Hunter Mill Shows Up and Speaks Up for Funding Schools

Dear Community Members,

What an eventful month just passed, as our community rallied to fund public schools during the Fairfax County budget hearings. I am so buoyed  by the hard work and dedication of our advocates, including  educators, students, parents, and other concerned residents. We showed up and spoke up to secure the future of Fairfax and our children. 

Fairfax County Advertised Budget Limits our Students, Teachers, and Financial Security

I remain concerned about the budget being considered and how we got here, with just days remaining before approval of the resources available for the 2025-26 school year (Fiscal Year 2026).

In short, the needed collaboration has not happened between the Fairfax Board of Supervisors, which is the funding authority that determines annually how much funding will be transferred from the Fairfax County Government to FCPS, and the School Board, which requests the amount needed to fund a successful public education system based on the Superintendent’s proposed budget of spending. 

Over half of FCPS’ funding is sourced from the County, and that local burden for Fairfax taxpayers remains a problem to resolve with the state - we must Get The Money from the Governor and Virginia General Assembly in the next General Session that convenes January 2026. However, right now the partnership within our County is critical. 

My observation is that the FCPS Advertised Budget (our ask of the County) that was unanimously agreed-to by the School Board on February 20 has not been closely considered by the Fairfax County Executive and Board of Supervisors. Since then, myself and Board Members have requested a joint budget meeting of our two Boards, with no response. I can only hope that the Supervisors will consider these four requests relayed by the School Board, via this budget advocacy letter I helped craft and was sent on Thursday, April 24, to the full County Board: 

  1. Dedicate the Food and Beverage Tax revenue to the school division
  2. Restore the proposed $7.7 million in reductions, including the Middle School After-School Program and high school crossing guards - including those at South Lakes and Oakton
  3. Dedicate a portion of the year-end surplus to the school division
  4. Collaborate for future budget planning   

This letter does not include additional advocacy to fully fund the School Board’s request made on February 20, which currently is facing a $150 million shortfall with what the County Board has budgeted. This jeopardizes the first-ever, legal collective bargaining agreement that negotiated a 7% pay raise for FCPS educators and other staff. The County Government underwent this process for the first time last year, and fully funded its negotiated agreement with County employees. 

Teachers with Masters Salary

 

FCPS is the largest, most stable employer in Fairfax. Retaining experienced educators (75% of our teachers have Master’s degrees) competitively paid as compared to area school divisions must be the priority. If our teachers quit and the quality of education decreases, Fairfax loses its major attractor for residents and businesses. Local businesses will lose money spent adjacent to a thriving public school system - dining out or on-the-go before and after school activities, buying sports equipment and playing in leagues, purchasing music lessons and instruments, funding purchases for construction and school equipment, catering from local restaurants for staff and school events. Our schools are not only about kids - they sustain us all.

The Board of Supervisors will have its final public budget meeting, to mark up the proposed budget, on Tuesday, May 6, beginning at 9:30am. The public can attend the meeting to observe, not offer public comment. The meeting will also be live streamed and a recording posted.

Hunter Mill Shows Up and Speaks Up for Fully Funding our Schools

HM Budget Town Hall

 

During this critical budget season, I hosted a Hunter Mill Budget Town Hall at Louise Archer Elementary School on April 7, where about 30 residents attended to learn more about local funding. Among familiar faces was student Yug Mehta,an eloquent speaker and debate team competitor at Rachel Carson Middle School. He spoke up for the Middle School After-School Program and was even featured on the news! Joining at the town hall, too, was South Lakes High School Senior, Evan Mead, who coincidentally also was a Carson debate club participant years back! (You may recognize Evan, since he was recently celebrated for earning the prestigious Jefferson Scholarship at UVA, which has a focus on community involvement.)

Attendees at HM Budget Town Hall

 

Soon after the Town Hall, the County Board of Supervisors held three days of public budget hearings. I attended a portion of the first day. Among those speaking was Molly Sullivan, who attended a recent School Board meeting, to advocate for the after school programs as a middle school PTA president and teacher. Hear her views in this WUSA9 news coverage. Also at the hearings were South Lakes HS students, Maja Daniel and Lucy Rossi, whom I’ve come to know during my visits to school. Once again, students Evan and Yug showed up to speak up, and they claimed the attention in the room. Student James, who’s mom is a constituent and FCPS teacher, also advocated. Seeing students and their families advocate and show support was a highlight of the week for me!