Fairfax County Public Schools

Countywide

Trump administration moves to cut off funding for FCPS, punishing support for transgender students

By Angela Woolsey
Students hold trans rights and LGBTQ Pride flag signs at a rally protesting Virginia's model policies on transgender students outside Luther Jackson Middle School (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The Trump administration appears to be following through on its threat to withhold federal funds from public schools in Northern Virginia after they refused to roll back policies that support transgender and gender non-conforming students.

The U.S. Education Department announced yesterday (Tuesday) that it has placed Fairfax County Public Schools and the school systems in Arlington, Alexandria, Prince William and Loudoun on “high-risk status,” a move that it claims lets it attach specific conditions for releasing funding.

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Countywide

Fairfax will hire security for its superintendent. Could Va. see this elsewhere?

By Nathaniel Cline / Virginia Mercury
Superintendent Michelle Reid (staff file photo by James Jarvis)

With friction growing between the public and school leaders over policy decisions, Fairfax County Public Schools is in the process of hiring security for its superintendent due to the need for additional protection over safety concerns.

The move has left legislative leaders curious if similar proposals could occur at other school divisions around the region and beyond, as school leaders continue to be challenged by the public and face investigations for their decisions.

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Countywide

Fairfax County to close public schools on Sept. 9 for special election

By Jared Serre
Republican candidate Mike Van Meter speaks at Fairfax High School during the Republican Party's canvass event (staff photo by Jared Serre)

After returning to class today (Monday), students at Fairfax County’s public schools can look forward to an extra day off next month.

With “more than half” of them being used as polling places in Sept. 9’s special election, Fairfax County Public Schools announced earlier this month that all 199 of its schools will be closed that day at the suggestion of the Fairfax County Office of Elections.

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Countywide

BREAKING: FCPS rejects Trump administration demand that it scrap trans-inclusive policies

By Angela Woolsey
A Trans Day of Visibility rally outside a school board meeting at Luther Jackson Middle School (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Fairfax County Public Schools is joining its counterparts across Northern Virginia in rejecting the Trump administration’s demands that it rescind policies supporting transgender and gender-nonconforming students.

In a message to FCPS staff and families, Superintendent Michelle Reid says she has sent a response to the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) defending the school system’s policies as consistent with existing state and federal law, requesting that the federal government pause any further action until the issue is “clarified” by the courts.

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Countywide

New school year brings new speed cameras and a ‘zero-tolerance’ traffic violation campaign

By Vernon Miles
Crossing guard holds back traffic as school bus leaves Daniels Run Elementary School in Fairfax (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

With schools around Fairfax County starting up next week, this is your reminder to pay extra-special attention on the roads and look out for kids.

Fairfax County Public Schools are back in session starting Monday, Aug. 18, meaning roads around the region will once again feature over 1,600 school buses loading and unloading students.

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News

Youngkin tells police to investigate FCPS over abortion assistance allegations

By Angela Woolsey
Gov. Glenn Youngkin at a rally in Vienna (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Allegations that Fairfax County Public Schools employees helped students obtain abortions without their parents’ consent have drawn Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s attention after circulating for days on right-wing media.

The Republican governor directed the Virginia State Police yesterday (Wednesday) to open a criminal investigation into FCPS based on the report, which was originally published in the Substack-based newsletter WC Dispatch.

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Countywide

FCPS expanding weapons scanning tech to all middle and high schools this fall

By Vernon Miles
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid discusses the upcoming weapons detection pilot program with students (via FCPS/YouTube)

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is expanding its weapons screening system to every middle and high school this fall.

A new pilot for weapons detectors kicked off this spring but was thrust into the spotlight after a student was stabbed at West Potomac High School the same week it started.

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Countywide

Fairfax County School Board student rep wants consistency in enforcing phone restrictions

By Scott McCaffrey
2025-2026 School Board student representative Faith Hailu Mekonen (via FCPS)

The new student representative to the Fairfax County School Board is urging school leaders to enforce consistent standards, now that new restrictions on student phone use are being rolled out countywide.

Starting with the upcoming 2025-2026 school year, Fairfax County Public Schools will prohibit students in all grades from using their cell phones at any point during the day — with the exception of high school students during lunch. Teachers can also no longer incorporate phones into instructional activities.

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News

FCPS receives $13 million held up for a month by Trump administration

By Scott McCaffrey
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid informs the school board about frozen federal grant funds at a July 10, 2025 meeting (via FCPS/YouTube)

Fairfax County Public Schools has received millions in federal funding that was held up for nearly a month by the Trump administration.

FCPS spokesperson Julie Allen told FFXnow yesterday (Wednesday) that the school division has confirmed receipt of the $13.1 million in withheld funding.

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Countywide

FCPS Pride urges schools not to comply with federal anti-trans demands

By Vernon Miles
A Trans Day of Visibility rally outside a school board meeting at Luther Jackson Middle School (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

FCPS Pride is urging Northern Virginia school districts to hold their ground after the Department of Education accused the schools’ trans-inclusive policies of violating Title IX.

Last week, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) found Fairfax County Public Schools and nearby Arlington, Alexandria, Prince William and Loudoun school divisions in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The findings argue that letting students use bathrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity constitutes discrimination on the basis of sex.

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