School board approves budget; rejects amendment to eliminate fees

The Fairfax County school board voted to adopt a $2.2 billion budget for fiscal year 2011 May 20.

The budget would require students to a pay a $100 fee for participating in a sport and $75 for taking an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exam. An amendment proposed by Mason District school board member Sandy Evans to eliminate the fees failed to pass.

The approved budget replaces current programs providing additional funds for certain schools with special needs—including funds for extended learning time—with a new three-year Priority Schools initiative aimed at training principals at about 30 elementary and middle schools to adopt certain techniques to help them raise student achievement and close achievement gaps. The board rejected an amendment to delay implementation of the program for a year.

According to the school board, the budget cuts the per-pupil expenditure by about $300 from the 2101 budget. The budget eliminates most summer school programs, closes an alternative school, and eliminates some central office and non-teaching staff positions. The board passed a motion to dip into its reserves to pay for staff raises.