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I'm surprised that only 30 percent of households send their children to its schools.

That's because the majority of households do not have school aged children. Here are some stats from the proposed school budget for next year:

Population 1,000,000

Households 358,149

Percent of families with incomes over $100,000 49.5%

High School Graduates 92.0%

Persons speaking a language other than English at home 30.7%

Households with computers with internet access (2000) 79.0%

Persons without health insurance (2000) 8.2%

"Fairfax County Demographics Fairfax County comprises 407 square miles of suburban countryside, just southwest of the nation’s capital... with a population of one million, making Fairfax County larger than the population of seven states. Nearly twenty-nine percent of the population is under 20 years of age, while 18 percent is 55 years of age or older. Fairfax County ranks number one in the nation in the percentage of workers in executive, administrative, and managerial positions, with over 56.2 percent of all residents over 25 having at least a four-year college degree. Fairfax County is one of the most affluent counties in the nation, with a median household income of $84,700, and a median family income of $99,100 in 2001. ... In 2000, 64.4 percent of the population was white (non-Hispanic).... Asians are the second largest segment of the population, comprising 13.0 percent of the population, followed by Hispanics at 11.0 percent, blacks (non-Hispanic) at 8.4 percent, and others at 3.2 percent. Of the total Fairfax County population in 1998, over 30 percent of those over the age of five speak a language other than English at home. This diversity is mirrored in the Fairfax County Public Schools where over 100 native languages are represented among the students enrolled."

Okay, I finally got a response from my representative on the Board of Supervisors.

February 10, 2003
Dear xxx:
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns regarding the 2003 Communities That Care Youth Survey. The Board of Supervisors previously approved funding for the survey in an effort to follow trends of youth behavior -- trends that were first published as part of the 2001 Communities That Care Youth Survey Report. On January 27, 2003, the Board directed staff to change the survey to allow students who answer no to the first question regarding sexual activity to skip the remaining questions on sexual behavior and move on to the next section.
As you likely know, I voted against the original motion to delay the survey. I feel that sexual behaviors are among the most dangerous activities that our youth engage in and I believe it would be irresponsible for the Board of Supervisors or the Fairfax County School Board to attempt to allocate resources to prevent these risky behaviors without first gathering data about them. Considering our limited resources, we must be judicious in targeting those resources. Understanding the problems we are faced with is a vital first step in this process. I encourage and support programs that will prevent youth from becoming involved in negative behavior that can have long-term effects on their lives.
Regarding the survey itself, it is important to note that the questions regarding sexual behaviors will only be administered to 10th and 12th grade students. In addition, the parents of all students randomly selected for the survey will be notified and will have the opportunity to opt-out of the survey.
Additionally, the 2001 Communities That Care Youth Survey Report can be viewed online at: Youth Report [PDF]
Thank you again for contacting my office and please feel free to do so again if I can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Your Dem Representative Striving to Usurp Family
Responsibilities Into the Hands of Big Government