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The Fairfax County School Board unanimously approved the fiscal year 2025-26 budget after cutting $121 million from the school system’s needs-based proposal.
The reductions follow years of underfunding and are expected to affect classrooms, although the school division said it remains committed to providing a high-quality education for every student.
Boundary review meetings scheduled
Community members can provide feedback on initial school boundary scenarios during three meetings before summer break. Each session will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m.:
- Thursday, May 29, at Whitman Middle School.
- Friday, May 30, at Chantilly High School.
- Friday, June 6, at Glasgow Middle School.
All three meetings will offer in-person and virtual participation. Child care will be available for those attending in person, while interpretation and translation can be requested by any participant.
Virtual attendees will receive a Zoom link within 24 business hours of registering. Participants will use an online tool to submit comments, which will appear in real time and later be compiled, analyzed, and posted on the Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage.
Families can also enter their address in the Boundary Explorer Tool to see how the draft scenarios could affect their neighborhood or school.
Music and special education honors announced
Twenty-three schools earned the Virginia Music Educators Association’s 2025 Blue Ribbon Award, the state’s highest recognition for school music programs. The honor recognizes outstanding performance in band, chorus, and orchestra.
Fairfax County’s Special Education PTA also honored 21 individuals and groups during its annual Excellence Awards. The recipients were selected from about 200 nominations spanning every grade level and were recognized for celebrating children’s strengths while supporting their needs.
Olympiad programs reach more than 500 students
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid highlighted Math and Science Olympiad programs during the School Board’s May 22 meeting as part of a discussion about equitable access and opportunity.
The programs provide STEAM activities without charging students for participation, transportation, or meals. Participation in such extracurricular activities has been associated with improved attendance, academic performance, and success after high school.
More than 500 students from 37 elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school participate in Science Olympiad programs across the division.
Quander Road senior earns HVAC credential
Quander Road School senior Jared Terceros-Grundy is preparing to graduate in June with a Level 2 certificate in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
His path to graduation included training with Edison Academy HVAC instructor Robert Stringham and will allow him to leave school with an industry-related qualification.
Graduation season gets underway
Families, students, and staff are being encouraged to post photos from 2025 graduation and promotion ceremonies on Facebook or Instagram. Participants can tag their school and use the hashtag #FCPSgrad25.
The school division has also published its high school graduation schedule and maintains an online directory of school social media accounts.
Students build a retro arcade at Edison
Electrical students at Edison High School designed and constructed a retro arcade featuring games including Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., FIFA 2014, and an older version of Just Dance projected onto a wall.
The student-run arcade has been open to the Edison community for several weeks, giving students and employees a recreational break during spring testing. The project supports the school division’s strategic goal of preparing students to lead future innovation.
Summer online registration closes June 6
Registration for Online Campus summer courses will close Friday, June 6. Families with questions can call 703-503-7781 or contact the Online Campus by email.
Mental health services available to students
Reid also outlined school-based mental health services, family resources, policies, and community partnerships during her Academic Matters presentation to the School Board.
Available programs include Our Minds Matter, a student-led organization promoting self-care, healthy habits, social connections, and suicide prevention.
Substance misuse prevention efforts include Become Unskippable, a campaign that helps families speak with teenagers about difficult issues such as the dangers of fentanyl.
High school students can receive virtual therapy at no cost for concerns involving anxiety, grief, changes in mood or behavior, motivation, bullying, relationships, social skills, fears, and academic pressure.
A guardian or designated school employee can refer a student by calling 571-749-2940 or contacting a school counselor, psychologist, social worker, or director of Student Services.
The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board offers additional youth services, including individual and family counseling, psychiatric evaluations, medication management, parenting groups, peer support, crisis intervention, medication-assisted treatment, recovery support, and intensive care. Families can begin the referral process by calling 703-383-8500.
General school information is also available through family phone lines in Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
End-of-year dates and community event
The final day of the school year is Wednesday, June 11, with early dismissal. Families should contact their child’s school for its specific dismissal time.
Classes for the 2025-26 academic year will begin Monday, August 18.
Healthy Together Fairfax will take place rain or shine from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 8, at Franconia Park. The free event will feature fitness classes, guided trail walks, a mobile nature center, a mobile health van, children’s story time, carousel rides, a playground, healthy food, and activities presented by more than 40 community partners.