Council, FCCPS Board Mull Over Projected FY 13’ Numbers

Over the last five years, Falls Church City Public Schools by 229 students. According to an FCCPS presentation given at Tuesday’s joint work session with City Council, 359 more students will come into the school system over the next five years.

Going through her first budget planning work sessions in the City of Falls Church, FCCPS Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones said the school system is getting bigger. She said if you looked at the numbers projected for fiscal year 2013, the school system is already there with 2,133 students. Jones said one of the biggest factors in how the school system budget is student enrollment.

“If we’re talking about 50 students, that’s two classrooms,” Jones said of the enrollment that jumped 4.5 percent this year from last year. “If that happens to us again next year, that could be scary.”

Both sides presented numbers for the FY 2013 budget and graphics to show the effect of the next budget as well as the next projected five years. Mayor Nader Baroukh said the numbers discussed at the meeting are not definite numbers. According to the projected FY 2013 budget, FCCPS would see a 4.7 percent increase in the city’s transfer ($29.1 million). According to the city’s presentation, the projected total expenditures for FY 2013 would be $67.1 million, up 3.2 percent from FY 2012. The presentation also showed a possible 52.5 cut to the Pay As You Go account and a possible 45.5 cut to Capital Reserves. City Council will adopt a FY 2013 budget guidance resolution for City Manager Wyatt Shields on Nov. 14. Council is slated to adopt the FY 2013 budget on April 23.

Baroukh reiterated throughout the meeting that the numbers presented were not definite numbers but served as a start to begin molding the FY 2013 budget. He said the dialogue was positive and will help going forward in the planning.

“I thought it went very well,” Baroukh said. “I think we’re off to a good start.”