Fairfax County Public Schools

Published September 16, 2025 at 1:50PM | Updated September 22, 2025 at 11:59AM

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 Superintendent (FCPS) Michelle Reid sent a message to the school community explaining more about the ongoing legal fight with the U.S. Department of Education (DOE).

Earlier this month, a federal judge in Alexandria dismissed a lawsuit the Fairfax and Arlington school boards filed against the DOE after the federal department froze their funding. The DOE put the schools on “high risk” status and restricted their access to federal funds after they refused to rescind policies allowing students to use bathrooms and other facilities that match their gender identity.

News

Fairfax school board aims to improve collaboration with supervisors on next budget

By Scott McCaffrey

Published September 12, 2025 at 10:00AM

School Board member Melanie Meren (screenshot via FCPS)

Some Fairfax County School Board members hope closer collaboration with their Board of Supervisors’ counterparts will make for smoother future budget processes than was experienced earlier this year.

Fairfax County Public Schools needs to convince local elected officials and the broader community that “we are being as strategic as possible with every dollar,” Mason District School Board member Ricardy Anderson said during a school board work session on Tuesday (Sept. 9) about budget planning and communications strategies.

Countywide

FCPS asks appeals court to stop Trump administration from cutting off federal funds

By Angela Woolsey

Published September 10, 2025 at 9:15AM | Updated September 10, 2025 at 10:12AM

FCPS Pride supporters hold signs at a rally outside Luther Jackson Middle School (staff photo by Jared Serre)

Fairfax County Public Schools is appealing the dismissal of its lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education.

The school system asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit of Virginia yesterday (Tuesday) to overturn a lower court’s decision denying a preliminary injunction that would’ve prevented the Education Department (DOE) from restricting its access to federal funding, Superintendent Michelle Reid announced.

Countywide

UPDATED: FCPS ‘disappointed’ by dismissal of lawsuit to halt funding freeze

By Angela Woolsey

Published September 8, 2025 at 8:30AM | Updated September 8, 2025 at 10:40AM

Justice statue over the entrance to the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse in Alexandria (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County Public Schools has encountered at least a temporary setback in its bid to prevent the federal government from cutting off funding over its support for transgender students.

On Friday (Sept. 5), a federal judge in Alexandria dismissed the lawsuit that the Fairfax and Arlington county school boards had filed against the U.S. Education Department, denying their requests for an injunction to halt the funding freeze as the case proceeds.

News

FCPD investigating fatal student overdose in West Springfield

By Vernon Miles

Published September 5, 2025 at 1:45PM | Updated September 5, 2025 at 4:13PM

Fairfax County police car close-up (file photo)

A West Springfield High School student died earlier this week from a drug overdose, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) officials have confirmed.

FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid announced the death in a letter on Wednesday (Sept. 3), sharing guidance for parents, students and community members.

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School board member advocates for FCPS to add more security personnel

By Jared Serre

Published September 5, 2025 at 10:00AM

Fairfax County School Board member Mateo Dunne (staff photo by Jared Serre)

Fairfax County Public Schools is rolling out advanced weapons detectors to all middle and high schools, but is that enough to keep schools safe? At least one member of the school board says no.

“Technology can identify a weapon or observe a fight, but it requires a human to intervene to seize the weapon or stop the fight,” Mount Vernon District Representative Mateo Dunne told FFXnow.

News

Spring state-champion athletes from Fairfax County schools honored by local leaders

By Scott McCaffrey

Published September 2, 2025 at 3:45PM

County supervisors with state-champion student-athletes, families and coaches behind them (screenshot via Fairfax County)

Fairfax County supervisors on Tuesday (Aug. 26) honored five teams and multiple individuals for winning Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 6 state championships in spring sports competition.

“This has become a special tradition — a proud moment,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said during the presentation, which filled the board auditorium at the Fairfax County Government Center with student-athletes, coaches and families.

News

Former FCPS after-school staffer sentenced for child sex crimes

By Jared Serre

Published September 2, 2025 at 1:45PM

Fairfax County Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A former Fairfax County Public schools contractor will serve prison time after admitting to committing multiple child sex crimes.

Arturo Elmore-Adon was sentenced Thursday (Aug. 29) to 31 years behind bars, though all but seven were suspended by Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Michael F. Devine, according to online court records.

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Dueling rallies overshadow first Fairfax County School Board meeting of new school year

By Jared Serre

Published August 29, 2025 at 3:45PM

Advocates with FCPS Pride and Students for Life convene for competing rallies outside Luther Jackson Middle School on Aug. 28, 2025 (staff photo by Jared Serre)

Competing rallies outside at Luther Jackson Middle School in Merrifield yesterday (Thursday) quickly commanded attention away from Fairfax County’s first school board meeting of the new academic year.

Dozens of activists from pro-LGBTQ+ group FCPS Pride showed up to applaud the school board for supporting transgender students, while the anti-abortion organization Students for Life of America gathered to condemn Fairfax County Public Schools officials over recent allegations of employees helping students obtain abortions.

Countywide

BREAKING: FCPS sues Education Department for freezing funding over transgender policies

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 29, 2025 at 2:55PM

A community member waves an LGBTQ pride flag at the rally protesting Virginia's model policies on transgender students (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The Fairfax County School Board is suing the Trump administration for withholding federal funds in retaliation for its refusal to scrap policies supporting transgender students.

At its meeting last night (Thursday), its first of the new academic year, the school board authorized a lawsuit against the U.S. Education Department alleging that its denial of funds to Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) violates federal laws and the Constitution, Superintendent Michelle Reid announced today.