Mason District leaders to fight for funds for the middle school afterschool program

Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez and Mason School Board member Ricardy Anderson both said they will fight to ensure continued funding for the middle school afterschool program.

Jimenez and Anderson spoke at a virtual Mason District Budget Town Hall on March 26, along with County Executive Bryan Hill and Fairfax County Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Leigh Burden.

A critical program

The advertised budget for FY 2026 drafted by Hill proposes eliminating the afterschool program. That program is funded by the county, not FCPS.

Jimenez said he received 1,500 emails from residents urging the program be retained, and Anderson said she received twice as many. “This program is critically important,” Jimenez said.

Diego, a student at Poe Middle School, called in to the budget meeting to indicate his support for the program. “Our students are really concerned about this,” Anderson said. “I plan to fight tooth and nail for it.”

Related story: Fairfax County executive proposes a lean budget for FY 2026

It’s especially important for Mason District because middle school ends earlier here than other county schools, Anderson said. Also, Mason’s middle schools – Poe, Holmes, and Glasgow – enroll sixth graders, as well as seventh and eighth graders.

According to Anderson, “70 percent of our economically disadvantaged students participate in afterschool programs. There’s no other resource to fill that gap.”

Without an afterschool program, “out students would have hours and hours of time for undesirable activities,” she said.

Hill agreed that middle school afterschool is “a very important program,” but said cuts have to be made somewhere because we can’t keep raising taxes. He suggested a sliding scale fee structure as an alternative.

Meals tax

Jimenez said he’s also received a large number of emails and calls from Mason residents about the possibility of a meals tax. Hill has recommended a food and beverage tax as a way to raise revenue during challenging economic times.

The Board of Supervisors last week agreed to hold a public hearing on a tax of up to 4 percent on ready-to-eat meals sold by restaurants and caterers. The hearing is scheduled for April 22.

Jimenez noted the county is overly dependent on real estate taxes, which make up 60 percent of county revenue. “That makes us vulnerable to the housing market.”

“Housing is a necessity,” he said, “while eating out tends to be discretionary spending.” Also, a significant proportion of the tax would be paid by non-county residents.

Related story: Board of Supervisors to hold a hearing on a proposed meals tax

“A meals tax is worthy of an honest conversation, especially as the county is limited in how it can raise revenue,” Jimenez said. He noted that all other nearby jurisdictions, except Loudoun County, have a meals tax, and D.C.’s meals tax is 10 percent.

If the board does approve a meals tax, he said he hopes it could offset higher property taxes.

The Board of Supervisors could approve a meals tax of less than 4 percent but could not go higher, he noted. However, “none of that has been decided. We’re in the conversation stage, so there’s no decision on whether there will be a meals tax and what percentage it could be.

The board has advertised a proposal to raise the property tax rate from $1.125 to $1.14 per $100 of assessed value.

According to Hill, a 3 percent meals tax could eliminate a property tax rate increase. A 4 percent meals tax could reduce the tax rate.

School funding

Anderson said FCPS looked at every aspect of its programs to find savings. The FCPS advertised budget doesn’t include any new programs or initiatives.

However, a collective bargaining agreement with teachers calls for a 7 percent increase in compensation, amounting to $240 million.

“We have to ensure the very best teacher is in front of our kids,” Anderson said. “We do want to retain and attract the best teachers with advanced degrees.” Many FCPS teachers transferred to other school systems that pay higher salaries because “they can’t afford to live here.”

The problem, Hill said, is the unfair state funding formula – the local composite index (LCI) – that shortchanges Fairfax County.

Changing the LCI formula has been an ongoing effort in Richmond for years and hasn’t gotten anywhere because giving Fairfax County more means other school systems would get less. “It is still a fight that is worth fighting,” Anderson said.

Under the LCI, FCPS should get 35 percent of its budget from the state, but gets 25 percent, Burden explained. “The state is just not doing its job on this.” Hopefully, the General Assembly will implement the recommendations of a 2023 report from the Joint Legislative and Review Commission (JLARC) to increase state funding for education, she said, although it’s not going to happen this year.

Meanwhile, the only option is to request more funds from Fairfax County, Anderson said. The school board has requested a $268 million increase in transfer funds while the county’s advertised budget would only provide a $125 million increase.

In drafting the county’s advertised budget, Hill said, he asked every department to find areas that can be cut, including the Fire and Rescue Department, Parks, and Community Services. “Unfortunately, we do not have the revenue to support all the things we need to do in Fairfax County.”

Jimenez said will fight to restore the cuts to public safety. “We’re going to work with our colleagues and our staff to make sure our firefighters have the resources that they need.”

When asked why the Mason District Budget Town Hall was held virtually, instead of in person as in the past, Jimenez said last year’s event “was sparsely attended, so we wanted to give more people the opportunity to participate.”

The Braddock District Budget Town Hall, also virtual, will be held tonight, March 27, at 7 p.m. Access the meeting on Facebook Live or Channel 16.