Growls

A recent addition to the Arlington Public Schools website are the questions School Board members raised from their review of the Superintendent’s proposed FY 2007 budget as well as the staff responses. In addition to the Q&A’s, there is a table of all 56 (at last count) questions, date asked, and the department responsible for responding. For example, questions include the amount in the Schools’ capital account, variables responsible for the 8.3% increase in the operating fund, and how “the costs of the Glebe infant/toddler program compare to the costs of the Career Center baby program?” Yessiree, they start ‘em young in the Arlington public schools! It ain’t just K-12 anymore!

Reading the responses, you learn, for example, the School Board could have $13.8 million stashed away in their capital accounts, and how its allocated. Or you would learn that the bus driver attrition rate since February 2004 has been about 1% per month.

We encourage Arlington taxpayers to read through the Q&A's in order to better understand how their tax money is used. More importantly, we’re sure taxpayers will raise even more substantive questions. And if you want to read the Q&A’s raised about the Fairfax County Public Schools budget, the link is here. Kudos to the School Board and Superintendent for this added transparency. Now let's see how long it takes to get the County Board to post their Q&A's as well as the reports of the Board-appointed Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission.