What would you do if you were in charge of closing a projected $80 million deficit for Fairfax County Public Schools?
FCPS is inviting citizens to log into a its new budget proposal tool, which went live on Wednesday. Citizens can slash and protect programs and positions in a scenario that looks at a $50 million deficit for FCPS or a $75 million deficit. FCPS Superintendent Karen Garza says all suggestions will go to the Budget Task Force.
The budget software was used by Arlington Public Schools and given to FCPS for free, school board At-Large member Ryan McElveen said.
What seems like a number-focused video game is quite real, however. Garza came to South Lakes High School Wednesday night for a community meeting about the projected shortfall for the 2017 Fiscal Year, how the budget gap happened — though it is down from a projected $100 million — and why citizens need to take it seriously.
“We have cut almost a half-billion since 2008,” said Garza. “2017 is likely to be one of our most challenging budget years yet. There are going to be very, very difficult decisions to make.”
The FCPS Budget Task Force spent the summer looking at all possibilities — from increasing class size (which has already happened three times in recent years) to charging for AP/IB tests and sports participation to reducing athletic and arts programs to going to a six-period (instead of seven) high school day.
Even all-day kindergarten, which was a gradually implemented and hard-fought addition for FCPS in recent years, is on the task force menu. Going back to half days would save $39 million.
There was no discussion about specific program cuts on Wednesday. There will be a series of town hall-type meetings later this fall, said Garza.
The Superintendent says most of the gap is “out of our control.” Increasing enrollment, increasing need for special programs such as English as a Second Language, increased health care costs, raises for staff and contributions to the state retirement fund are among the top cost drivers, she said.
FCPS gets about 70 percent of its $2.6 billion (2016) budget from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, who has said to expect about a 3 percent increase for 2017, said Garza. Without knowing the state contributions or other exact funding numbers, the county deficit alone will be about $55 million, she said.
For 2017, FCPS would like to give incremental step raises and a 1.5 percent cost-of-living raise to teachers. The school system will likely increase by 2,300 students, said Garza.
FCPS reps also showed a video (attached to this post) putting the deficit in simple terms.
Hunter Mill School Board Member Pat Hynes, who serves as school board chair, says everyone should take the shortfall seriously.
“We are now looking at a projected $80 million gap,” she said. “But I cannot support another budget that freezes pay or increases class size. It is early in the process, but we need to know what the shortfall will be and how to make it up. We are taking a lot guesses on the state and Board of Supervisors contributions.”
South Lakes PTSA President Andy Sigle said he thinks the revenue side of FCPS should get together with the spending side much earlier in the process. Read More
A long-tabled plan to build a senior citizens housing development at 2222 Colts Neck Road may be getting ready to be resurrected — with some changes. The site’s owners, approved years ago to build senior citizen independent living apartments, now hope to amend that plan and build some apartments, along with an assisted living facility.
The site of the former United Christian Parish church was approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for the independent living apartments in 2007. But with the housing downturn and general economic slowdown occurring soon after, the plan never got started.
However, developer Colts Neck Road LLC recently filed plan changes for the 4.3-acre site across from Hunters Woods Village Center.
The company filed a Development Plan Amendment, a Proffered Condition Amendment and a Planned Residential Community Plan Amendment to revise the approval of 210 independent living units to allow for 119 of the approved independent living units to be replaced with an assisted living facility.
United Christian Parish formerly had three sites in Reston, but over the last decade has sold two of them. One is the site on Colts Neck. The other, on Ridge Heights Road, became Sunset Hills Montessori’s headquarters. The remaining one is at 11508 North Shore Drive.
The Colts Neck site is also located close to the Hunters Woods Fellowship House, senior citizen independent living that is subsidized by the Fellowship Square Foundation.
Reston has two current assisted living facilities — Sunrise Assisted Living on Fountain Drive and Tall Oaks Assisted Living. There is no skilled nursing care facility in Reston after Cameron Glen Care Center closed in 2014.
Colts Neck Road LLC will have to take its new plans to the Fairfax County Planning Commission, as well as the Board of Supervisors and Reston Association’s Design Review Board, for approval. No hearing dates have been set.
A 42-year-old Reston man was killed early Wednesday when his Volvo ran off the road and hit a tree near Newport News, Virginia State Police said.
Authorities said Charles Carroll Roder III was driving westbound on I-64 about 3:55 a.m. when the crash occurred, the Daily Press reported.
Roder suffered major injuries and was taken to Riverside Regional Medical Center, where he died from his injuries, chpolice said.
Roder was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the accident, police said.
Art Has An Impact — Art Reston’s Joe Ritchey, who will be honored this fall by Americans for the Arts for his commitment to public art here, recently wrote about how public art spurs economic development. [Americans for the Arts]
Bite Me Cancer Benefit — The second annual Bite Me Cancer for Lifetime fundraiser will take place Friday 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Life Time Athletic in Reston. The whole family is invited to use the outdoor pool, try some demos of spin and exercise classes and other healthy activities (adults will also receive a free seven-day pass to the club). Bite Me Cancer, founded by Nikki Ferraro, whose parents are active in the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, supports teens with cancer. [Bite Me Cancer]
Cross Country Kudos — South Lakes High School’s girls varsity team finished second and the boys teams finished sixth and 10th out of 30 schools in the Chancellor High School Cross Country Invitational in Fredericksburg. SLHS sophomore Alex Koukili won the developmental (JV) boys race and it was his first high school cross country race.
Pope Will Affect Metro — Pope Francis will be in Washington, DC., Sept. 22 to 24. Plan now for how that might affect your Metro commute. [Metro]
Fairfax County Police are investigating a burglary and stolen car that happened Tuesday night on Pine Cone Court in Reston.
Police said a resident of the 11500 block of Pine Cone Court, near South Lakes Drive, arrived home about 9:40 p.m. and observed a family member’s vehicle being driven away by an unknown male.
Preliminary investigation showed that the suspect had entered the residence and taken the keys to the vehicle, police said.
The vehicle was located by responding officers not far from the residence, unoccupied.
The suspect was described as a white male with a tan complexion and wearing a baseball hat.
In other crime news from the Reston District Station:
LARCENIES
- 1500 block of Chatham Colony Court, property from vehicle.
- 12000 block of Cheviot Drive, backpack from vehicle.
- 2900 block of Franklin Oaks Drive, license plate from vehicle.
- 12900 block of Highland Crossing Drive, beverages from business.
- 2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, merchandise from business.
- 11900 block of Market Street, merchandise from business.
- 11600 block of Plaza America Drive, merchandise from business.
- 2000 block of Royal Fern Court, wallet from vehicle.
- 1800 block of Wiehle Avenue, beverages from business.
South Lakes High School is one of five Fairfax County Public High Schools that is taking part in a pilot program that allows students to ride Fairfax Connector buses for free as an option for getting to and from school and from school to afterschool jobs.
Students can get a special pass from the school system if their parent or guardian signs an agreement/permission form.
The ID cards will allow students to ride the Fairfax Connector (not Metro) buses for free from 6 a.m . to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The buses can accommodate bicycles.
As the new school year gets underway, Girls on the Run, a national program for girls in third through eighth grades, is holding registration at five Reston Schools.
Dogwood, Aldrin, Lake Anne, Armstrong and Forest Edge Elementary Schools will host the after school program, which integrates running with life lessons to develop confidence and character for young women.
New for 2015: Girls on the Run NOVA is offering discounts for active duty and retired military families. In addition, the organization is bringing back special discounts for families registering two or more siblings. Financial aid is also available based on household income.
Registration is open on the Girls on the Run NOVA website until Sept. 21, 2015. There is also still time to start a team at other schools, says the nonprofit organization.
The Girls on the Run program is a 10-week season run by trained volunteer coaches who guide and mentor pre-adolescent girls. With lessons on positive self talk, healthy friendships, nutrition, and gratitude, Girls on the Run speaks to the challenges young girls face every day.
Northern Virginia is one of the most popular place for Girls on the Run, with more than 5,000 girls at more than 150 schools participating. In its 15-year history, Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia has directly served more than 50,000 girls, the organization says.
The program culminates in a regional 5K run in November.
The owners of the Lake Anne Brew House are calling on the community to get involved in the nanobrewery that will open this fall at Lake Anne Plaza.
Melissa and Jason Romano, who have been renovating space at 11424 Washington Plaza since last spring, expect to open Reston’s first nanobrewery in October.
They have started a Kickstarter campaign, offering would-be contributors perks from a special mug to a beer named after them.
“Our dream is to create a place for community, just like [Reston founder] Bob Simon did,” Melissa Romano says in a promotional video (see above).
As of Tuesday, the Romanos have 61 backers and have raised more than $11,000, well on the way to their goal of raising $15,000. While the Romanos have invested lots of money in the endeavor, Melissa Romano says an additional $15,000 will allow them to purchase more equipment and better serve customers.
Here’s what you get for various contribution levels:
$25 – Light Beer Contributor — Invitation to opening night and a Lake Anne Brew House car sticker.
$40 – Malt Liquor Contributor — Name on the Wall of Fame, sticker, opening night invitation, special Lake Anne Brew House Executive Founders Club signature pint glass for home use.
$75 – Pale Ale Contributor — Name on the Wall of Fame, sticker, opening night invitation and special Executive Founders Club T-shirt.
$100 — Imperial Stout Contributor — Name on the Wall of Fame, sticker, opening night invitation, special Lake Anne Brew House Executive Founders Club signature pint glass for home use and special Executive Founders Club T-shirt.
$125+ – Two For the Road — Two signature logo pint glasses and a Founder Club stainless steel 32-oz. growler (with initial fill up at pick up).
$150+ – Beer Appreciation Event — Entry to a special tour and into to brewing event.
Click through to the Kickstarter page to see high-level perks, such as sponsoring a tap or what you have to contribute to get a brew designed just for you.
Susco 8K is Sept. 19 — Registration is now open for the Susco 8K race on Sept. 19 at South Lakes High School. The annual event is named for 1999 SLHS grad Tim Susco, who died of a brain aneurysm while working in Hollywood in 2007. Proceeds benefit the Brain Aneurysm Foundation and the Washington Regional Transplant Community. [Susco 8K]
Reminder: FCPS Budget Discussion at SLHS Tonight — A community meeting concerning cuts in order to meet a projected $100 million gap in the 2017 budget takes place at South Lakes High School at 7 p.m. Wednesday. [Reston Now]
Community ‘Filled The Boot’ — Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel raised a record $616.040.44 over Labor Day weekend in the annual “Fill the Boot” campaign to help Muscular Dystrophy.
Sheriff Deputies Won’t Face Charges In Inmate Death — Commonwealth Attorney Raymong Morrogh says Fairfax County Sheriff’s Deputies will not be prosecuted in the death of inmate Natasha McKenna. McKenna, who suffered from mental illness, died last winter after being tasered in police custody. [Washington Post]
Photo: Lake Anne Jazz Fest at night/Credit: Watkins Hamlett via Facebook
Registration is still open for Reston Association’s fourth annual Rally for a Cause Tennis Tournament Sept. 19 and 20 at Lake Newport Tennis.
Entry is $30, and proceeds go to the charity of your choice: the USTA Foundation’s Warrior Tennis, which develops curriculum for rehabilitation through tennis for wounded, ill and injured military service members; or Cornerstones/Laurel Learning Center in Reston.
The event will feature brackets for 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 and above players, competing in men’s and women’s doubles and singles matches. Entry guarantees each player two matches with awards, raffle prizes and participation t-shirts.
Entry is open to all tennis players, regardless of USTA membership.
Last year’s event hosted 70 players and raised $3,750 for our charity organizations, Reston Tennis says.
or more information, email [email protected] or visit www.restontennis.org.
Photo courtesy Reston Tennis via Facebook
After more than a year of renovations (and renovation setbacks), Red’s Table finally opened its doors at South Lakes Village Center over the weekend.
The locally owned spot is open daily at 4 p.m. for dinner service. Lunch service begins on Sept. 28, and Saturday and Sunday brunch will be begin on Oct. 3, said co-owner Ryan Tracy.
Ryan — along with brothers Matt and Pat — have been working on the restaurant at the former Lakeside Inn space since early 2014.
Ryan Tracy says Red’s Table gets as much locally sourced meat, produce and other products as possible. Red’s also bakes its breads and desserts in-house.
Specialties of the house: craft beer on tap; oysters; grass-fed steaks; and a large selection of small plates/ appetizers.
And of course, there is the setting. In addition to gutting the inside, the Tracys opened up the part of space overlooking Lake Thoreau for a large outdoor dining deck. Watch for the deck to be open through the fall — but know that the outdoor space closes at 10 p.m. nightly due to its location close to residential neighborhoods.
The inside space remains open until midnight Sunday through Wednesday and until 2 a.m. Thursday to Saturday.
It could be a long afternoon rush hour on “Traffic Tuesday” — even on public transportation.
Just after 2 p.m., Metro said it is having problems on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines and that it has suspended train service on part of those lines.
Trains are not servicing stations between the Smithsonian and Farragut West stops. Crews were already single tracking in that area due to track work. But a train had a brake problem at the McPherson Square station and became disabled, causing the bigger delay.
As of 2:30 p.m., crews were working to move the disabled train off the line at McPherson Square. Metro says expect delays of at least 20 minutes in both directions.
“Traffic Tuesday” usually refers to the day after Labor Day, when most school buses return to the roads and commuters return in full force after staggered weeks of summer vacation.
The dock diving dogs are returning to Lake Anne Plaza this weekend.
The Chesapeake Dock Diving Dog Club will hold a demonstration Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. (and will return again on Oct. 17).
The dogs, who perform extreme leaps and jumps into the lake, were last at Lake Anne in May.
That exhibition, as well as the upcoming ones, are part of a partnership with Lake Anne Plaza’s PetMAC Marketplace and Pet Adoption Center.
PetMAC will also have adoptable dogs from New Love Rescue and Homeward Trails available on Saturday, as well as “Ask the Trainer” with Kissable Canine.
There will also be representatives from various pet product businesses such as The Hope Center Advanced Veterinary Care Center and locally-made Golden Nugget Dog Treats; as well as samples of Fromm, Weruva, Answers, Stella & Chewy’s, K9Naturals, Zignature, Wild Calling and The Bear and The Rat probiotic frozen yogurt for dogs.
Chesapeake Dock Dogs/Chesapeake Dock Dogs via Facebook
The 2015-16 school year gets underway Tuesday morning in Reston and the rest of Fairfax County.
More than 188,000 students will return to Fairfax County Public Schools classrooms.
It’s the first day of the new bell schedules for high schoolers. After studying and discussing the topic for several years, the Fairfax County School board voted to make the switch beginning in 2015-16.
The School Board made the switch citing research from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The research showed school schedules should be aligned with the biological sleep rhythms of adolescents in order to improve their mental and physical health and academic performance.
Most Fairfax County high schools will now start at 8:10 a.m. (formerly 7:20 a.m.) and end the school day at 2:55 p.m. Middle schools will now begin at 7:30 a.m. Most elementary schools have been only slightly adjusted.
In Reston, students at Sunrise Valley and Terraset Elementary schools will return to vastly renovated classrooms. Both schools have been in the midst of major renovations for more than a year. The projects are expected to be finished later this school year.
Student at Forest Edge Elementary will have a new principal, Leona Smith-Vance.
Two new science-and-tech-based private schools, Ideaventions Academy and School for Tomorrow, are also opening in Reston for the 2015-16 school year.
And even though the 2015-16 school year is just beginning, FCPS is in the midst of gaining community feedback for the 2017 budget. FCPS Superintendent Karen Garza says the system may face a deficit of $100 million if cuts are not made. The board is considering everything from cutting certain sports and arts programs to eliminating staff positions to cut costs.
Beginning Wednesday, community members will be able to submit specific proposals for how to balance the budget using a “Budget Proposal Tool” available at www.fcps.edu/SaveFCPS. The proposals submitted via the Budget Proposal Tool will be shared with the Budget Task Force for their review prior to making a recommendation to the Superintendent in October. The information will also be shared with the Superintendent and School Board.
There will also be a community meeting on the budget Wednesday at South Lakes High School, 7 p.m.
SLHS Band At Your Door — Saturday is the annual Tag Day for the South Lakes High School Band Boosters. Band members will be walking door-to-door in Reston-area neighborhoods asking for donations. The band’s goal is to raise $30,000 for new instruments, student scholarships, and musical instruction. You can also donate on the band’s website. [SLHS Band]
Updated County Suicide Prevention — Fairfax County now has a textline to get help in a mental health crisis. Text the word “CONNECT” to the number 855-11, and a helper will respond in minutes. [Fairfax County]
It’s Football Season — South Lakes High School football got off to a big start on Friday, defeating Marshall 52-8 on the road. Herndon High was shut out by Fairfax 22-0.
