School Budget Discussion

Re: School Boundaries

Let's play Devil's advocate here, OK?

Little Suzzie here, straight A student, but a little shy and is trying to get used to being in a new school wants to try Cheerleading for the social aspect of belonging to a "club" where her knowledge is not at a level to complete on the Varsity Squad. If the JV, Freshman programs are not there are her needs being met?

Little Jenny here, not understanding the Math and Science portions of her school work. Using the logic that has been posted on this thread about paying for sport programs, her parents could pay for a tutor to help her understand and learn how to study and retain the knowledge to improve her grades. Is there a difference?

 

Re: School Boundaries

Ok, first, I have spent thousands on tutors. Most parents of children who are struggling and / or have special needs, are paying thousands for various specialists. While I appreciate that someone wants to belong and try new things out, it can't be at the expense of education for those that need it most! Trust me when I say, I pay a lot less for my son to play soccer year round than I do for his tutors and other specialists he needs to succeed in school.

 

Re: School Boundaries

OH, and lets also not forget, class sizes will be getting bigger. That means, less time for helping each and every student out. Little Tommy was able to get by fine in school when he only had 21 kids in his class and was able to get his teachers attention. But now, there are 28 kids in his class and his teacher just doesn't have those extra few minutes to help him. But poor Little Tommy, who doesn't qualify for help, gets forgotten in the shuffle. Instead, the money goes to Little Tracy who thinks joining a team would be fun. Don't forget, Little Tommy could be your child, who never had any issues before in those small classes we used to know.

 

Re: School Boundaries

Flynn, Curiuos,
I agree with both of you as to the education needs of the students should be the priority. I was trying to throw out an another possible discussion point. Not trying to look like a troll and start anything.

Have a nice weekend!

 

Re: School Boundaries

Steve, how much does it cost for one cheerleading squad?

 

Re: School Boundaries

It's been interesting to read all the posts here. However you feel about the issues, please make your voice heard by emailing school board members or attending school board meetings. The most vocal constituents at this time are the parents of students at the four schools they are considering closing. If there are important programs to you, please let the county know. For example, if your child receives special education services, you may want to consider that one of the plans calls for cutting resource teachers, which could affect services for current students and eligibility for future students. Perhaps your child benefits from the reading teacher program...one of the tiers calls for a reduction of this program (and teachers).

You can find the list of upcoming meetings here http://cmsweb1.loudoun.k12.va.us/509759161361/cwp/view.asp?A=3&Q=532997&C=90400#. There is a full school board meeting this Tuesday.

 

Re: School Boundaries

I agree. Don't know about you, but I've cut to the bone. Time the school board and government did too!

 

Re: School Boundaries

Four more years and my kids will be OUT of public schools. I can't wait until I don't have to have some deranged school board or superintendent try to feather his nest with guilt, threats and innuendo.

College is easy. Either I have the money for it or the kid is going to have to pay for it.

 

Re: School Boundaries

just a note about the cheerleading thing: in the past cheerleaders have to pay about $600 after they tryout and make the team. This includes the cost of used uniforms that they return. They are also required to fundraise an additional amount of at least $200 each. This is for the fall (football) and winter (basketball, wrestling). so a cheerleader pays close to $2000, if she cheers both seasons. the coaches are teachers. Fall cheer starts Aug first and is 5 days a week, sometimes 2 a days. winter cheerleaders cheer a couple times a week plus practice. sure we could cut sports, especailly freshmen, BUT kids in sports are busy and not leaving cups of pee on door steps, damaging cars, writing on the walls in the tunnels, etc... Kids with lots of time on there hands, not good.
just my two cents

 

According to the document posted on LCPS website which details budget cuts at the tiered levels :

The $100 fee is per sport per participant (not per year). It is supposed to generate $385,000. However, the fee of $250 (per sport) included in the 15% tier also says it generates $385,000. What? Is this a typo or are they expecting sports enrollment to drop as the fee increases?

Cutting all freshman sports and all lacrosse teams saves $400,000. This is included in the 10% tier.

Just for comparison, eliminating all parent liaisons saves $630,000. This is also included in the 10% tier. Eliminating all assistant athletic directors (10% tier) saves $700,000. Are any of these above positions really necessary?

Just glancing through the document, the verbiage explaining various cuts is designed to make every cut seem extreme, to paint a dire scenario if something is eliminated.

 

Upon closer inspection, the sports fees will generate $385,000 per every $100 increase in per sport fee. So a fee of $200 should generate $770,000.

But just to clarify my point, which may have been missing...
The tiered list of cuts seems illogical and designed to be inflammatory rather than realistic. It doesn't appear to be based on priorities (first cut what doesn't truly add value to education). I hope the supervisors do not accept this at face value. Someone with common sense needs to juggle these individual budget cut options into difference tiers and have a decision based on what best serves the students. It benefits the superintendent to preside over a large budget, a fast-growing school system, a large staff, and many enhancement-type programs that can be flaunted. So he would not want to trim any of it. Hence the the scare tactics.

The sports fees and team eliminations directly impact students and families, so yes why should they shoulder the burden before staff reductions or reducing administrative waste? The fee increase will be felt profoundly by families who cannot afford to allow their child to try out for a team - and this is a public school system where each student should have equal opportunity. On the other hand, the elimination of parent liaisons would save just as much money and is not a staple of education as athletics are; this program is pure fluff designed to reduce "anxiety" as parents navigate the school system (per the LCPS document). So why isn't this budget item one of the first to go?

If push came to shove, the school district would scramble to rework this. No logical person would do cuts in this order. They are counting on the original budget being approved.

 

One thing to keep in mind about all of these budget cuts. When teachers/assistants/librarians/coaches are cut, we are talking about some Broadlands residents, not just school board fat cats. My husband and I moved our children her 8 months ago for the quality education of LCPS. My husband is a 15 year teacher, but first year with LCPS at Briar Woods. I left a job in the private sector to work in the schools to be home more with my children, to see them succeed. If both of us were to be cut, I am sure it would lead to us losing our home, more foreclosures, declined property values, etc....nothing good for the community.

We are asking that the residents of the county support Dr. Hatricks proposed budget, which has been revised since it was originally posted. There are no cost of living raises for any staff member of LCPS, and no step increases that go along with years of service. To go with that, we will see increased premiums for our healthcare as well as higher co-pays and lowered benefits. Are less teachers really the answer? I work at the high school level, and am in several classes where there are 25-30 students already, and enrollment projections are still going up every year due to larger student bodies in the lower grade schools.

Just something to think about.

 

My 2 cents....

If we decimate the school system, we'd be lowering all of our property values because no one will want to live her and send their kids to lesser schools than they could only a few miles across the county border with Fairfax.

I've seen this first hand with the community I grew up in. Willingboro/Levittown, New Jersey used to be a really wonderful place to live. In many respects, it reminds me of Broadlands. When I was a kid, every neighborhood had its own swimming pool and elementary school. There were events in the local parks like a Jazz Festival and Summer Fest. Lots of kids about and a friendly family feel.

In the 1980's, there was an influx of lower income families into the community who were lured there by realtors who knew they could not make the payments - thanks to a misused federal housing program. The houses went into foreclosure, were boarded up and many residents who could leave did.

The tax base eroded, there was less money for the schools and the schools declined - partially because of money but mostly mismanagement. The system has been taken over by the state (more than once I believe).

Houses in Willingboro still sell for thousands of dollars less than identical houses in other communities in New Jersey. The schools are terrible.

The houses are good quality, built well and if maintained, still in great shape. However, you wouldn't want to live in them because the schools are bad and the community has changed with gangs. You don't go out at night. I have one friend from high school who was shot in his own driveway, in the middle of the afternoon.

I'm not saying that is what would happen here in Loudoun County but it's a symptom of what can happen if you don't take care of your schools. I firmly believe that Willingboro would not have declined the way it has if the school system had remained strong.

While I think there are better places to make cuts (get rid of Math Investigations, cut back on Steps to Literacy where you have subs for each teacher for 16 days for training - and it's a lousy program for those who are on the higher end already knowing how to read, elementary guidance), according to Forbes, our school system is rather efficiently run.

I'm in favor of fulling funding the School Board's budget request.

 

Hence the problem....requesting a modest reduction in spending is referred by some as "decimating". 5-10% cuts can, in my opinion, be accomplished with little overall impact to the system. This school system has been getting everything they want for many years. It's time for a little belt tightening.
I support the 10% or 15% reduction.
If you equate dollars spent with quality of education, then you are thinking on the wrong track. After all, we all know the DC Public Schools are the best around, right?

 

Maybe scaling back a bit on the Superintendent's travel budget would save, and maybe scaling his salary back too.

 

He gets about $1000/month car allowance and is gone 3 months/year travelling!