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A Chantilly High School student used skills from the school’s Auto Technology program to rescue a stranded driver, one of several student and staff achievements highlighted across Fairfax County Public Schools on April 21.
Om Desai stepped in after community member Elizabeth Mulenga’s car broke down near Chantilly High School. Over roughly three hours, he diagnosed the problem, purchased the faulty part and replaced it at the scene.
Mulenga said she was surprised to discover that the person with such extensive mechanical knowledge was still in high school. She credited Chantilly’s program with equipping students to apply their skills beyond the classroom and said Desai’s assistance lifted her spirits during a difficult period.
The story arrived as FCPS prepared for a consequential budget week. The school system’s governing body was scheduled to present its fiscal year 2026 budget to the county’s supervisors on Tuesday. The county’s advertised budget left FCPS $150 million short of its requested funding.
County supervisors were expected to finalize the budget May 6. Residents had until April 24 to respond to the county budget survey or register to speak at a public hearing.
Students earn top honors
Lake Braddock Secondary School senior Kellie Ratliff won first place in the team competition at the Calculus Olympiad 2025, held April 5 at George Mason University.
Her mother, Haiyun Ratliff, credited pre-calculus teacher Joseph Ruchlewicz with helping Kellie build a strong foundation and calculus teacher Yoosun Han with telling the family about the competition and encouraging Kellie to participate.
Woodson High School senior Rida Karim also received national recognition. Karim, who served as the student representative to the school system’s governing body during the 2023-24 academic year, was named a 2025 National Center for Women and Information Technology Aspirations in Computing Award winner.
The award recognizes the top 1% of high school women in technology nationwide. Students are selected based on their computing achievements and interests, leadership, academic performance and postsecondary plans.
Spring-break programs target missed learning
At Pine Spring Elementary School, students participated in the Spring Sprouts attendance initiative and the Blooming Readers literacy program during spring break.
Spring Sprouts operates at Pine Spring and other Title I elementary schools, giving students affected by chronic absenteeism an opportunity to recover missed learning. The program also seeks to strengthen connections among families, students and schools.
Some middle schools offered a similar program called Spring Forward for students facing chronic absenteeism or seeking additional preparation before Virginia Standards of Learning exams.
Blooming Readers provided extra literacy support to students in third grade and above. Altogether, 31 schools offered spring-break opportunities for students to catch up academically.
The three programs support the FCPS 2023-30 Strategic Plan’s “Strong Start” goal, which focuses on foundational academic skills, curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.
Truck drivers complete safety refresher
Sixty-five FCPS employees completed fleet-safety training organized by the Office of Safety and Security and the Fairfax County Police Department’s Motor Carrier Safety Unit.
Participants came from Food and Nutrition Services, the Office of Facilities Management’s Grounds Section and the Forte Center Warehouse. Training covered required pre-trip truck inspections, seat-belt and speed-limit compliance, and distracted-driving prevention.
FCPS Chief Safety and Security Officer Brian Lambert said the partnership kept fleet safety a priority during spring break. The employees operate large vehicles on congested roads, maneuver in tight school spaces and work in hazardous weather while delivering supplies and maintaining parking lots and playgrounds.
Greenhouse program builds career skills
At the Pulley Career Center, seven students are developing horticultural and workplace skills in the school’s commercial-grade greenhouse.
Students work there daily from 9 to 10 a.m. and from 12:30 to 2 p.m., practicing responsibility and teamwork while preparing for possible careers in green industries. The initiative is led by Get2Green leader Heather Finch with support from Principal Peter Kelly.
The students also gain experience at the Franconia Rec Center and the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture. Plants raised through the program include vegetables and pollinator-friendly varieties for the wider community.
The work supports the school division’s strategic goal of preparing graduates to adapt, innovate and pursue sustainable futures.
Literacy work expands at Franklin Sherman
Franklin Sherman Elementary School continued its schoolwide literacy efforts following a recent Literacy Night for students and families.
The event combined reading activities with a parent session explaining changes in literacy instruction and offering ways to reinforce skills at home. Principal Farris Thomas said teachers are also using collaboration, student data and shared expertise to improve instruction.
Upcoming “Pineapple” visits will allow teachers to observe colleagues’ classrooms and learn from one another. Across FCPS, educators were also entering the final units of the Benchmark Advance literacy program as the school year approached its closing months.