Updated 11 a.m. Friday to clarify raise information.
The Fairfax County Public School Board adopted a $2.6 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2016 on Thursday, which will allow for small pay increases for all employees.
The raises — though very small at 0.62 percent — are still bigger than FCPS has been able to give in recent years. Schools spokesman John Torre said all eligible employees will get a step salary increase along with the 0.62 market scale scale adjustment. Combined, it will be about a 3.1 percent increase.
Superintendent Karen Garza said earlier FCPS needed additional money to give a market scale increase of 1 percent. The FY 2016 budget is an increase of $53.9 million, or 2.2 percent, over the FY 2015 Approved Budget.
The budget includes an increase in the Fairfax County transfer to the School Operating Fund of 3.2 percent, or $56.7 million, above the FY 2015 Approved Budget, which is $14.0 million less than requested in FCPS’ Advertised Budget, FCPS said.
The shortfall will be partially offset by an increase in state aid and a reduction in the employer contribution to the Virginia Retirement System, FCPS says.
The board still needed to slash an additional $7.6 million, which they say was achieved by reducing the planned 1.0 percent market scale adjustment for employees.
“This year’s revenue shortfall did not allow us to provide the full 1.0 percent market scale adjustment for employees that we had hoped we could fund, however, we remain resolved and dedicated to have employee compensation competitive with our neighboring school districts,” School Board Chair Tammy Derenak Kaufax said in a statement. “It is critical that we attract and retain the talented and skilled workforce necessary to support the increasing educational needs of our growing student population.”
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors passed its budget three weeks ago. In it, they approved a $2 billion transfer for Fairfax County Public Schools. That amount was a $66.7 million increase over 2015 but still about $14 million short of what FCPS says it needs for programs and teacher raises.
Garza said then that the supervisors were “unconcerned” about FCPS.
“Supervisors are sending a clear message that they are unconcerned about the increasing challenges of our students, our teachers, and our schools,” said Garza. “The supervisors refused to fully fund our budget for the 2015-16 school year (FY 2016), when faced with a nominal $7.6 million deficit. We have grave concerns as to what will happen in the 2016-17 (FY 2017) school year when we face a devastating shortfall of more than $100 million.” Read More
The Fairfax County Public Schools Board voted on Thursday to add gender identity to its non-discrimination policy.
The 10-1 (with one abstention) vote came in a packed hearing room at Luther Jackson Middle School, where testimony was interrupted by applause, boos, and other noise from an impassioned capacity crowd.
The FCPS board voted last fall to include sexual orientation in its policy after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to allow gay marriages in Virginia and other states. In March, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring issued an opinion that grants local school boards the authority to include sexual orientation and gender identity in non-discrimination policies.
The motion to add protections for transgender students, teachers and employees was introduced by At-Large board member Ryan McElveen. McElveen says it is important for the largest school system in Virginia to make a statement “that we unequivocally protect, value and embrace all of our students and employees for who they are.”
National statistics show about half of transgender teens have attempted suicide once before they turn 20. McElveen said that number was crucial in his reasons for introducing the transgender protection.
The new policy states that “no student, employee, or applicant for employment in the Fairfax County Public Schools shall, on the basis of age, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, marital status, or disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity, as required by law.”
At Thursday’s meeting, Springfield board rep Elizabeth Schultz, the lone dissenter on the board, made a motion to give the proposal some more time before voting.
“[That] a class of individuals may hurt another in a bathroom is not the issue,” she said, pointing out the concern that the protections has been oversimplified by some in the community as an issue about coed bathrooms.
“How those rights are protected has not been addressed by this board. … We have no information about the potential cost [of implementation]. It is fiduciary malfeasance to undertake anything without understanding the germane costs of such action.”
Providence member Patty Reed, who abstained from the vote, said the quick process to move the motion through “has been troubling and embarrassing.”
Prior to the vote, the board heard testimony from 10 citizens on the subject — the maximum allowed at a FCPS meeting that is not officially a public hearing.
The speeches ranged from fears of sex crimes against children to support for the board providing the same rights for students and employees as federal and state laws.
Freddy Burgos, who has three daughters in FCPS, said the motion undermined First Amendment rights “by institutionalizing that boys and men can dress like girls in school.”
He also said the distraction of transgender students will lower performance, and that will harm minorities. Read More
The Fairfax County Public Schools Board will take action Thursday on protection for transgender students under its non-discrimination policy.
The motion, introduced by At-Large board member Ryan McElveen, states that “no student, employee, or applicant for employment in the Fairfax County Public Schools shall, on the basis of age, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, marital status, or disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity, as required by law.”
In March, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring issued an opinion that grants local school boards the authority to include sexual orientation and gender identity in non-discrimination policies.
The FCPS board voted 11-1 last fall to include sexual orientation in its policy after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to allow gay marriages in Virginia and other states.
McElveen has said it is important for the largest school system in Virginia to make a statement “that we unequivocally protect, value and embrace all of our students and employees for who they are.”
National statistics show about half of transgender teens have attempted suicide once before they turn 20. McElveen said that number was crucial in his reasons for introducing the transgender protection.
McElveen has heard from parents who fear the protection could lead to coed bathrooms. Andrea Lafferty, president of the Traditional Values Coalition told the Washington Post that the policy would endanger children.
“So you are going to put people with serious mental-health issues that are at a risk for suicide in our classrooms?” Lafferty said. “What you’re going to have in class are she-males — people who are half-female and half-male. We ask that you protect our children. They deserve to be protected.”
McElveen’s proposal has been met with opposition from traditional values groups and from state delegates Robert G. Marshall (R) and David LaRock (R), who say the school board does not have the right to create protected classes.
Reston’s Del. Ken Plum (D), who has fought for LBGT rights in Richmond, says he is proud of the school board for taking on this issue.
“They could ignore it or put it off on the agenda,” he said. “I admire that they are not. There have been amazing advances on LBGT issues, and I think out schools ought to build on that and move forward.”
A Reston parent of a transgender teen who graduated last year said he is pleased with the potential policy change.
“I am certainly in favor or such a policy change,” said the parent, whose name is not being used for privacy reasons.
Photo: Ryan McElveen/Courtesy FCPS
Terraset Elementary School’s lower grades moved into their new classrooms this week, more than a year after renovations began at the 37-year-old school.
When the work is complete, the school will have more than 100,000 square feet of new offices, art and music rooms, classrooms and parking areas. The new Terraset will expand from a capacity of 600 students to around 900.
The new library and lower grades wing is done, featuring lots of windows, natural light and — new at this open-concept school — doors for a quieter classrooms.
The lower grades had been housed on the other side of the school while the new wing was built. The upper grades have been having classes in 23 trailers on school grounds since last school year, said school principal Lindsay Trout. The upper grades will move back into the school when renovations are completed in 2016, she said.
Reston’s Sunrise Valley Elementary is also in the midst of an overhaul that should be done next year.
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Karen Garza calls the approval of the Fairfax County 2016 Budget “disheartening.”
The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday passed the $3.8 billion Fiscal Year 2016 budget.
Real estate taxes for Fairfax County residents remain unchanged, at $1.09 per $100 of assessed value.
The Supervisors (who passed the budget with a 7-3 vote) approved a $2 billion transfer for Fairfax County Public Schools. That is a $66.7 million increase over this year’s school transfer from the county but still about $14 million short of what FCPS says it needs for programs and teacher raises.
Garza minced no words in reacting to the budget news.
“Supervisors are sending a clear message that they are unconcerned about the increasing challenges of our students, our teachers, and our schools,” she said in a statement. “The supervisors refused to fully fund our budget for the 2015-16 school year (FY 2016), when faced with a nominal $7.6 million deficit. We have grave concerns as to what will happen in the 2016-17 (FY 2017) school year when we face a devastating shortfall of more than $100 million.”
“The entire Fairfax County community has a critical decision to make: either we invest the necessary funds in our students and schools, or we will have to work together to decide what to cut – and we cannot cut our way to excellence.”
Garza said that growing enrollment combined with budget cuts will force the school system to “take a serious look at the programs that we must cut starting in the 2016-17 school year.”
Garza predicts a $100 million budget shortfall for the schools in 2017.
“These cuts will likely affect all current academic programming including limiting elective choices, reducing career and technical programs, impacting advanced offerings, and again raising class sizes at all levels,” she said, adding that those decisions will come as soon as December 2015.
Added Garza: “Since 2008, we have cut 2,175 positions and nearly a half-billion dollars from our budget affecting every school and department. We have fallen so far behind in teacher salaries that we are no longer competitive and are losing talented staff to neighboring school districts. Our teachers are the reason FCPS students excel and achieve. Losing our most experienced teachers will have a significant effect on student performance and will ultimately affect the reputation of FCPS.
The school board will adopt its 2016 budget on May 21.
Karen Garza/file photo
Class sizes in Fairfax County Public Schools elementary schools could see a cap in the near future.
FCPS’s School Board is looking into class size caps for elementary schools starting next school year. The proposal would limit classes to 27 students for grades 1-3 and 30 students for grades 4-6.
The school system has no set maximum class size, but classes in some area schools have pushed beyond 30 students in a cost-savings measure in recent years.
It was a popular complaint by Reston-area parents when FCPS Superintendent Karen Garza brought her Superintendent’s Listening Tour to Hunters Woods Elementary School in December.
“This is a major, major issue,” one Aldrin Elementary School parent told Garza. “My daughter’s math class is 36. Teachers have gone above and beyond the call of duty. At some point, they are going to be tapped out and can only go so far.”
State regulations allow up to 30 students per class in grades 1-3 and up to 35 students in 4-6.
Last year, the school system approved increased class sizes in order to balance the budget deficit. FCPS allowed for an additional 0.5 students per teacher for elementary and middle schools and 1.0 student per teacher for high schools. The changes allowed FCPS to cut 225 teaching positions, whcih saved $16.4 million.
But that was the third time since 2009 that ratios have been raised in order to save money.
The FCPS average elementary school has 23.5 students, the school system says. Out of 3,505 elementary classes countywide, 393 (11 percent) are above the proposed class size ceilings, according to an analysis by The Fairfax Times.
The school system’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2016 shows $3.1 million to support smaller class sizes. The School Board will present its budget to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 7.
School Board At-Large Member Ryan McElveen says smaller classes will allow decrease teacher workload an enable FCPS to put additional resources towards classrooms with the greatest needs.
“As financial resources have become scarcer and scarcer over the past few years, we’ve had to rely on increasing class size to balance our budget,” he said. “And, to no one’s surprise, those years of cuts have created oversized classes, particularly at the elementary level where class size has the greatest impact on student achievement.
“FCPS decided to institute class size caps to provide a universal standard that allows us to target resources to schools with high class sizes using our staffing reserve without disadvantaging those classrooms with higher percentages of FRM and ESOL students,” said McElveen. “By working to slowly bring class sizes back down to a manageable level, we will help decrease the workload of our overburdened teachers and also allow for increased differentiation and individual attention, which is so important particularly for our younger students.”
Kindergarteners at Lake Anne ES/file photo
The new bell schedule for Fairfax County Public Schools in coming into focus for the 2015-16 school year.
After years of discussion, the school board approved a new bell schedule last October in order for high school students to get extra sleep time. Instead of starting at 7:20 a.m., high schools will begin between 8 and 8:10 a.m.
Most elementary schools will only be slightly adjusted, but middle schoolers will be seeing an earlier start.
The change will benefit more than 57,000 high school students representing more than 30 percent of FCPS’ student population, the school system said.
The school system says transportation teams are working on bus schedules and parents will receive information on bus schedules during the summer.
Here are the bell schedules for Reston schools in 2015-16:
Elementary Schools
- Aldrin 9:20 a.m. to 4:05 p.m.
- Armstrong 8:55 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.
- Crossfield 9:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Dogwood 8:50 a.m. to 3:35 p.m.
- Forest Edge 8:50 a.m. to 3:35 p.m.
- Fox Mill 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Hunters Woods 8:55 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.
- Lake Anne 8:50 a.m. to 3:35 p.m.
- Sunrise Valley 9:20 a.m. to 4:05 p.m.
- Terraset 9:20 a.m. to 4:05 p.m.
Middle Schools
- Herndon 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
- Hughes 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
High Schools
- Herndon 8:10 a.m. to 2:55 p.m.
- South Lakes 8:10 a.m. to 2:55 p.m.
- Thomas Jefferson 8:40 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Fairfax County Public Schools are looking into the waiver in Virginia state law that could allow school to begin here prior to Labor Day.
But don’t cut your summer vacation short just yet.
FCPS officials said that if the system has one more day of school cancelled this year due to inclement weather or an emergency situation — the 11th of the year — the district could apply to the state for a waiver, allowing FCPS to begin school the week prior to Labor Day.
The school system has applied for the waiver in the past to no avail.
FCPS has drafted an alternative calendar in order to give parents and community members an idea of what the calendar would look like if school began on Monday, August 31, and end on Thursday, June 16, 2016.
The alternative calendar is not currently under consideration by the Fairfax County School Board. Any change in the proposed 2015-16 calendar that the School Board will consider at its business meeting on Thursday, March 26, would require further School Board approval, school officials said.
FCPS does not currently qualify for a waiver. In order to apply for a waiver, a school district needs to average eight full days of school lost due to inclement weather, energy shortages, power failures, or other emergency situations in five of the previous 10 years.
The school system said FCPS students missed four days during the 2006-07 school year; 10 days during the 2009-10 school year; four days during the 2010-11 school year; 11 days during the 2013-14 school year; and 10 days during the current school year.
To qualify for the waiver, FCPS must be closed a total of 11 full days during the current school year.
Last year, the board eliminated early release Mondays for elementary school students, which added instructional time and allowed the system to build-in up to 13 allowable snow days.
FCPS follows the Virginia “Kings Dominion” law, a 1986 Virginia statute that mandates school start in September. When the law was passed, it was helped along by the tourism industry, which said it needed students as staffers (and families to keep on vacationing) through Labor Day. Thus, the amusement park moniker.
In almost every Virginia General Assembly session, bills are introduced asking for local school districts to be allowed exemptions from the rule to make their own calendar. In the 2014 session, a Virginia Senate committee passed over a bill that would have allowed local school boards to open for classes before Labor Day. The bill, sponsored by Del. Tag Greason (R-Loudoun), passed easily in the House. In 2015, a bill to repeal the law also failed.
After the 2013-14 school year, which saw 11 snow days and extra days added the end of the school year, the school board voted not to pursue a waiver.
Fairfax County remains under a Winter Storm Warning through Thursday night.
Fairfax County Public Schools have canceled school Thursday as 4 to 8 inches of snow may fall in Northern Virginia.
From FCPS:
All Fairfax County public schools and offices will be closed March 5 (Condition 1).
The following activities in schools and on school grounds are canceled:
extracurricular activities
interscholastic contests
team practices
field trips
middle school after-school programs
professional learning and training courses
adult and community education classes
recreation programs and community use by outside groups not affiliated with FCPS
School age child care (SACC) centers are closed.
More of the dreaded wintry mix is headed towards Reston this afternoon — which may make for a messy commute and early school closings.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the entire Washington, D.C., area from noon until 10 p.m. Tuesday. Forecasters say expect snow, sleet and freezing rain as temperatures hover right around freezing.
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Karen Garza issued this statement late Monday:
At this time, we anticipate an on-time start for school tomorrow, March 3, 2015, as we strive to resume our regular academic calendar.
However, the National Weather Service is forecasting the possibility of freezing rain or sleet for tomorrow and this could result in an early dismissal of classes or the cancellation of after school and/or evening activities in FCPS schools or on school grounds.
Please monitor the FCPS website and Facebook and Twitter accounts, plus local media, and expect to receive a Keep in Touch message should we need to dismiss early or cancel after-school events.
Thank you for working with us as we continue to cope with this difficult winter weather.
Other area schools systems have also told parents to be on the lookout for early closings.
Fairfax County Public Schools will be closed Thursday. This is a change from an announcement the school system made at 5 a.m. saying the schools would have a delayed opening.
From FCPS:
Based on current conditions and the forecast, FCPS is changing its operating status today, Feb. 26, to the following:
All Fairfax County public schools will be closed today. School offices and central offices will open four hours late, to be opened by 12 noon (Condition 5) with an unscheduled leave policy in effect for 12-month employees.
The following activities in schools and on school grounds are canceled:
- extracurricular activities
- interscholastic contests
- team practices
- field trips
- middle school after-school programs
- professional learning and training courses
- adult and community education classes
- recreation programs and community use by outside groups not affiliated with FCPS
- School age child care (SACC) centers are closed.
Fairfax County employees can take unscheduled leave. The courts will be open, the county said.
The area remains under a Winter Weather Advisory until noon Thursday.
Fairfax County Public Schools will open two hours late on Monday due to the expected re-freeze of slushy roads.
From FCPS:
All Fairfax County public schools will open two hours late tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 23, 2015. School offices and central offices will open on time.
Morning preschool (special education) classes are canceled.
Afternoon preschool classes start on their regular schedule.
Full-day preschool (special education) and Family and Early Childhood Education Program/Head Start classes start two hours later than the regular schedule.
Morning field trips are canceled.
SACC centers will open at 7:00 a.m.
Morning transportation for high school academy classes is canceled. Transportation for
afternoon academy classes will be provided.
Adult and community education classes will start on time.
More winter weather is heading our way on Saturday.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Reston and the Metro D.C. area. Fairfax County Public Schools has canceled all Saturday activities on school grounds.
The NWS says there may be a mix of sleet, snow and freezing rain from 9 a.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Sunday. That includes an accumulation of 1 to 3 inches of snow, as well as a coating of ice, says the NWS.
Snow is expected to start early Saturday afternoon into the evening, then mix with sleet before changing to freezing rain.
That forecast has caused FCPS — which had three snow days this week — to cancel activities. Among the cancelations:
- extracurricular activities
- interscholastic contests
- team practices
- field trips
- professional learning and training courses
- adult and community education classes
- recreation programs and community use by outside groups not affiliated with FCPS
- testing
The Fairfax County Park Authority says all FCPA-sponsored classes and events held in FCPS facilities are also canceled, but RECenters and other FCPA facilities will be open normal business hours.
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Karen Garza apologized Thursday for the “inconvenience that any of these delays caused to our students and families” as many school buses in Reston ran late on the bitterly cold day.
About 55 of the schools system’s 1,200 school buses — mostly in Reston and Herndon — were delayed at least 15 minutes during single-digit cold on Thursday morning, Garza said in a statement posted on the FCPS Facebook page and also sent to families.
Thursday was the only day this week that FCPS students had school. Monday was the Presidents Day holiday. Tuesday and Wednesday were snow days, though most snow of a 3.5-inch snowfall fell Monday and Tuesday. Friday was canceled due to temperatures expected to hover near zero in the morning.
This was the second time this school year Garza explained the thinking of the school system. In early January, FCPS was loudly criticized for holding school despite a snowstorm and dangerous driving conditions.
On Reston Now’s Facebook page, many readers lamented Fairfax County’s planning.
“They shouldn’t close for cold on some days and have school on time on other, equally cold days,” reader Arielle Masters wrote.
Added Staci Little Ford: “Damned if they damned if they don’t. But. .. they need to set certain weather rules as far as temperatures go. With road conditions needing to be the most important part of the equation.”
Here is the statement from Garza:
Thank you for your patience as we work through historic low temperatures and wind chills.
You should be receiving separately our official announcement that FCPS schools will be closed tomorrow because of the extreme weather. This has been a challenging week contending with the first major snowstorm of the winter followed by record-breaking cold temperatures and wind chills.
We decided to open schools on time today in an effort to bring some normalcy to our school day and to student and family schedules. We did experience some delays with our buses and fortunately the problems were not as widespread as we initially reported. We have about 1200 buses on the road each day and only 55 of our buses experienced delays of more than 15 minutes.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that any of these delays caused our students and families. The extreme cold weather forecast for tomorrow prompted us to close schools tomorrow.
Thank you for working with us. We look forward to warmer weather and a return to our regular schedule.
Karen K. Garza, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
FCPS Superintendent Karen Garza/file photo
Fairfax County Public Schools will be closed again on Friday, Feb. 20 due to the extreme cold.
Temperatures are expected to be in the single digits Thursday night into Friday — with a low of -18 below with the wind chill.
It will be the third “snow day” for FCPS this week. After Monday’s holiday, there was no school Tuesday or Wednesday. School went on as usual Thursday despite very cold temperatures. However, there were bus delays in Reston.
From FCPS:
All Fairfax County public schools will be closed tomorrow, Feb. 20 (Condition 2). School offices and central offices will open on time with an unscheduled leave policy in effect for 12-month employees. The following activities in schools and on school:
- extracurricular activities
- interscholastic contests
- team practices
- field trips
- middle school after-school programs
- professional learning and training courses
- adult and community education classes
- recreation programs and community use by outside groups not affiliated with FCPS
School age child care (SACC) centers are closed.
