To the Editor:

I have a family of 5, and boy, do we eat! We eat at restaurants in Old Town and restaurants in Arlington. We make special trips to eat in D.C. And every time we do, we help those school districts have all the resources they need to attract the best teachers and provide services and programming all children need in order to be successful later in life.

For, you see, Alexandria, Arlington and D.C. all have a meals tax. While Fairfax County Public Schools struggles with its budget annually and our teachers continue to go without adequate pay raises, Arlington County is paying their teachers more — and attracting some of our top talent.

Our students and our teachers deserve a school system that has a consistent and strong revenue stream that doesn't have to play chicken with the Board of Supervisors and the state every budgeting cycle. A system that can provide social services for those in need, top quality training for its staff and programming to fit every child's needs are not luxuries, they are necessary for a growing, successful community.

Few diners, if any, refuse to eat out in districts that charge a revenue- producing meals tax and the tax is so incremental, many do not even realize they have paid a meals tax at all.

Our school system is hungry for proper, adequate funding. Let's support FCPS by supporting the meals tax.

Sara Jefferies

Alexandria