Watchdog of the Taxpayer's Dollar Since 1956 Fairfax VA

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We have given you three pages of graphs showing that taxpayers have provided Fairfax County with lavish tax increases. On the first page, the top-left graph shows that Fairfax County Public Schools inflation-adjusted spending, per student, has increased 100 percent since 1975. This gives the schools, this year alone, $700 million more than is required by inflation and enrollment growth since 1975.

If the school board spent a third of this on buildings, we would have no overcrowding. However, the board has chosen to fund buildings solely from bond sales, even though it knows that bond revenues are inadequate. Also, by overusing bonds, next year the schools will spend more on debt service than they will raise from bond sales.

Instead of funding buildings, the school board, as shown on the upper-right graph, increased staff four times faster than enrollment. The board invested in administrators, computers, elementary school guidance counselors, social workers, psychologists, a seven-period day, and many magnet programs to appease parents frustrated with the mediocrity of the regular classroom.

The bottom graph shows Fairfax County SAT scores since 1975. There has been no significant increase. Fairfax County's average SAT score is at the 65th percentile, a number that the school system does not publish. Higher spending does not improve schools. Our schools are better at raising taxes than they are at raising achievement.

Salaries for ESL teachers total only about $18 million. The demand for the Learning Disablities/Special Education program would drop, we believe, if schools had phonics-based reading instruction in the regular classroom. However, our superintendent opposes phonics-based reading instruction.

The top left graph on the second page shows that Fairfax County non-school spending, per resident, has increased 75 percent since 1975. This gives the county an extra $400 million this year alone. County staff has grown twice as fast as population.

Fairfax County Chairman, Kate Hanley, refuses to disclose funding figures about non-school spending increases. However, very little is spent on transportation. Most of the increase has gone to health and welfare, of which the biggest program is childcare. The county still has a childcare crisis, though, simply because you cannot pay enough for professionals to do what a stay-at-home mother does for free.

Please defeat all bills for raising taxes. The Washington Post reports that of the $50,000 required for a family of four to live in Fairfax County, the top two expenses are childcare and taxes. Please tell local government to stop growing programs by neglecting infrastructure.

Thank you.

Updated June 19, 2001