The direction of our talking points must change to the Board of Supervisors. Although education has gotten support from the State of Virginia, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors transfer is, by far the PRIMARY source of Funding for Fairfax County Public Schools. WE MUST CONTINUE THE EFFORT!

Unless Fairfax County Public Schools receives adequate funding from the Board of Supervisors, the educational system that we have enjoyed and that has brought many of us to the county will no longer exist.  We are facing the worst cuts to our programs that have occurred in recent memory.  The Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education (FACE) needs your help!  We need to speak clearly and with one voice for the future education of our children.

Here is the message we need to send to the Board of Supervisors.

1. MUST INCLUDE - Level funding of the schools; diversify your revenue stream with vehicle registration fees, meals taxes, usage fees, etc; if you are comfortable with the taxes being raised then you need to specifically say so -- $1.11 or more is an increase. The County & FCPS must plan ahead to prevent such a severe budget crises from happening again. If you are not going to generate sufficient revenue from property taxes, then diversify your revenue stream by implementing vehicle registration fees, meals taxes, usage fees, entertainment, etc.

2. Personalize it! - Tell your personal story or anecdote on why you support school funding (maybe you relocated or chose to stay in the County for world-class schools; there’s a specific program that keeps you here; quality schools may make a difference in your business; etc.) You may start this section with, “As a taxpayer in your district…”

3. Value of education - Children get one shot at education. Once the year is gone, it’s gone. There are no re-dos. So, if programs, such as the early foreign language programs, band/strings, fdk, are taken away – that critical window for learning opportunities cannot be redone. Many of these programs would be difficult if not impossible to reinstate and an entire generation of children miss out on the learning advantage.

4. Quality schools for a quality county - Several years of cuts in a row and we now facing cuts that impact what FCPS stakes its world-class reputation upon. It is because this school system offers various programs and something for every student that FCPS is considered progressive and top notch and continues to be the reason for residents and businesses to locate here over other counties and bringing in tax revenue to support many quality programs. Businesses cite schools as the #1 reason for locating here.

5. Level transfer is still a cut - Our schools have been operating on a level transfer for three consecutive years, so each year has represented a decrease in services due to enrollment increases. Unlike other services, FCPS is required by law to provide services to all who enter. FCPS cannot cut back hours or turn people away.

6. Prepare for the future -Maintain reserves in order to offset unexpected revenue shortfalls. Develop a long-term plan for building reserves. Support a tax rate adjustment that solves short-term economic deficits.

7. Show appreciation - Thank BOS for their hard work in difficult economic times that maintain the quality of our school system, supporting maximum flexibility in the tax rate, providing opportunities for community input, etc.

CLICK THIS LINK TO PRINT THESE TALKING POINTS IN PDF!

See the FACE FACTs link and RESEARCH link on this site for further information.