There’s some inside baseball here but bear with me: Before he left office, Kaine proposed freezing what is called the “local composite index”. This is the formula that is used to determine how state aid is distributed for education. It is adjusted once every 3 years (pretty sure it’s 3) to reflect changing demographics, etc. Of course, our demo’s have gone down significantly since the last adjustment and we were due to get about $3 million more. The incoming administration has elected to affirm this freeze. We’re getting hosed here! When we finally stood to benefit, they change the rules. It ain’t fair and it is really hurting the schools. With our change in demographics, we need that help. Instead, those in Richmond are taking a decsion based on politics and keeping that money in ROVA…. leaving us to twist….again. Wonder if they will give us any leeway on our mandates?
Funding for schools delivered by a long-established formula shouldn’t be a political football. Here’s a good article about it that Randolph sent me.
January 28, 2010 at 4:43 pm
The latest information from MCPS is this
decision will cost us around 3.8M in
FY 2010-11. It is my understanding
PWC will take a 22M hit, Loudoun 30M
and Fairfax upwards of 60M.
January 28, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Mandates…. Back on January 12th, the BOCS got a presentation from Dana Fenton, their Legislative Liaison, on the results of a “Mandate Drill” done in December. All County departments went through identifying what was a Fed or State mandate – and of course related funding issues. The BOCS then directed Dana to take it to our legislatures.
Time consuming, but it is an interesting report which included the schools and argued for leeways or changes in mandates.
January 28, 2010 at 10:33 pm
one more thing…it would be nice if our new Governor would adopt similar to Gov. Kaine on one mandate. Since the funding was cut for Disability Services Board in all the localities (including ours with Manassas Park), Gov. Kaine also put language in the budget bill making it a mandate for all localities to have a DSB. It was small change at around $13,000 for 28 DSBs, but that was money directed elsewhere. Be nice if the Educ Mandates were the same – yup, I do dream.
One other thing on DSBs – a bill in the House side of Assembly has been presented to have no new DSBs started – and possibly dissolve them and fold them into either CSBs or Aging Commissions. That will be interesting to follow.
January 28, 2010 at 10:35 pm
dang!! that last post makes no sense 🙁 Gov. Kaine REMOVED the mandate for a DSB.
Should never type when taking cold medicine, eh?
January 29, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Here is a letter is sent to the Governor .
Dear Bob-
As one of your strongest supporters in the recent election and an elected Republican, I regret the need to voice my dismay with your decision to defer the scheduled recalculation of the school funding Local Composite Index. I have heard no rationale for this decision. That forces our citizens/voters to assume that it is Richmond politics as usual. And as usual, the Northern Virginia citizen/voter will take it in the shorts for a decision made in Richmond.
If there is an economic reason behind the decision I urge you to go public with it as soon as possible. If there is not any economic reason then I urge you to change this decision.
You are off to a great start. please don’t allow this poor dicision to mar your record of success.
Mark Wolfe
Councilman, City of Manassas
January 29, 2010 at 5:23 pm
A good letter Mark. We all hope
Gov. McDonnell doesn’t make a
poor decision on this matter
that would result in MCPS
losing $3.8M dollars in resources
for FY2010-11.
January 30, 2010 at 7:56 am
Thanks for making us aware of this. I contacted Richmond, too.
And thanks for looking into the problem with the audio on the City Hall meeting broadcasts. I have Verizon FIOS, not Comcast, and could see, but not hear, the last school board meeting.
January 31, 2010 at 11:17 am
Letter in today’s Washington Post Metro section
signed by Sharon Bulova, Corey Stewart and
Scott York.
The last paragraph reads,”A freeze in the LCI
is patently arbitrary and an insult to our
jurisdictions. We have played by the rules,
and this unfair change would pull the rug out
from under us at a time we can afford it least.
Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and the General
Assembly must not allow this proposal to
stand.
February 1, 2010 at 9:36 pm
Found the list of the WaPo Challenge index in today’s Metro section interesting. OHS is 146 out of 172, with the County and Manassas Park way up the list from OHS,
February 3, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Mr. Wolfe,
1. I don’t think 2 weeks in office gives one a “record of success”….I could be wrong
2. We are citizens…not voters (because the folks it would impact are unable to vote)…a Governor in VA only gets one term, if he’s not going to pursue any other opportunities, no need to refer to us as VOTERS…makes it sound political, instead of “being of sound judgement”. I prefer sound judgement…you?
3. I’m sorry you felt the need to throw around your “political” position in a letter to the Governor and ALSO address him as BOB…WOW!
A VOTER!!!!!!!!! LOL