Quick Facts:
1) Loudoun County government devotes nearly 75 percent of its local tax dollars to the school system, compared to Prince William's 47 percent.
2) Loudoun County has the highest graduation rate in the region at 92.5 percent.
3) According to Newsweek Magazine's recent ratings, every Loudoun County High School was ranked in the top 5 percent of all U.S. high schools. Four schools, including Stone Bridge, ranked in the top 1 percent.
4) Local tax funding for schools has risen from $362 million in FY04 to over $619 million in FY08, which is a 72 percent increase. Yet, student enrollment growth is up only 33.6 percent over that same four year period.
5) The Loudoun County School Board often requests 15 to 20 percent more money than they were given the previous year. If the Board of Supervisors were to have fully funded their requests over the past four years, every average homeowner would have to write a check for $1,000 in additional County taxes.
6) While SAT scores dropped in most counties in the region for the Class of 2007, Loudoun County reported higher scores.
There is no doubt that Loudoun County has great schools, and adequate funding is provided locally to ensure that quality public education will continue far into the future.
While Loudoun County Public Schools often seek a budget 15 to 20 percent above the previous year's budget, Lori has supported more reasonable increases that account for population growth plus inflation. Fully funding the school budget requested by the School Board each year would have resulted in even higher tax rates:
| Year |
Additional Local Tax funding requested by Schools |
Additional Local Tax funding allocated by Supervisors |
Increase in Local Tax funding over previous year |
School Enrollment Increase |
Total Local Tax Funding Allocated |
Adopted tax rate vs. rate to "fully fund" the school's request |
| FY2005 |
$73.5 million |
$59 million |
20% |
8% |
$437.3 million |
$1.1075 vs. $1.1339 |
| FY2006 |
$62.2 million |
$55.2 million |
16% |
7.8% |
$509.9 million |
$1.04 vs. $1.0764 |
| FY2007 |
$60 million |
$36 million |
9% |
6.4% |
$544.5 million |
$0.89 vs. $.954 |
| FY2008 |
$105 million |
$86 million |
14.95% |
6% |
$619 million |
$.96 vs. $1.043 |
Note: Schools also received annual increases in state funding. State funding increased from $85.6 million in FY04 to $156.4 million in FY08.
Although the School Board ultimately decides how to allocate the lump sum provided by the Board of Supervisors, Lori has urged School Board members to:
1. focus on pay raises for teachers in the classroom, not for school employees already making over $100,000;
2. reevaluate school construction policies to achieve greater efficiencies and determine how to achieve a 2 to 5 percent savings (saving $5 million on $100 million high school projects for instance);
3. fulfill previous promises made regarding extra-curricular activities and sports since these activities keep youth positively engaged after school and out of trouble; and
4. timely return to the county any unexpended funds allocated for school construction projects already completed.
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