Schools

Candidates' Take: Is FCPS Overfunded? Underfunded?

School board candidates sound off on FCPS funding.

Editor's Note: Even though Fairfax City residents cannot vote for Fairfax County School Board members, the decisions made by the county school board affect curriculum, resources and staffing in city schools. Fairfax City schools are run by FCPS through a services contract the city has with Fairfax County.

Seven candidates will vie for three at-large seats on the Fairfax County School Board in the Nov. 8 elections. 

Patch took six questions  and sent them in a survey to all at-large candidates. All but candidate Lin-Dai Kendall got back to us with their answers.

Find out what's happening in Fairfax Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This series will look at how the candidates responded to each question.

Question: Is FCPS underfunded, overfunded, or properly funded at the current level?  Explain.

Find out what's happening in Fairfax Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

And the responses? Three of the candidates were reluctant to comment on FCPS' funding status without seeing the results of an audit. Other candidates believe that the school system is underfunded, with most of their blame settling on the "unfair" distribution of state funds.

None of the candidates said FCPS is overfunded.

Read on for full responses.

----------------

Ted Velkoff: "Not only is state education underfunded, the available funds are distributed in a manner that is unfair to Fairfax County citizens."

FCPS is underfunded.  The Federal Government imposes many unfunded mandates on our schools.  The Commonwealth of Virginia underfunds education at all levels – in our universities (the result of which is that our universities limit the number in-state students in order to make up the difference with out-of-state students paying higher tuition); in our K-12 schools; and in pre-K (where many of our neediest children go without needed preparation for public schools).  Not only is state education underfunded, the available funds are distributed in a manner that is unfair to Fairfax County citizens.  Because the Commonwealth uses a formula called the Local Composite Index (LCI), our county gets back about 24 cents for every dollar it pays in.  The burden for making up the rest of the school system budget (about 75% of $2.2B) falls on the citizens of Fairfax County.  Because Virginia is a Dillon Rule state and the taxing authority of the Board of Supervisors is limited, the tax burden falls heavily on property owners in Fairfax County. 

------------------

Ilryong Moon: "FCPS is underfunded."

FCPS is underfunded. We currently have one of the best school systems in the country—a wonderful investment in the future economic viability of our county. To maintain a school system of such a high standard is indeed expensive, and because of the state’s budget formula, Fairfax schools do have to rely considerably more on local funding than most Virginia schools. But, funds directed into FCPS are an investment, not a waste. Even residents without children in the school system see returns in their property values, and we all benefit when fortune 500 companies choose to relocate here in part due to the quality of our schools.

Since 2009, FCPS has sustained about half a billion dollars in cuts to state and local funding. This rate, if continued over the long or medium term, will jeopardize our ability to maintain a school system of this caliber—and to reap the benefits from it. Teachers must be competitively compensated and happy with their work environment. We need to be able to provide the individualized learning that is only possible in small classes. Special education programs need to be returned to their full and fair funding. Due to demographic changes, inflation and other variables, the cost of educating our students is higher today than it was four years ago. A flat transfer will not do.

The restrictions on capital funding are a major issue as well. We currently have unmet facility needs throughout the county.  Aging buildings go unrepaired while students are kept in trailers. Particularly with the low interest rates and construction costs of the moment, right now is an exceptional time to increase capital improvement funding in order to take advantage of the long-term savings that taking action now provides.

--------------------

Ryan McElveen: "As our student population increases, school funding should increase proportionately."

FCPS is properly funded, but as our student population increases, school funding should increase proportionately. We cannot expect to provide the same quality education when our schools are bursting at the seams, our students are forced to eat lunch on hallway floors and our teachers face stagnant salaries. This is why voters should vote to approve the school bond and elect leaders who will fight during the budget process to ensure our schools receive necessary funding and avoid candidates who pledge not to raise taxes. The simple fact is the School Board doesn’t set tax rates. 

--------------------

Steve Stuban: FCPS' funding is comparable to other school systems, but there's no way of knowing if over/underfunded without an audit.

This is difficult to assess definitively without access to detailed financial and operational information for FCPS.  That said, according to the Washington Area Boards of Education (WABE) guide, FCPS seems to be funded at a comparable level to other school systems in our area (although WABE had no information on Montgomery County as a benchmark).  However, as FCPS's current auditing function is apparently limited to a checkbook balancing exercise only -- as opposed to one that validates program requirements as well as the efficiency of mission implementation – I cannot at this point say with certainty whether our educational system in Fairfax County, as a whole, is under-, over- or properly funded.  As a Board member, I would lead my colleagues to establish a very small, but highly effective, Inspector General (IG)/Auditing team that reports directly to the Board.  This team would, among other things, provide concrete analysis to the board about the efficacy of all FCPS programs.

--------------------

Lolita Mancheno-Smoak: An independent audit would help FCPS reallocate funds for better results.

It may not be “properly” funded at the current level due to a myriad of factors, as it depends on one’s perspective. FCPS’s $2.2 billion budget consumes 53 cents of every county tax dollar. The 75% of county residents, who do not have children in the public schools, may feel the schools receive a sufficient share of county resources. Whereas, parents with children in crowded classrooms, may feel differently. Currently FCPS does not get a fair share of state funding from Richmond, as it receives about 20% of its funding from the state while other school districts in Virginia receive about 70%. The state education funding formula (Local Composite Index) takes into account gross local wealth factors, but doesn’t factor in that many of Fairfax County’s growing urban poor are children enrolled in the public schools. I will fight for a greater share of state funding from Richmond.  

Furthermore, there has not been a baseline cost assessment of the efficacy and efficiency of major programs or functions over the past ten years against their originally established performance metrics in order to objectively determine if desired results have been achieved for the level of investment. This fundamental void in financial accountability and oversight beckons the immediate need for an independent, FCPS audit function that reports directly to the School Board with the ability to conduct program evaluations and financial audits that may uncover alternative ways to reallocate funds for improved results.

--------------------

Sheree Brown-Kaplan: "We have no real accountability for the annual $2.2 billion public investment in FCPS."

It is difficult to assess the adequacy of the current funding because the School Board provides virtually no oversight of the FCPS bureaucracy and has abdicated much of its authority to the superintendent through Strategic Governance – its management model. As a result, we have no real accountability for the annual $2.2 billion public investment in FCPS. The next School Board must obtain an independent audit to ensure these funds are being used effectively in the education of our children and to gain improvements in areas such as class sizes and outcomes for all students. Program reviews are another critical component in this assessment to ensure funds are maximized for their intended outcomes. We need to be sure our education dollars flow primarily to the classroom where they can most benefit our teachers and students. Central administration costs increased more than 23% between 2004 and 2011 while our student population has only increased 7%. It appears there has been too much focus on Gatehouse and not enough on the schoolhouse.

-------------------

Check Patch again for more questions and answers.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here