MHS PTSA January 16, 2014

1. FCPS Budget is in Dire StraightsParent Input Needed to Prioritize FundingShort Term and Long Term MHS PTSA January 16, 2014

2. FCPS is in Dire StraightsBudget Request Is Increase of 2.4% Yr./Yr. • Fiscal Year 2014/2015 Budget request is for $2.5B , which is… • $59.4M increase or an additional 2.4% increase over 2014 adopted budget. • Of the $2.5B budget: • 85.5% Instructional costs • 5.6% transportation, • 4.4% facilities management • 4.5% General Support • FCPS General Support is 50% lower as a ratio of support/instructional staff than any of the other nine metro DC area school districts • Of the budget requested: 63% Salaries, 26% benefits, 11% Logistics/Infrastructure • These numbers do not include Capital Improvements funded through bonds: ANOTHER TROUBLE AREA Source: Dr. Garza Presentation to the School Board 1/9/14

3. FCPS had Limited Funding Sources • FCPS Funding Sources: • 69.8% Transfer from Fairfax County Board of Supervisors • personal property and real estate taxes • 15.7% State Aid • Other Virginia counties get 34.8% State Aid based on the Va. Dept. Of Education LCI score • LCI-Local Composite Index is calculated using three indicators of a locality’s ability-to-pay for their educational services: • True value of real property (weighted 50 percent) • Adjusted gross income (weighted 40 percent) • Taxable retail sales (weighted 10 percent) • Divided by the population in those areas • FCPS received $1855/pupil in state aid, while the state average was $3420/pupil • Are other areas being “dis-incented” to do more self-funding? • Are our students being short changed? • 7.5% Sales tax (1 1/8 cents of state sales tax is designated for education) • 5.7% other fees like out of county tuition, City of Fairfax, carry over, etc. • 1.7% Federal Aid Source: Dr. Garza Presentation to the School Board 1/9/14

4. Even If FCPS Gets the Increased Budget; All High Schools, Including MHS, Will Need To: • Increase class sizes • Decrease instructional staff and not hire the 350 additional teachers needed to accommodate enrollment growth • Create short term vs. permanent positions • Charge for AP testing • Increase fees for facility use Source: Dr. Garza Presentation to the School Board 1/9/14

5. Costs To Delivery High Quality Education Continue to Rise • FCPS is the largest school division in Virginia and the 11th largest in the country • Enrollment has increased 8.9% since 2009 (funding increase has only been 5.6%) • In the same time period: • Requests for help with housing, shelter, food, medical care, employment and other needs in Fairfax County have increased by more than 78% • ESOL population has increased 4% to 30,000 students • Students eligible for free/reduced lunch has increased 5% points to 50,000 • these students need more services/attention from our teachers and staff • However: cost per student has only increased .5% over the same period. Sources: Dr. Garza Presentation to the School Board 1/9/14. A Citizen’s Guide to Understanding the Budget Sept. 2013 John Foust Budget Task Force Report 2013.

6. Enrollment Is Expected to Continue to Increase: 15% over Ten Years MHS enrollment in 2011 was 1921. In 2013 it was 2076. In 2014, it is projected to grow to 2144 or +68 students yr/yr. Source: Dr. Garza Presentation to the School Board 1/9/14

7. In Addition to Enrollment Increases, Other Factors Impact the Bottom-line • Health care rate increases ($27M annually) • As Fairfax County real estate assessments are updated in 2014, our LCI will fall, potentially reducing our funding from the State • The one-time 2009 Federal Stimulus money given to the state for education has been spent • Increased contributions to the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) funding ($37M annually) • For almost 20-years the Virginia General Assembly underfunded this pension plan. In order to pay what was promised to employees they had to increase contributions from both school systems and employees. In fact FCPS teachers saw a net decline in their take home pay due to their mandatory contribution. This is a cost the FCPS does not control and cannot avoid. • In fact, FCPS teachers have not had a raise in over 5 years Source: Dr. Garza Presentation to the School Board 1/9/14

8. Within the Last Ten Years, FCPS Teacher’s Salaries Have Fallen from First in Ranking Teacher’s with Master’s Degrees FY 2014 Arlington $71,982 Alexandria City $70,808 Montgomery $67,723 Falls Church City $63,012 Prince William $60,662 Prince George's $60,188 Fairfax $59,590 Manassas City $58,562 Manassas Park City $55,879 Loudoun $55,078 Starting Teacher’s Salaries FY 2014 Arlington $47,282 Alexandria City $46,774 Fairfax $46,756 Loudoun $46,422 Montgomery $46,410 Manassas City $46,078 Prince William $45,370 Prince George's $44,799 Falls Church City $44,733 Manassas Park City $43,219 Maximum Teacher’s Salaries FY 2014 Arlington $109,078 Prince William $106,448 Alexandria City $106,197 Manassas Park City $103,656 Montgomery $103,634 Manassas City $103,412 Loudoun $103,074 Fairfax $100,898 Falls Church City $100,437 Prince George's $91,752 Teacher’s Union voted to support Step increase for lower paid Teachers vs. Market Increases for all teachers. Our veteran teachers are choosing to sacrifice in an attempt to keep the younger staff. Source: Dr. Garza Presentation to the School Board 1/9/14

9. Not Only Have Our Teachers Sacrificed; But FCPS Cost Per Pupil FY 2014 Comparison to Other Jurisdictions Indicates FCPS Efficiencies Source: Dr. Garza Presentation to the School Board 1/9/14

10. If FCPS Does Not Get The Increase Requested • Short Term • Teacher raises are in jeopardy • Class sizes will need to increase more • Support staff will have deeper cuts • FLES programs may be eliminated in elementary school • Later Start Times for H.S. will be in serious jeopardy • Longer Term • Course offerings may need to change • FCPS may need to lower standards for diplomas • What is the future of FCPS’s Gold Standard reputation? FCPS is making cuts based on the State’s efficiency audit. FCPS has also agreed in theory to hire an internal auditor to find greater efficiencies in the system at the request of the Board of Supervisors.

11. Reality is We Need Short Term and Long Term Solutions: This Problem is Not Going Away • MHS Community Short Term Action Will Influence Long Term Strategies and Tactics • Parents NEED to write to their elected officials to: • Encourage the Board of Supervisors to do everything possible to increase funding to FCPS • Request the Commonwealth to increase aid to assist in education budget • Make your priorities heard: • Tell them what you could live without and where you see value • Recommend/support alternative funding sources • Increase in real estate taxes • Development of a meals tax (like Arlington and Falls Church) SOON…not 2-3 years from now • Other? • Write to amend the LCI calculations that harm FCPS students

12. Contact Your Elected Officials: • Delegate Barbara Comstock: bcomstock@delegatecomstock.com • Senator Barbara Favola: district31@senate.virginia.gov • Board of Supervisors collective email: dranesville@fairfaxcounty.gov and copy clerktotheBOS@fairfaxcounty.gov so that all Board of Supervisor Members get a copy • Janie Strauss –Dranesville District School Board member Jane.Strauss@fcps.edu