Congratulations, Arlington School Board
Tomorrow evening, the Arlington School Board will volunteer the Arlington Public School to an efficiency review, according to a report posted by Scott McCaffrey of the Arlington Sun Gazette. The decision will be the second “action item” on the School Board’s April 2 agenda. According to a FAQ that is part of agenda item F.2:
“The Virginia Department of Planning and Budget manages the School Efficiency Review program. Using funds appropriated by the General Assembly, DPB hires educational consulting firms to conduct these reviews. DPB is careful to select firms with experience in performing this type of work with local school divisions.”
The first such efficiency review was completed January 6, 2004 of the New Kent County Public Schools. The completed report as well as the others completed since then are available at the Virginia Department of Education’s website. ACTA has been urging such a review of APS since then. In our questionnaires submitted to School Board nominees in competitive races, we have included a question asking whether the candidates supported efficiency reviews. In their responses, Ed Fendley, School Board chair, Vice-Chair Sally Baird, and School Board member Abby Raphael supported conducting efficiency reviews.
When asked for comment by the Sun Gazette, ACTA’s president told the newspaper the School Board should be congratulated for seeking such a review. In addition, Tim Wise said:
“Since Arlington Public Schools has among the two or three highest costs per student in the commonwealth - occasionally changing places with Alexandria and Falls Church - it will be interesting to see the amount of ‘efficiencies’ the review team is able to identify,”