One of the by-products of the Council raising the tax rate was that the school board had more money than their budget called for. This was brought up pretty late in the budget process and the Council voted to stick the money into the School Board’s rainy day fund. As it turns out, they are very unhappy with this and the reason is that they have to come back to the Council to get approval if they want to spend that money. When we voted to do this, I really didn’t see it as all that problematic. However, the School Board sees this as an affront to their autonomy and they are mad about it.
Here are my thoughts on this: I know that next year is going to be a very difficult budget year. Projections indicate that it will be far more difficult than this years. As it stands right now, I know that the schools have an extra $800k stashed in their rainy day fund and it isn’t going anywhere unless the Council approves it. That knowledge will factor into my decision process all year long because, in the back of my mind, I know there is $800k in the bank for the schools. It would be bad indeed if I counted on that money all year long and it was gone. However, what the WaPo failed to mention is that, in thinking about this, I am willing to meet my School Board peers half way: I’d be willing to put their money back into an account they can access as long as they let us know when they spend it. The Council wouldn’t have veto power over the funds but we would know what was going on and this could help us make better decisions throughout the year. I think this is a pretty reasonable compromise so we’ll see what happens. Moving that much money will require a public hearing so it isn’t something that can be accomplished in short order.
May 4, 2007 at 11:38 am
Andy,
The most recent edition of “Comparative Report of Local Government
Revenues and Expenditures – Year Ended June 30, 2006” has arrived.
It appears that Manassas spends more money per capita ($1,637) on
student instruction that any other Virginia school district except for
Falls Church ($2,100) and Loudoun County (also $1,637). FYI: other
local figures are Manassas Park ($1,369) and PWC ($1,339).
MCPS are first class and they are dedicated to quality education
for our children, but it appears “more money”isn’t the only answer
to meeting the challenges of the future.
May 4, 2007 at 11:55 am
FYI -related to another department – Manassas spends half the average
amount of Virginia cities per capita on Parks and Recreation ($42) —
other local numbers Manassas Park ($96) and PWC ($67). Something
to think about.
May 5, 2007 at 8:58 am
Andy,
The City Council collects my taxes, which makes you responsible for how my money is spent. I don’t understand claims that the school board should be independent of the City Council. It isn’t and shouldn’t be. The schools are a part of the town government and therefore, ultimately, answerable to the City Council. If they want to spend any money, they need to get approval from the Council. I just don’t buy the argument that our schools are so important that they should not have oversight. The size and importance of our schools requires more oversight from the Council, not less.
The bottom line is, if you collect my money, you are responsible for how it is spent.
May 5, 2007 at 9:52 am
One would think accountability is viewed as a safe-haven for those who govern over our children. Too often, those in authority take offense to others higher in authority to have oversight into the affairs and habits of the day-to-day functions of services delivered. It’s unfortunate the powers that be in the MCPS look at this as threatening and undermining instead of a system of cooperation between local governing bodies.
May 5, 2007 at 10:47 am
What a shock the school board is throwing a hissy fit. They act as if they are entitled to as much money as they say without any oversight. The talk of “fully funded” bla bla bla is getting real old. The only way we are going to have good schools is to get rid of the teacher union, and have the school board stripped of some power.
They clearly do not have the best interest of the student or the tax payer in mind when they are always complaining about the lack of money.
May 5, 2007 at 11:34 am
The cost per capita makes it look like we have a very expensive school system when in fact we are one of the most frugal systems in the area. I don’t think per capita is a very good way of looking at our cost. The better way is the cost per student. The average of the other six districts around us is $14,828.00 per student. Manassas is at a very low $12,680 per student. We also have the second lowest pay scale in the area and we are only a few dollars from last place. You also have to keep in mind that it is much more expensive to educate a diverse population and ours is hugely diversified.
The school budget needs to be approved by the council each year so the council has oversight on how the taxpayers money is spent. The two bodies need to work together as a team and I think we have been doing that up until council showed what I feel is a lack of trust. I also think that council did not see it that way. They thought they were doing what was best for the city. I respect that even if I think they were wrong. For me that problem is behind us, council knows how I feel so it is time to move on.
COM, this is not a hissy fit. I may get mad but I don’t throw hissy fits. We are not “fully funded” and we never will be. There is always more we can do for our kids but there is also a limit. We do our best with what we have and we do a damn good job. I am really sick of hearing you undermine our schools from behind your pseudonym. Why don’t you call me, (703)895-4856, or better yet come see me so we can discuss the problem with the teachers union and what power the board should be stripped of. And if you think I, or we, do not have the best interest of the student in mind then you have no idea of the time, effort or expense it takes to be on school board.
May 5, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Tim,
Will the school board ever be satisfied with the money they receive? This “fully funded” line is just that. What exactly is fully funded, and by whose definition?
I will give you a call, I don’t mind discussing the issues with you. But, don’t expect me to change my mind about the public school system.
Not to discount your time on the issues, but I do not look at time spent on a particular issue or job as an indication of one’s interest in the well being of the particular issue.
The teacher union is only concerned about one thing, getting more and more money. If they cared a bit about teaching children, they would spend far more time and effort on it, money or not, and be happy with what they get to do the job, rather then complain about the lack of funds. Caring about something means you make due and come up with ways to teach besides asking for more money to do so.
As you know we send our child to a private school. The funding for the school is made up of tuition, and fund raisers. While I do not know what the teachers make, I hardly think it comes even remotely close to what public school teachers make. Yet I hear no complaining about lack of funds, or resources from the teachers. These teachers teach because they are dedicated to making the students smarter and are less worried about how much money is coming in.
Given the attitude(always pointing out the lack of funds) of many public school officials and teachers in the City, I bet many would not want to teach in such an environment where resources are very limited.
July 9, 2007 at 12:05 pm
The city collects my tax money. They decide how it is to be spent. If I have a gripe about how it’s spent, I come to them. If the School Board wants more money, they request it like any other government agency. The Council has the final say in these matters and if the Board doesn’t like it, they should look into ways to change the budget process if possible.