An opportunity to trim fat...

According to an RTD Article January 24, 2009

Here are some reasons for Chesterfield's "budget crisis":

•A heavy reliance on state money for educational funding, which accounted for nearly 71 percent of the minimum required to finance the Standards of Quality in this budget year, compared with about 63 percent in Henrico. "As the state struggles, we struggle," said school spokesman Tim W. Bullis.

Some would say that "heavy reliance" leaves our local destiny to others and over extends the local government's position based upon the promises of others. Heavy reliance is a failure of all levels of governance: local, state, and federal. The government closest to the taxpayer should govern the best. Why should we accept higher levels of governance and its resulting interference on a local education issue. Many would argue that those strings attached at the state and federal level should never occur as our money should never be sent there in the first place.

•Slowing enrollment after years of four-digit increases in student population, which follows a similar trend in Henrico and Hanover. Stegmaier called the decrease "a precipitous drop in the rate of growth that did catch some people by surprise." Chesterfield Supervisor Marleen K. Durfee countered that enrollment declines "shouldn't have taken anyone by surprise."

Non-scientists and non-mathematicians live in the world of linear growth based upon the historic values. The real world operates on S-curves and slowing growth after the "linear explosion". Durfee gets it right here.

•Greater investment in the school system, including construction of five schools as part of a bond referendum approved in 2004. "We, as a growing community, had to look after the growing needs of the schools," Wyman said. In 2002-03, Chesterfield lagged Henrico in per-pupil spending by about $400 per student. By the 2007-08 year, Chesterfield was spending $9,344 per student, compared with $8,913 in Henrico.

This is the key! The evidence mounts that our "leaders" (followers) over-extended our position in Chesterfield county based upon watching other "leaders". 59,000 students x $400 = $23.6M

$23M is another good place to serve as a starting point for this manufactured "budget crisis".

This "budget crisis" is defined by government officials from there perspective. A taxpayer would see it as an opportunity to regain control of their dollar. Each time the taxpayer spends as they see fit and on what is most important to them, it will always be better allocated than an over-reaching government that has grown too big. An excellent opportunity to trim fat...