Fairfax County’s first comprehensive school boundary rewrite in decades will affect only a handful of its approximately 177,000 current students, but Superintendent Michelle Reid believes the resulting transportation costs could still be too high to absorb.
The superintendent is expected to recommend tonight (Thursday) that Fairfax County Public Schools provide transportation only to high school seniors who were affected by the boundary changes and opt to remain at their currently assigned school, as permitted by the district’s phasing policy.
According to a presentation prepared for the school board’s meeting at 7 p.m., FCPS has 1,637 students who will be assigned to new schools under the revised boundary plan approved in January. That includes 911 students, 69 of them high school seniors, who can choose between going to their new school or sticking with their current one.
The phasing policy updated by the school board last July offers that option to students in their final two grades of elementary school and to all middle, high and secondary school students, except those entering their first year at those levels.
It would cost FCPS $3.1 million to provide transportation to all students who choose to stay at their current school, placing them outside their assigned boundary, Reid’s presentation says, estimating that an additional 23 drivers and buses would be needed. The cost increases to $4.24 million if FCPS purchases all electric buses instead of diesel-fueled ones.
In comparison, transporting only the 69 affected high school seniors would cost $241,386, according to FCPS.
In addition to the impact on a likely tight budget, the presentation cites the availability of bus drivers and parking as concerns that shaped Reid’s recommendation.
The superintendent will propose that the school board prioritize funding for expanding transportation services to more affected grades when deciding how to allocate any unspent funds at the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
However, Melanie Meren, who represents Hunter Mill District on the school board, argues that Reid’s recommendation contradicts FCPS’ transportation policy, which states that the school system will provide daily bus service to all students living more than 1 or 1.5 miles away from their school. The policy doesn’t specify whether the school has to be the one in the student’s assigned boundary.
“I oppose any motion that strips transportation from students affected by the school boundary changes,” Meren said in a press release:
“Imagine having a high school freshman or sophomore now, who is working on an academic program that relies on completing coursework at their current school. This is a child who has formed close relationships with friends and has a sense of belonging at their school. That student might be a member of a sports team, play in the band, or just enjoy seeing their favorite teachers. Then imagine telling them that they can no longer attend that school next year because they don’t have a school bus. That scenario is real and devastating, and it is currently being recommended by the Superintendent.”
Noting that she has heard from families grappling with the uncertainty of whether their children will have access to a school bus, Meren said she and Mason District Representative Ricardy Anderson will propose instead using reserve funds to cover transportation costs for all students.
According to Meren, the school board has a flexibility reserve fund of $8 million that FCPS has dipped into in the past for “routine needs,” such as facility assessments and administrative office hirings.
“We need six votes to make this happen,” Meren said, encouraging community members to attend the school board meeting tonight. “I hope that families will show up and speak up to protect their children’s education.”
