Dale's $2.3 billion budget.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Fairfax-superintendent-tells-county-schools-need-less-money-87885267.html#ixzz0iSTE2ZvC
Superintendent Jack Dale told supervisors the school board is no longer seeking an $82 million bump in funding from the county, as the school board requested last month. Instead, the school system will use more than $100 million saved in contributions to the Virginia Retirement System — the state General Assembly eased payment requirements for counties in the budget it approved Sunday -- to fill gaping holes for a school system routinely cited as the magnet for county residents.
Coupled with an expected surge in state funding, school officials say the budget isn't as dire as feared and requested the county maintain the money provided this year.
"We're plugging next year's budget with one-time money," said Dale, warning of fluctuations in the state's formula for determining school aid.
Still, some supervisors said the school board isn't doing enough to fix its financial woes, while Northern Virginia's largest suburb is poised to lay off police, slash library hours and gut bus routes serving thousands of residents.
"I don't think they've done an honest assessment on the school side," said Supervisor Pat Herrity, R-Springfield. "It's just throw out some popular programs and wait for the money to show up."
Under the school board's budget, most summer school programs would be eliminated, supplies and textbook funding cut by 15 percent, and employee salaries frozen.
School board members say if the county slashes schools funding by $16 million -- as County Executive Anthony Griffin proposed last month -- class sizes could grow.
Under the proposal, the county would spend $9,277 per student, down from $9,660 in fiscal 2009. It would mark the third straight year of budget cuts, highlighted by increasingly cramped classrooms, fewer Advanced Placement options and special education reductions.
Supervisors are scheduled to hold budget hearings next month, when they are expected to adopt Dale's $2.3 billion budget.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Fairfax-superintendent-tells-county-schools-need-less-money-87885267.html#ixzz0iSTE2ZvC
Fairfax officials outline deep cuts under VA budget
As local governments continue to pore over the General Assembly's new budget to assess the impact for the next two years, the early reviews were mixed, at least in Fairfax County.
Fairfax schools superintendent Jack Dale told county supervisors Tuesday that despite a decision to unfreeze a key school-funding formula that would have cost the county even more, Virginia's largest school district will still have to cut back almost across the board. And he expressed concern that the cuts spelled out by the budget are likely to far outlast the two-year budget cycle.
"These are permanent," Dale said. "Nothing's coming back in two years."
Facing net reduction of $47.8 million and rising enrollment, the district will have to trim more than 200 jobs, particularly among administrative and custodial staff, close an alternative high school, eliminate summer school, charge high school student athletes $100 to play a sport, boost the cost of renting school facilities for community uses, and freeze teacher salaries. Central office staff alone will shed nearly 100 jobs, saving the district $7.2 million.
But schools officials and county officials also panned a central component of lawmakers' strategy for saving money by reducing contributions to the state's retirement plan. The state will contribute only about half of what it was set to contribute next year.
County supervisor Jeff McKay, a Democrat representing the Lee district, called General Assembly's fiscal maneuvers "shenanigans," and Deputy County Executive Edward Long called it "gamesmanship." They agreed underfunding pensions now amounts to borrowing from the future. State and local governments will have to make up for the underfunding beginning in fiscal 2013, which for Fairfax County would mean coming up with about $70 million.
But Dale, appearing at a meeting with the school board and the Board of Supervisors, said the outcome could have been worse.
If the General Assembly had gone ahead with former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's proposal to freeze the local composite index, or LCI, Fairfax County would have received $61 million less. By recalculating that index and restoring the funds, the school district's proposed budget will not have to increase class size as school administrators initially planned. The district will also be able to spare about 400 jobs.
County supervisor John W. Foust, a Democrat representing the Dranesville district, said he was grateful the General Assembly and Gov. Robert F. McDonnell agreed to unfreeze the LCI, but he said education and human services were still severely unfunded. The changes to the Virginia Retirement System worry him more.
"I think they are creating a very serious potential crisis for our state by grossly underfunding the VRS," Foust said. "They're failing to meet the needs of the community. And we didn't even talk about transportation."
-- Fredrick Kunkle
Fairfax schools superintendent Jack Dale told county supervisors Tuesday that despite a decision to unfreeze a key school-funding formula that would have cost the county even more, Virginia's largest school district will still have to cut back almost across the board. And he expressed concern that the cuts spelled out by the budget are likely to far outlast the two-year budget cycle.
"These are permanent," Dale said. "Nothing's coming back in two years."
Facing net reduction of $47.8 million and rising enrollment, the district will have to trim more than 200 jobs, particularly among administrative and custodial staff, close an alternative high school, eliminate summer school, charge high school student athletes $100 to play a sport, boost the cost of renting school facilities for community uses, and freeze teacher salaries. Central office staff alone will shed nearly 100 jobs, saving the district $7.2 million.
But schools officials and county officials also panned a central component of lawmakers' strategy for saving money by reducing contributions to the state's retirement plan. The state will contribute only about half of what it was set to contribute next year.
County supervisor Jeff McKay, a Democrat representing the Lee district, called General Assembly's fiscal maneuvers "shenanigans," and Deputy County Executive Edward Long called it "gamesmanship." They agreed underfunding pensions now amounts to borrowing from the future. State and local governments will have to make up for the underfunding beginning in fiscal 2013, which for Fairfax County would mean coming up with about $70 million.
But Dale, appearing at a meeting with the school board and the Board of Supervisors, said the outcome could have been worse.
If the General Assembly had gone ahead with former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's proposal to freeze the local composite index, or LCI, Fairfax County would have received $61 million less. By recalculating that index and restoring the funds, the school district's proposed budget will not have to increase class size as school administrators initially planned. The district will also be able to spare about 400 jobs.
County supervisor John W. Foust, a Democrat representing the Dranesville district, said he was grateful the General Assembly and Gov. Robert F. McDonnell agreed to unfreeze the LCI, but he said education and human services were still severely unfunded. The changes to the Virginia Retirement System worry him more.
"I think they are creating a very serious potential crisis for our state by grossly underfunding the VRS," Foust said. "They're failing to meet the needs of the community. And we didn't even talk about transportation."
-- Fredrick Kunkle
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Local Counties prepare for brutal cuts in services
"In Virginia, area leaders say they have heard a chorus of pleas from residents to raise taxes rather than slash more services.
"The message they gave us loud and clear was 'If you have to raise taxes, do it,' " said Sharon Bulova, chairwoman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. " 'We don't want to see the quality of education and other services decrease.' "
Fairfax County, which has a similar operating budget as Montgomery, is facing a $257 million shortfall -- the most severe in Northern Virginia -- forcing officials to consider dozens of layoffs, including police officers, eliminating bus routes and doling out $98 million less than the county's school board requested.
Sinking home values are hardly a reprieve for taxpayers, as counties are proposing higher property taxes to fill the coffers left emptied by plunging assessments."
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Region_s-residents-face-major-cuts-in-service_-higher-taxes-87524377.html#ixzz0iFhdADum
"The message they gave us loud and clear was 'If you have to raise taxes, do it,' " said Sharon Bulova, chairwoman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. " 'We don't want to see the quality of education and other services decrease.' "
Fairfax County, which has a similar operating budget as Montgomery, is facing a $257 million shortfall -- the most severe in Northern Virginia -- forcing officials to consider dozens of layoffs, including police officers, eliminating bus routes and doling out $98 million less than the county's school board requested.
Sinking home values are hardly a reprieve for taxpayers, as counties are proposing higher property taxes to fill the coffers left emptied by plunging assessments."
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Region_s-residents-face-major-cuts-in-service_-higher-taxes-87524377.html#ixzz0iFhdADum
Fairfax County Superintendent Jack Dale on Kojo Namdi NPR show
Jack Dale discusses FY11 proposed budget and impact to school system
House, Senate pass Virginia's two-year spending plan
House, Senate pass Virginia's two-year spending plan: "The General Assembly passed a two-year $82 billion state spending plan tonight that includes deep cuts to education, health care and public safety as legislators struggled to offset a $4 billion budget shortfall. 'I cannot recall a budget that was a tough as this one,' Finance Committee Chairman Charles J. Colgan (D-Prince William) told his colleagues, noting he's been a conferee for 19 years. The Senate passed the budget 34-6; the House passed it 73-23. Lawmakers have been dealing the worst economic downturn in decades. 'Despite the fiscal challenges we faced, the House and Senate conferees started the conference committee with a shared commitment to approving a state budget that does not contain a tax increase,'' House Appropriations Chairman Lacey Putney (I-Bedford) said. Funding for schools will drop $646 million over the next two years; the state will also cut more than $1 billion from health programs. Class sizes will"
Obama and NCLB: The good--and very bad--news
Obama and NCLB: The good--and very bad--news: "George Bush could have not realized how much of a friend President Obama would be to his No Child Left Behind initiative. Obama bashed NCLB when he was running for president, saying that obsession with high-stakes standardized tests was no way to run an education system. But Saturday we learned the vision that Obama and his education secretary, Arne Duncan, have for the post-NCLB era, and, unfortunately, it doesn’t look much different.
State will dip into pension fund, repay with 7.5% interest
State will dip into pension fund, repay with 7.5% interest: "Virginia is taking away more than $620 million that would have been paid toward state employee and teacher pensions, but the state is leaving an IOU. Beginning in 2013, the state will have to repay the money to the Virginia Retirement System over 10 years, with 7.5 percent interest. The provision, sought by the state Senate and included in the joint budget adopted by the General Assembly yesterday, is aimed at easing jitters over the decision to defer state and local payments to pension plans for the portion of future retirement liabilities that aren’t funded by the system."
Lawmakers approve two-year, $70 billion budget
Lawmakers approve two-year, $70 billion budget: "The 2010 General Assembly adjourned yesterday, one day later than scheduled, after speedy approval by weary lawmakers of a $70 billion-plus budget-balancing plan. The budget doesn’t raise taxes, prunes spending for education and health care, and erases a $4.2 billion shortfall with new fees and a giant cash grab from the public-employee pension."
Some victories, much pain in Va. General Assembly session
Some victories, much pain in Va. General Assembly session: "RICHMOND It's hard to find anything positive about a Virginia General Assembly session where the main business at hand was cutting $4 billion in public services to balance the budget.
Schools, health care, public safety lose millions in Va. budget
Schools, health care, public safety lose millions in Va. budget: "RICHMOND -- The Virginia General Assembly adjourned its annual legislative session Sunday evening after adopting a two-year, $82 billion budget that cuts millions from education, health care and public safety -- curtailing state spending more aggressively than any in generations while fulfilling the...
State Budget Takes Shape on Session's Final Day - WTVR
State Budget Takes Shape on Session's Final Day - WTVR: "
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 Roanoke Times | State Budget Takes Shape on Session's Final Day WTVR "If you take these state cuts, to make up for them in [wealthy] Fairfax County you only have to raise taxes two cents. In Lee County, which is our poorest ... Budget deal reachedThe Virginian-Pilot all 40 news articles » |
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