2011 FCPS Budget Notes

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Below are working notes regarding the FCPS Budget challenges for FY 2011.

FCPS Employee Benefits $606.5 million

"Employee benefits for FY 2011 total $606.5 million, an increase of $97.8 million, or 19.2 percent, over the FY 2010 estimate. This increase includes offsetting turnover and vacancy savings of $5.6 million and is primarily attributable to:

A projected increase in employee retirement of $71.0 million, or 31.3 percent, over the FY 2010 estimate. The increase is primarily due to increases in employer contribution rates across the various retirement programs. The Virginia Retirement System (VRS) employer contribution rate is projected to increase from 8.81 percent to 12.91 percent in FY 2011. This rate increase combined with the VRS employee contribution of 5.0 percent, which is also paid by FCPS, results in a total contribution of 17.91 percent by FCPS in FY 2011, compared to 13.81 percent in FY 2010. The employer contribution rate for the Educational Employees Supplementary Retirement System of Fairfax County (ERFC) retirement plan is projected to increase from 3.20 percent to 4.04 percent in FY 2011. The employer contribution rate for the Fairfax County Employee Retirement System (FCERS) is projected to increase from 9.71 percent to 14.22 percent in FY 2011. The employer contribution to the VRS Retiree Health Care Credit is projected to increase from 1.04 percent to 1.08 percent in FY 2011."

(Source: Page 62 of "FY2011 Proposed Budget" also attached below)

Increases in FCPS Employee Benefits

"The employer rate for the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) is projected to increase from 8.8 to 12.9 percent. In addition, FCPS pays the 5.0 percent employee VRS contribution. This results in a total FCPS

contribution of 17.9 percent compared to 13.8 percent in FY 2010. The employer rate for Fairfax County Employee’s Retirement System (FCERS) is projected to increase from 9.7 percent to 14.2 percent and

the Educational Employees’ Supplementary Retirement System of Fairfax County (ERFC) employer rate is projected to increase from 3.2 percent to 4.0 percent."

(Source: Page 36 of FY2011 Proposed Budget also attached below)

If you are interested in doing your own analysis we have made this document available for download. (Google Spreadsheet, Excel - CSV)

FCPS 2011 Budget Notes

Source for the above table comes from the FCPS Presentation entitled "Proposed Budget FY2011" page 12 and "FY2011 Proposed Budget" Page 215. Both are also attached below.

For FY2011 What is the Total Amount of the Retirement Contributions (Including VRS) for FCPS?

As of 22 January 2010 the total amount of Retirement contributions for FCPS Employees for FY2011 is $297.76 million, a 32.3% increase over last year. It now consumes 13.2% of the budget.

Why don't Employees of Fairfax County Public Schools Contribute to their own retirement accounts?

As of 25 January 2010 under current Virginia Law Employees can not now be asked to contribute to their own retirement accounts.

What is the biggest reason for the cuts in Fairfax County Public Schools for FY2011?

As of 25 January 2010 the biggest reason is because of an increase in payments for retirement plans, $71 million, and health care costs, $25 million, which by keeping the budget flat from FY2010 to FY 2011 mean that $96 million in programs and positions have to be cut for FY2011.