With many students struggling with their academic achievement during remote learning and the pandemic, Fairfax County Public Schools has discussed potentially extending the school year into the summer.
The idea of an extended school year, to allow students to catch up on their studies during the summer, has also been raised by Arlington School Board member Tannia Talento.
This week Metro released a devastating budget for FY 2022 in order to balance a $500 million deficit.
In more ways than one this pandemic has continued to exacerbate systemic problems that already exist in our society, and Metro’s budget is one of those evident examples. There are multiple reasons why even with federal stimulus that we will continue to have budget issues for the foreseeable future.
Yesterday, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that Americans should avoid travelling during the holiday season, but get tested if they do travel.
“Cases are rising. Hospitalizations are increasing, Deaths are increasing. We need to try to bend the curve, stop this exponential increase,” said the CDC’s incident manager for the COVID-19 pandemic, as quoted by USA Today.
APS continues its record of flawed planning with the 2020 Elementary School Boundary Process. The latest recommendations typify years of ineffectual boundary planning.
In 2018, APS recognized it had a problem: a mis-match of the geographic locations in which its elementary students resided and the locations of schools. Further, APS identified the planning corridors (Rosslyn-Ballston, Columbia Pike, and Route 1) as the locus of the future enrollment growth, but the next new facility — Reed — was not being constructed where seats were needed. Therefore, APS began internal deliberations to adjust county-wide elementary school boundaries (for school year 2021-22).
The County Board has issued guidance for the Fiscal Year 2022 budget and left all options on the table.
In other words, property owners should prepare for their real estate taxes to go up. The Board also began to lay the groundwork for a tax on plastic bags and cigarettes. This will all be done in the name of COVID-19.
By Sen. Barbara Favola
Affordable healthcare is essential to the vibrancy of Arlington. It’s essential to giving everyone a fair shot at a decent living, along with other key elements such as education, jobs and housing.
Congratulations on getting through Thanksgiving, whether that meant a large family dinner, a smaller pandemic-appropriate gathering, or a solo holiday.
Today is Black Friday, which usually means large crowds at the malls but will likely be more noticeable in the form of lots of delivery vans criss-crossing local streets next week. As always, but especially this year, please try to shop local whenever possible.
(Updated at 11:50 a.m.) Just over a week ago, new coronavirus restrictions went into effect in Virginia.
Among other things, Gov. Ralph Northam ordered a 25-person limit on indoor and outdoor gatherings, down from 250; an expanded mask requirement; and a 10 p.m. curfew on alcohol sales for on-site consumption.
It has been a busy week for news in Arlington.
There have been an abundance of crime reports, plenty coming out of the County Board’s two meetings, and a pair of school stories of note. But perhaps no story will have a bigger impact on Arlington over the next few months is the rise in coronavirus cases.
Reopening APS schools safely no later than the first day of the spring semester, for our youngest students (K-5), should be a top priority for the Arlington County government.
APS must do more to make the air in classrooms safe so schools can open — and stay open. Arlington County needs to step up and provide APS with the necessary funding and technical assistance.
Just as in years past, it is time to dedicate a column to the annual closeout process. Usually, it calls for the closeout funds to be set aside to avoid future tax increases as well as for better budgeting and revenue estimates. But it’s 2020 and nothing is normal.
Every year the County Board over-budgets and over-taxes. According to this year’s report, the County ended Fiscal Year 2020 with $15.6 million in unspent and unobligated funds or 2.5% of department operating budgets. By comparison, last year it was $13.1 million or 2.2%. The schools ended the year with $27 million in unspent budgeted funds which hopefully will be applied to offset this year’s, and next year’s, budget needs.
By Matt Royer
The day after an election is often a day of rest and often viewed as the endpoint on a long path. I personally don’t believe that. No matter the outcome, moving forward on the issues you care about doesn’t stop after the election. It rests with the voice of the people to remind our elected officials why they are in office in the first place, no matter their party.
