To the Editor:
I am writing in response to an article published in the last week’s Connection (“Garza Presents Budget Task Force Report to School Board.” I am concerned with the future of Fairfax County Public Schools’ education system. The Fairfax County Public School board’s main priority should be ensuring that the kids of Fairfax County receive the best education possible. With Superintendent Garza’s proposed budget cuts, this will not be possible. Proposed ideas such as increasing class sizes and eliminating foreign language immersion programs not only hurt the student’s education but also negatively affect their future in this era of globalization. Math and literacy rates in the U.S are significantly lower compared to many other countries, and cutting important educational programs ensures that we continue to fall behind.
Increasing student fees and cutting certain programs serves solely as a temporary fix for the county’s budget problems. We need to move discussion away from program cutting and towards ways to increase revenue. Property taxes are the number one contributor to schools’ funding. If property taxes are increased, even by a small amount, schools will benefit. We cannot continue to cut our way through the financial issues that our county faces.
I may no longer be a student of Fairfax County, but I still have siblings and friends in the school system. Their futures are very important to me, and I want to make sure they receive the best possible education. It is vital that we save and maintain the quality of Fairfax County Public Schools.
Rachael Talento
Fairfax
Sophomore at James Madison University.