After-school and summer programs that serve thousands of middle school students are at risk of ending under Fairfax County’s proposed budget.
To close a projected $292.7 million funding gap, County Executive Bryan Hill pitched a fiscal year 2026 budget last month that cuts nearly $60 million in spending and 208 staff positions across multiple agencies, affecting everything from public safety to housing assistance programs and park maintenance.
The proposed reductions include $4.13 million from the county’s Middle School After-School (MSAS) and Values in Prevention (VIP) middle school summer programs, which both help keep young teens engaged outside the classroom.
Funded by the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) and run by Fairfax County Public Schools, the MSAS program served more than 23,800 students across the county’s 27 middle schools during the 2023-2024 school year, according to FCPS officials. Hill’s budget proposes eliminating $3.93 million from the program.
NCS could lose another $200,000 for the VIP program, a five-week initiative that offers recreational and educational summer camps to rising seventh and eighth-grade students at five FCPS middle schools selected each year.
If the county moves forward with eliminating that funding, it is “very likely” that both programs will cease to exist, an FCPS spokesperson told FFXnow.
Lower-income students disproportionately affected, school board member says
As noted in budget documents, NCS has a possible alternative to the VIP camps in its Teens in Action program, which provides activities for students aged 12 to 18 during the summer and on select school holidays at community centers. However, it doesn’t operate as a daily after-school program and serves far fewer students than MSAS.
“There are a few Teen Centers around the County, but we are not aware of any that could accommodate up to 4,500 students a day,” the FCPS spokesperson said by email. “From our yearly surveys of middle school parents, 39% report their child(ren) would be staying home alone if the afterschool program was not available.”
The MSAS program runs from 2:25-5 p.m. five days a week at most middle schools, though schedules vary slightly by location. It offers a broad range of opportunities beyond sports, including homework help, STEM clubs, Model United Nations, fine and performing arts, and leadership development.
Some schools also provide specialized academic support, such as prep classes and tutoring for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Late buses are available four days a week at most schools, ensuring students can participate regardless of their family’s transportation situation.
According to FCPS, the school system contributes $1.9 million to the MSAS program for supplies, hourly staff and snacks, along with about $500,000 for transportation and staffing to cover the late buses. However, the program relies on Fairfax County funding to cover salaries and benefits for the 26 after-school specialists who run the program, as well as hourly staff and supply costs.
Losing the MSAS program will be particularly devastating for lower-income families, according to Ricardy Anderson, who represents Mason District on the Fairfax County School Board.
“[The cuts] will have a disproportionate impact on our kids who are economically disadvantaged, because they will continue to lack access to certain things, and the Middle School After School program has helped to bridge that gap,” Anderson told FFXnow.
While she and other school board members support finding efficiencies in the school system’s budget, Anderson says the MSAS program isn’t just an extracurricular option, but an essential service for many families — including her own. Her son would be among the affected participants.
Based on conversations with middle school principals in her district, Anderson worries about how MSAS and VIP funding cuts will affect students who rely on the programs for academic support, extracurricular activities and a safe place to be after school.
“Some kids have never played basketball before in the Mason District because families don’t have the funds to join leagues, the time to get them there, and all of the things that are required for participation in an organized program,” Anderson said. “So, exposure to some of these activities is so important for many of our kids who do not have the resources at home to support them in doing that.”
County working on transition plan
An NCS representative noted that after-school activities will still be available to middle school students without the MSAS program, which is a specific, tailored initiative organized by after-school specialists. FCPS recently introduced sports — specifically, cross-country and track — to middle schools, for example.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors first contributed funds to help FCPS establish the MSAS program in 2006, though the supervisors have provided support for middle school after-school activities since at least fiscal year 2001 with a School Age Child Care pilot program, according to NCS.
“Rising costs, economic uncertainties and slow revenue growth have created a challenging budget picture for the county again this year,” the NCS representative said, noting that all agencies were asked to identify up to 10% in potential spending cuts.
Hill’s proposed budget eliminates $6.7 million from NCS. In addition to ending the MSAS and VIP programs, impacts include the closure of the Pimmit Hills Senior Center, reduced support services for adults with disabilities who participate in senior center programs, a loss of funding for FCPS’ Bridge to Kindergarten program, the end of the county’s annual volunteer recognition event and more.
The county says it’s working with FCPS to come up with a “transition plan” in case the VIP program is eliminated, but the school system would have to identify other resources if it wants to continue the MSAS program.
The county’s MSAS funding also supports parent liaisons and a MentorWorks program that recruits volunteers to mentor students, according to the advertised FY 2026 budget.
“NCS is working with FCPS to develop a transition plan if VIP program funding is eliminated in the FY 2026 approved budget,” the NCS representative said. “While we do not yet have details, we hope to leverage all county and community partnerships to ensure we continue to meet the needs of middle school students in Fairfax County.”
Discussions on proposed budget continue
However, FCPS is contending with its own financial uncertainties, including the possibility of lost federal funding if the Trump administration freezes spending or withholds money to force compliance with its executive orders targeting transgender athletes and diversity programs.
Hill’s proposed budget would increase the county’s funding for FCPS by $118.6 million, but that falls short of the additional $268 million requested by Superintendent Michelle Reid, who said the boost is mainly needed to fulfill a newly approved union contract with a 7% teacher pay raise, starting in July.
At a joint work session on Feb. 25, members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors urged FCPS to identify more efficiencies and areas where money could be saved, while school board members warned that further cuts could affect academic instruction, support services and employee retention.
Melanie Meren, the Hunter Mill District’s school board representative, says the supervisors and school board should be working together to figure out how to continue supporting key programs like the MSAS and VIP initiatives.
“Cutting relied-upon programs for students isn’t what county leaders need to be doing right now,” she told FFXnow. “What the County Board, who funds these particular after-school programs, and the School Board, which oversees implementation of these programs … must do is determine together how to best offer these programs, at the best cost … This is the work.”
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hold public hearings on the FY 2026 budget and capital improvement plan from April 22-25, with a final vote on adoption set for May 13. The new budget will take effect on July 1.
Screenshot via FCPS/YouTube. The start date of funding for the SACC pilot program has been corrected from fiscal year 2021 to 2001.
