As a parent with three children currently in the Arlington Public Schools, I am heavily invested in their success. I believe the County Board can and should do more to proactively hold our schools accountable for their results.

Working together with the School Board, we should re-examine the school funding formula between the County Board and School Board in exchange for additional accountability – including an agreement from the schools to provide 100% online spending transparency as well as examinations by a new Inspector General’s office.

This also recognizes that our school funding should not simply be decided by a formula in an Excel spreadsheet, but based on needs. Our school board and superintendent should be able to present those needs to the County Board and make a case for more funding in a given year – with the understanding that it will not necessarily be entitled to automatic increases the next year.

As part of an overall approach to ongoing education, we certainly should look at the community’s desire to restore library hours and identify other lower priorities, like creating another new county-owned theater, which could be used to pay for it.