Memorandum from Mary Kay Murphy
Mary Kay Murphy, Ph.D. District 3  School Board Member marykaymurphy@aol.com

October 9, 2006

A Close Look at Another County’s Schools

   The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce provided an outstanding act of community leadership by organizing a recent three-day trip for community leaders to Fairfax County, Virginia. 

   Jim Maran, President and CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, shared information on the purpose of the trip. “The Chamber’s Inaugural Strategic Leadership Visit begins a tradition of Gwinnett’s leaders visiting and learning from our peers in other communities,” Maran noted.

   “In Fairfax County, VA, we saw a community whose public and private sector leaders have been successful in addressing issues in education, transportation, economic development, growing diversity, arts, tourism, and culture, and high density development."

   “We came home from this trip with new ideas and ways to work together, but perhaps the greatest value may have been the opportunity for our business and civic leaders to cultivate new friendships and a common sense of mission to improve the quality of life in our area.”

   Gerald E. Connolly, Chairman of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors, welcomed our group from Gwinnett County and shared information with us about Fairfax. “Like Gwinnett, our dynamic companies, well-educated and highly skilled residents, excellent school system, and cultural amenities make Fairfax County one of the most desirable places to live and work in the United States. 

   “Fairfax County Public Schools are often cited as a primary reason to relocate to our county, with more than 100 languages spoken by our school children, reflecting the diversity of the community. The quality of life we have in Fairfax County is the envy of our nation.”

   Our education focus culminated when our Gwinnett County delegation met with the leaders of the Fairfax County School System at system headquarters and toured its acclaimed Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Mathematics. For further in-depth study, each of us received a copy of Daniel L. Duke’s history of the Fairfax County School System, Education Empire: The Evolution of an Excellent Suburban School System.

   The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce made the decision to visit Fairfax County based on the similarities of our two communities and on Fairfax having successfully addressed many of the issues yet unresolved in Gwinnett County. 

   Throughout our visit, we kept in mind each community’s profile. In 2005, the population of Fairfax County was 1,006,529, while in Gwinnett County it was 726,273. Per Capita income was $58,266 in Fairfax, while in Gwinnett it was $30,570. Median housing value in Fairfax County was $415,418, while in Gwinnett County it was $171,339. Median Age in Fairfax in 2004 was 37.6, while in Gwinnett it was 32.7. 

   The profile in Fairfax County also provided insight into the school system’s successful standing. Fairfax County had average SAT scores in 2006 of 1643, while Gwinnett County’s average was 1541. Per pupil expenditures in 2005 in Fairfax County were $11,249, while in Gwinnett County the average was $7,216. Fairfax has 254 schools, while Gwinnett has 106 schools.

   In Fairfax County, the percent of those with no high school diploma in 2000 was 9.3%, while in Gwinnett County it was 12.7%. Nearly 55% of those in Fairfax County held a four-year degree of higher in 2000, while in Gwinnett County it was 34.1%. 

   Most importantly, among the fifty largest school systems in the nation, Fairfax County was number one in graduation rates in 2005. Gwinnett County Public Schools ranked at number 16. Fairfax County Public Schools had a $2.1 billion budget, while in Gwinnett County the school budget was $1.2 billion.

   Both counties are home to ethnically diverse communities. In 2004, Fairfax County had a 60.5% Caucasian population, while 56.8% Caucasians resided in Gwinnett County. Gwinnett’s black population led Fairfax’s, with 17.7% compared to 8.7%. 

   However, Fairfax’s Asian and Other population at 18.3% led Gwinnett’s at 10.3%. Gwinnett’s Hispanic population in 2004 was 15.3%, while Hispanics in Fairfax accounted for 12.5% of the population. 

   Gwinnett County Public Schools can learn much from the success that Fairfax County Public Schools have had with providing an academically rigorous curriculum to a diverse student and community population. 

   Through our visit to Fairfax County, we now have a new group of colleagues in public education with whom to partner and learn. We also have an outstanding group of community leaders in the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce with whom to continue to forge our partnership in public education for the benefit of students, families, and community members in Gwinnett County. 

   As the District III School Board member in Gwinnett County, I appreciate the opportunity to join with the Gwinnett Chamber leaders and those in our school system to make sure that our school system evolves as an excellent suburban school system and to make sure that “Success Continues to Live Here.” 

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