Meet Ms. Thomas. She’s been a teacher at FCPS since she graduated from college 15 years ago.

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She enjoys the region’s diversity...

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and the district’s reputation for innovation...

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and collaboration.

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From project-based learning to the Portrait of a Graduate, she feels truly inspired when she comes to work every day.

Sam is one of her students and his parents were so happy when they learned he would be in her class.

Great teachers like Ms. Thomas - and other FCPS staff are funded through an annual operating budget – in fact - nearly 90 percent of the FCPS Operating Budget goes to employee compensation...

and 93% of FCPS employees are based in our schools.

Most FCPS funding comes from a budget transfer from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The County provides about 70 percent of the FCPS operating budget, mainly through real estate property taxes. This funding is not based per pupil – it is determined at the discretion of the Board of Supervisors.

Only 23 percent of FCPS funding comes from the state...

with the rest provided by the federal government and other sources.

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Over the past few years, the county has increased in school funding, but it hasn’t kept up with basic needs. Transfers haven’t covered the total cost of just three major expenses: enrollment growth, retirement system increases and the rising cost of health care. These are fixed costs that FCPS has an obligation to pay no matter the amount of funding provided.

So while budgets have gone up – FCPS still must cut back in many areas to balance the budget.

It’s the same for Sam’s family.

Sam’s father got a small raise last year.

At the same time, his health care costs went up...

and Sam also became a big brother.

That means daycare costs as well. So while his family is making more money, they still have to reduce other expenses to balance their budget.

Ms. Thomas received a salary increase last year too, thanks to additional funding from County taxpayers. But FCPS teacher salaries still lag greatly behind other areas of Northern Virginia. Ms. Thomas’ salary is about $8,500 below the market average.