School board votes to restore some funding cuts

The Fairfax County school board has voted Feb. 4 to adopt an “advertised budget” of $2.3 billion for fiscal year 2011 that restores some of the programs proposed for elimination by Superintendent Jack Dale.

The advertised budget would maintain class size at current levels; restore the elementary school foreign language program; save indoor track and freshman sports; and save assistant principal, instructional coach, and instructional assistant positions. It adds funding to implement the school support composite index, which will help FCPS target funds to schools in need—an important priority for schools in the Annandale area.

The ball now is in the Board of Supervisors’ court, as restoration of other programs recommended for elimination depends on whether the board will approve the school board’s request for an additional $81.9 million to Fairfax County Public Schools.

Unless state and county is increased, FCPS would eliminate elementary school band and strings, full-day kindergarten, and foreign-language immersion programs and cut class sizes even further, says school board chair Kathy Smith.

The advertised budget includes new fees for high school athletic participation ($100 per student for each sport) and $75 for each Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate test. Salaries would be frozen for all employees for the second year in a row.

Public hearings will be held before the school board will take final action on the budget in May. The school board’s Budget Forum, which was supposed to be held today, has been rescheduled for Saturday, Feb. 20, at Marshall High School in Falls Church, 9 a.m.-noon.