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John Tole
j
Age: 53 Residence: Woodville Married, two children A) In my view, our public schools are a direct contradiction to the mantra that public schools are ineffective wastes of taxpayer money. The Rappahannock schools are not perfect and they may never be, but they have come a long way. I believe the greatest challenge facing our local schools in the coming years is to maintain the momentum for excellence, diversity and creativity that now are underway and to maintain local control over our schools. This includes the community finding new sources of revenue beyond the real estate tax. B) Since I have been a member of the school board for nearly ten years and the chairman for the past four years, I have responsibility for not only the school budget, but also the entire operation of the schools. While f agree that school costs have gone up, I strongly disagree with the assertion that the school budget is ‘out of control’! State and federal mandates for class sizes and facilities and programs have determined the major operational and instructional increases in the budget. Anyone who suggests that the school budget can be cut in half (as I have heard discussed) does not have any appreciation for just how little control local government officials have over the cost of mandates at the local level.
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