Fairfax County Virginia

[xoxoxoBruce]

Fairfax County has the second highest median income of all the counties in the whole country, but their school system is feeling the budget pinch. Should they cut all sports, and most extracurricular activities, to cover the shortfall?

A task force looking to cut as much as $100 million from the budget of one of the nation’s largest school systems has suggested that major savings could come from getting rid of all school sports, limiting extracurricular activities and increasing class sizes.

School administrators in Virginia’s Fairfax County, which educates about 187,000 students, say they are again facing tough choices about what to keep and what to sacrifice as funding fails to keep pace with surging enrollment. Officials are projecting
a shortfall of $50 million to $100 million next year, meaning significant programming changes would need to be implemented, schools officials said.

School district officials calculated the shortfall assuming a salary increase for teachers, a growth in enrollment and a nearly $20 million drop in state funding, though some numbers will not be determined for months. The school system also is required to put an additional $46 million into teacher retirement and health benefits next year. If the county holds firm on its commitment to give the school system a 3 percent revenue bump, the maximum shortfall is estimated at $80 million.

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