February 13, 2011 3:19 PM
Loudoun Public Schools: Budget reality check needed
My 2/4/11 Purcellville Gazette column may resonate with people from many other school districts too:
LCPS Budget: Time for a Reality CheckWhen it comes to hallowed institutions, Americans are by and large a trusting lot. Take public schools. Year after year, the same pattern: school officials propose a bigger budget, then tap into a tremendous - and captive - lobbying force, using scare tactics to persuade parents that The Bad Guys (translate: anyone with a smidgen of fiscal responsibility) are threatening local schools by not falling in line with the plan.
Loudoun County Public Schools is no exception - in fact, they have developed this process into an art form, with our school administration accumulating so much power and wealth that it's not even clear who really runs this county. They did it with the help of moms and dads who've bought the lie that their children's education will suffer if we don't continue to spend, spend, spend.
Much like Stockholm Syndrome victims, obedient parents rush to save whatever programs or jobs the administration has threatened if the county doesn't meet their demands. Classic straw man argument, as there are plenty of cuts that could be made (and need to be made) which wouldn't push parents' emotional buttons.
Why is it always be teachers' jobs and sports/music programs that will be cut? Why not administration personnel, technology and perks? Why not turn off more lights? Why not lower the temperature one degree in every school? Why not allow able-bodied special ed students to ride with their peers - with an attendant if necessary - rather than sending a school bus with two adults out to pick up one kid in the country? Why not gather a panel of everyday working people to hear some more practical suggestions like these?
Another cynical manipulation: comparing Loudoun to other school districts to show we're not paying Superintendent Hatrick - or our teachers - enough. This is not a competition and Dr. Hatrick et al are free to apply to Fairfax County if they like.
Dr. Hatrick, who has served as Superintendent for 18 years, makes $232,680 - plus car allowance, annuity payments and all the regular perks. Beyond that, he travels internationally at taxpayer expense (49 weekdays in 2007-8) because he thinks - and our school board agrees - that this is necessary to benefit Loudoun students. Really?
When our family moved from California to Loudoun in 2002 - enrolling 9 kids in public school - Loudoun was flying high. Blessed to live in Philomont with a lot of old-timers, I listened intently to their talk of the folly of people who built bigger homes than they needed. "How will they heat those high ceilings when fuel goes up?" they wondered, as they sold their modest properties and moved out to places reminiscent of the county they'd known and loved.
The old-timers were right. Many of us were dreaming too big and paid the price by losing our homes. Are there any families in the county who haven't had to tighten their belts? Why shouldn't our government agencies have to tighten theirs?
When I see a school on steroids like Woodgrove High - all the wasted space and over-the-top amenities - I think form over substance, as when the district claims it can't afford to hire assistants, while funding Smartboards and over-stocked libraries. And I wonder what in the world LCPS can be thinking to continue to spend money that isn't theirs, creating the need to raise property taxes even as our property values continue to decline?
Truly, the appetites of Loudoun's government officials reflect the national disease of overspending. It has to stop somewhere. Parents, it's time to stop lobbying for bloated school budgets and start lobbying for cuts that will make a difference - in administration, technology and perks.
If you received the 2011 Loudoun County Public Schools Poll being conducted by the University of Virginia, please use this opportunity to emphasize the need for Loudoun County Public Schools to tighten their budget and decrease spending.
Posted in Loudoun County, Public schools | Permalink
