The Falls Church City community has always been told that there would be ample opportunities for input into the design of the new school and that the design process would be transparent.  The recent community discussion about the auditorium, the changing size of the stage and the news that there will be no full fly rigging system has brought these promises into serious question. Many in the community would really like to understand the decision making process associated with the development of not only the footprint for the Performing Arts Space but details about the space itself. By reviewing the proposal documents it looks likeRead More →

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On Sunday October 21, 2018, City Manager Wyatt Shields and Superintendent Peter Noonan hosted a town hall to update the community about the development of the George Mason High School site. If you watch the video, at timestamp 5:40, Superintendent Peter Noonan describes where we are in the timeline and talks about the phases of the project.   The Schematic Design Phase is an extremely critical phase for the community stakeholders as it is in this phase that the program specifications of each department or space are defined, finalized and ultimately contractually incorporated into the design plans.  The timeline below shows that this phase is nowRead More →

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Citizens gathered this past Sunday in the GMHS auditorium for another Q&A session on the referendum.  The session began with a pitch for a new school from Peter Noonan, Superintendent of Schools, citing research that indicates better outcomes for students with high ceilings and better ventilation. This was followed by financing details by City Manager Wyatt Shields.  School Board candidates Greg Anderson,  Alison Kutchma, Richard Crispin, Shannon Litton and Shawna Russell were in attendance.  Good questions were posed and more back up and tax implication information was requested.  FACTS will post the information requested when it becomes available. The session was videotaped. Click here forRead More →

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Below is the statement read by Mr. John Leimone to City Council during public comment on Monday, July 24, 2017.  Mr Lemoine has worked as an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank and the International Monetary Fund. I strongly support the VPIS recommendation in the well-argued letter to you (City Council) to postpone any decision on a GMHS referendum until citizens have been thoroughly and honestly briefed on all aspects of this project, which because of the costs involved, poses an existential threat to the City’s future financial stability. Underlying this position are at least 4 major concerns: The Council and City Manager have glossedRead More →

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Open letter to City Council Members regarding the increasing operating costs for the schools.  Dear Council Member, Thank you for your service. I am concerned about the forecasted operational costs presented by Dr. Noonan and Mr. Shields at the Town Hall meeting. Below are the calculations that include the:   4% annual increase that Dr. Noonan said is required through 2030 2.5% city revenue growth that Mr. Shields said is forecasted for the same period.  The 2.5% takes into account all development in the pipeline. *  Note : this chart was revised based on input from Dr. Noonan; the school receives State and Federal subsidiesRead More →

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In November, we will probably be asked to approve a referendum for a $120 M (Million) bond issuance to finance construction of a new high school. The debt service will be approximately $7.08 M every year for 30 yearsi. Some people have warned that paying for increasing School system operating costs will be more challenging than the bond debt payment. The counter thinking is that new development and a modest real estate tax increase will pay for the need of our Schools. During the past few weeks, the City has held some meetings and issued some reports that provide enough data to allow anyone toRead More →

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