Fairfax County School Board | FFXnow

Published October 16, 2024 at 3:45PM | Updated October 16, 2024 at 5:57PM

Superintendent Michelle Reid (staff file photo by James Jarvis)

Fairfax County Public Schools leaders don’t appear to be losing sleep over three of the district’s nearly 200 schools failing to meet full accreditation standards.

While 192 county schools have been fully accredited for this school year by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), Justice High School in Lake Barcroft and Sandburg and Whitman middle schools in Fort Hunt and Hybla Valley, respectively, were rated “accredited with conditions” due to shortcomings in reported student achievement levels.

Countywide

FCPS launches clinics to immunize 9,000 still-unvaccinated students

By James Jarvis

Published October 1, 2024 at 9:00AM

FCPS Central Office in Falls Church (staff photo by James Jarvis)

With the 2024-2025 school year in full swing, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is still working to get thousands of students up to date on their required vaccinations.

FCPS officials reported last week that over 9,000 students — down from 29,000 in July — still need vaccinations against diseases like measles, polio and meningitis, potentially putting their enrollment at risk. The division has approximately 181,000 enrolled students for this year, as of September, according to FCPS data.

Countywide

Fairfax supervisors press Gov. Youngkin for additional state funding for key public services

By James Jarvis

Published September 26, 2024 at 9:00AM

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting on Jan. 23, 2024 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Fairfax County leaders want Gov. Glenn Youngkin to boost state funding for critical services, such as schools, transportation and health care.

The Board of Supervisors voted 9-1 on Tuesday (Sept. 24) to send a letter to Youngkin arguing that chronic underfunding by the state has forced localities like Fairfax County to lean heavily on local tax revenue to maintain “core services” like public education, public safety and transportation infrastructure, straining local budgets and taxpayers.

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FCPS leaders criticize state’s new school evaluation system, citing resource gaps

By James Jarvis

Published September 9, 2024 at 3:30PM

The Fairfax County Public Schools administrative center in Merrifield (file photo)

Fairfax County school officials fear Virginia’s new accreditation system could disproportionately harm schools with large populations of English learners and students with disabilities.

Adopted last month by the Virginia Board of Education, the School Performance and Support Framework places more weight on standardized test scores and graduation rates — a move state officials argue will hold schools to higher educational standards and improve accountability.

Countywide

Fairfax County to roll out phone-free pilot in select schools next month

By James Jarvis

Published August 16, 2024 at 9:30AM

Woman types on smartphone (via freestocks/Unsplash)

During the new school year, which kicks off Monday (Aug. 19), students at select Fairfax County middle and high schools will be required to hand in their phones in order to turn up their focus.

Starting Sept. 3, Fairfax County Public Schools will begin rolling out a new phone-free pilot program, requiring middle and high school students to secure their cell phones in magnetically sealed pouches or lockers during class to reduce distractions.

Countywide

FCPS gets set for varsity boys’ volleyball and girls’ wrestling programs

By James Jarvis

Published August 12, 2024 at 3:30PM

West Springfield High School students try out for the new varsity boys' volleyball team (courtesy Donnie Biggs/Fairfax County Public Schools)

Boys’ volleyball has staged a comeback and girls’ wrestling will soon take to the mats in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

Thanks to new funding, Fairfax County Public Schools will offer both sports at the varsity level for the first time during the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, which starts classes next Monday (Aug. 19). Boys’ volleyball will start this fall, followed by girls’ wrestling in the winter.

Countywide

Fairfax County School Board’s new budget chair suggests change in approach to funding challenges

By James Jarvis

Published August 1, 2024 at 11:30AM

At-large Fairfax Board of Supervisors representative Kyle McDaniel (staff photo by James Jarvis)

After Fairfax County Public Schools got much less funding than it wanted for teacher pay raises and other investments, new budget chair Kyle McDaniel suggests it’s time for a change in strategy.

McDaniel, who was elected to the school board as an at-large member last year, worries growing divisions in the budget process between the school board and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors could strain relationships as the county tackles its own financial challenges.

Countywide

Fairfax County School Board OKs polarizing new boundary change policy

By James Jarvis

Published July 23, 2024 at 11:30AM | Updated October 18, 2024 at 2:04PM

Audience members hold signs as the Fairfax County School Board discusses changes to its boundary adjustment policy (via FCPS/YouTube)

Fairfax County Public Schools has adopted a new boundary adjustment policy to help manage transportation issues and overcrowding.

The Fairfax County School Board approved the policy 9-2 at a meeting last Thursday (July 18) that drew a raucous crowd. The board also directed the superintendent to implement boundary changes for Lincolnia’s Glasgow Middle School that were put on hold while the countywide policy was reviewed.

News

Fairfax County School Board jumps regulatory hurdles to OK solar panels for nine schools

By James Jarvis

Published July 17, 2024 at 10:30AM | Updated July 18, 2024 at 9:56AM

A solar panel demonstration project outside Luther Jackson Middle School (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

In a bid to cut energy costs by tens of thousands of dollars, the Fairfax County School Board finalized a deal with a local solar developer last month to outfit nine elementary schools across the county with 250-kilowatt (kW) solar panels.

The solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) comes years after the school board approved a series of much larger solar projects that were halted after Dominion Energy introduced new interconnection rules that substantially increased project costs, rendering the projects economically unfeasible.

Countywide

School board mostly backs revised FCPS boundary change policy, but timeline a concern

By James Jarvis

Published June 28, 2024 at 2:30PM | Updated October 18, 2024 at 2:04PM

Fairfax County Public Schools

A revised policy for adjusting school boundaries appears to have most of the Fairfax County School Board’s support ahead of a possible vote next month.

While most members agreed that the current policy needs an overhaul to address capacity issues across Fairfax County Public Schools, some expressed reservations at a work session on Tuesday (June 25).