#SaveFCPS Part 1 - The Shortfall isn't that Much

Well, it's been four months. Uh, sorry?

The topic bringing me back to my blog, away from a bunch of works in progress, is the Fairfax County Public School budget crisis.

For the 15-16 school year, FCPS faces a shortfall of a little more than seven million dollars. While that might not seem like much, here are some things the school system could buy with 7 million dollars:

35,000 Chromebooks

14,000 iPads

280,000 books for school libraries (and that at my absurdly overestimated price of $25 per book)

56 million pencils (probably not the best use...)

At least 70 new teachers

That 7 million dollars isn't that much money is an argument I've seen pop up on social media here and there is the last week or so. Compared to the nearly 3 billion dollar budget of the school district, no it's not that much. It's a rounding error.

But it's a rounding error that can buy all that stuff up there.

And if it's statistically insignificant for the school system to receive, then it's also statistically insignificant for the County Board of Supervisors to give.

But the shortfall for the 15-16 school year is not even the real issue.

The real issue is the projected $130 million shortfall for the 16-17 school year.

That's a lot of pencils.

More to come.

JCT