The Franklin County School Board has joined a chorus of many school divisions in the state asking Gov. Bob McDonnell to freeze the Local Composite Index (LCI) for the next fiscal year. If the new LCI formula is implemented, Franklin County would lose nearly $600,000 in state school funds.

We agree with the school board and reiterate our position that freezing the formula for at least a year makes sense and is a fair action to take.

Gov. McDonnell has explained his reasoning, concluding that the LCI, which determines what percentage a school system must pay of the costs for the state-mandated Standards of Quality (SOQs), is calculated every two years and it would not be fair to districts that stand to see an increase in funding. Those districts are mostly in Northern Virginia.

Gov. Bob McDonnell, while proclaiming March 8-12 School Principals Week, made a statement related to education that is a crucial but often overlooked component of good schools. McDonnell said parents are responsible for the education of their children, while principals and teachers are entrusted by parents to guide, direct and impart knowledge to their children while at school.

Far too often these days, schools are seen as the be-all and end-all for a child's education and well-being, often to the point of taking care of needs that should be met in the home. In reality, that's asking far too much, although schools generally do as good as they can given the demands and available resources.

The Franklin County Board of Supervisors and School Board met Wednesday to go over budget numbers and proposed cuts, and any way the pie is sliced, without some additional revenue, many very deep cuts will have to be made.

Imposing fees on various services, such as recreational sports, can raise some money, and some cutbacks in services can save money. But with the county facing close to a $2 million deficit and schools looking at a $6.4 million shortfall, supervisors and school board members all agreed that without more revenue even basic services and "bare bones" education will be difficult to maintain.

Both boards also agreed that "every option" is still on the table in both cuts and additional revenue. The two largest venues for those are pay cuts for county and school employees and an increase in the real estate tax.