The Bottom Line -January 13, 2012

Q: I’ve heard that the state may repeal the “Kings Dominion Law” which specifies that the school year begins after Labor Day. If that happens, will FCPS begin classes in August next school year?

A: In its current form, the “Kings Dominion Law” prohibits school districts in Virginia from starting school before Labor Day without a waiver. Many school divisions across the state have expressed a desire to establish their own school calendar, believing that adding more time at the beginning of the school year will help more students achieve on state Standards of Learning (SOL) tests and national exams like Advance Placement and International Baccalaureate, all of which are given on a fixed schedule.

Adding classroom time to the calendar before these exams would give teachers more time to teach, and students more time to learn.

Pending action by the 2012 General Assembly, the “Kings Dominion Law” could be repealed or revised. The FCPS School Board has indicated that they will monitor the issue, but have no plans to modify the start date timeframe for the 2012-13 school year. Should the law be repealed, the Board will likely examine options for the following school year beginning in 2013.

Heard a rumor? Want the facts? E-mail it to thebottomline@fcps.edu, and we’ll respond to the most frequently mentioned rumors in upcoming issues.

Budget Fact

Student achievement has always been FCPS’ highest priority. Nearly 86 percent of funding and more than 94 percent of positions are allocated to instructional programs.

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January 13, 2012

FCPS Superintendent Proposes FY 2013 Budget, Adds Positions to Address Student Enrollment Growth

Welcome to The Bottom Line, a publication that will be sent to all FCPS parents and employees while the budget for the 2012-13 school year (FY 2013) is proposed, discussed, and approved. It contains the latest budget news, facts, dates, and rumor busters to help the FCPS community better understand the budget and the budget process.

On January 12, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Jack D. Dale released the school system’s FY 2013 Proposed Budget of $2.4 billion, an increase of 9 percent, or $202.3 million, from the FY 2012 Approved Budget. The FY 2013 budget includes 721.3 new positions, most of which are being added to address rising enrollment—projected to be 181,608 students in FY 2013—and student demographic changes. Extended learning time for students and extended time for teachers are included in the budget, as are compensation increases for employees, in alignment with the Fairfax County School Board’s budget priorities.

“We have included a 2 percent market scale adjustment and a step increase for all eligible employees as well as a salary adjustment for custodian positions, which are being reclassified to market level,” stated Dale. “It is imperative FCPS stay competitive in the marketplace in order to continue to attract the best employees to support student success."

FCPS is projecting an increase of more than 3,900 students for the 2012-13 school year. Since FY 2008, the district’s enrollment has grown by more than 15,000 students. “We are seeing the greatest increases in the numbers of our students with additional needs,” the Superintendent explained. “Since FY 2008, the number of students enrolled in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) has risen 48.3 percent, and the number of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals is up 35.4 percent.” This fall, FCPS will open two new schools: a middle school at the South County site and an elementary school at the Lacey site.

The FY 2013 Proposed Budget includes the addition of 26 positions to address large class sizes and 12 positions to support the expansion of the World Languages program in elementary schools. Eight schools will add the Foreign Languages in the Elementary Schools (FLES) program, and two additional schools will implement the Foreign Language Immersion program. These schools will be determined in the spring of 2012.

The budget also includes funds to expand Pathways to the Baccalaureate, part of the College Success program, to four additional schools—Centreville, Chantilly, South County and Westfield High Schools—and to expand the program to 10th and 11th grades at Annandale, Edison, Falls Church, Lee, Mount Vernon, South Lakes, and Stuart High Schools and Hayfield Secondary School. The program works to develop college readiness and provide ongoing support to students who enroll in Northern Virginia Community College with the intent of transferring to a four-year Virginia college to earn a bachelor’s degree. Fairfax, Herndon, Marshall, and West Potomac High Schools also offer the College Success program.

The FY 2013 Proposed Budget includes an increase in state funding due to increasing enrollment and the state’s update to the Local Composite Index, however, federal revenue is decreasing due to the loss of one-time Federal Education Jobs funding.

FCPS receives the majority of its funding from Fairfax County and this year will request an increase of 8.4 percent over FY 2012. The projected cost per pupil for FY 2013 will be $13,654, an increase of 6.5 percent over FY 2012. The Washington Area Boards of Education ranks FCPS fifth among 10 area school systems in cost per pupil and shows that FCPS has the lowest percentage of leadership team and management positions in relation to total positions of all Washington area school systems for FY 2012.

The Fairfax County School Board will hold public hearings on the FY 2013 budget on January 30 and 31 at Jackson Middle School, 3020 Gallows Road in the Falls Church area of Fairfax County. Speakers may sign up at http://www.fcps.edu/schlbd/meetings/requestspeak.shtml.

For complete information on the FCPS FY 2013 budget, including the budget calendar, visit http://www.fcps.edu/news/fy2013.shtml.

Upcoming Important Dates

January 23	School Board Budget Work Session (Gatehouse Administration Center room 1600)
January 30, 31	School Board Budget Public Hearings (Jackson Middle School)
February 2	School Board Budget Work Session (Jackson Middle School)
February 9	School Board Adopts FY 2013 Advertised Budget
February 21	County Executive Releases FY 2013 Advertised County Budget
February 21	County Board of Supervisors Advertises Tax Rate
April 10-12	County Board of Supervisors Budget Public Hearings
April 10	School Board Presents Budget to County Board of Supervisors
May 1	County Board of Supervisors Approves the FY 2013 Adopted County Budget, Transfer Amount to Schools
May 10	School Board FY 2013 Approved Budget Presented for New Business
May 15, 16	School Board Public Hearings (Jackson Middle School)
May 17	School Board Budget Work Session (Jackson Middle School)
May 24	School Board Adopts FY 2013 Approved Budget
July 1	FY 2013 Begins

Want to Get Involved?

Learn more at the FCPS budget website at http://www.fcps.edu/news/fy2013.shtml.
Attend School Board meetings or watch them live on Red Apple 21.
Speak at a School Board public hearing (http://www.fcps.edu/schlbd/meetings/meetings.shtml).
Speak at a Board of Supervisors public hearing (www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bosclerk/speaker_bos.htm).

The Bottom Line is published by the FCPS Department of Communications and Community Outreach. Send your questions or ideas for future issues to thebottomline@fcps.edu.

Please Note: All FCPS employees and all FCPS parents who have registered e-mail addresses with their children's schools get The Bottom Line automatically. If you are not a member of one of these groups and want to receive copies of The Bottom Line, go to http://www.fcps.edu/kit/, create a KIT Plus subscription, and sign up for Current Issues or School Board News and Updates.