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Fairfax County Public Schools is developing its fiscal year 2027 budget while urging families to prepare for winter weather, update technology permissions and track several changes affecting students and volunteers.
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid is scheduled to present the proposed budget to the School Board in January. As the plan takes shape, the school division intends to explain the effects of chronic underfunding, the broader benefits of investing in schools and what could be at stake without sufficient support.
Families urged to prepare for winter weather
The school system’s website will generally be the first place emergency weather closings are announced. Updates will then be shared as quickly as possible through email, text messages, social media and television and radio stations.
Families should verify their contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the school system’s website and make emergency child-care arrangements if needed.
Principals will monitor low temperatures, wind chill alerts and other weather advisories when determining whether children should participate in outdoor activities. Students should arrive with warm coats and other suitable cold-weather clothing.
Families needing winter clothing may call Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning at 703-222-0880. Multilingual staff can also connect residents with assistance involving food, shelter, employment, finances and health.
Free community dinners coming to four high schools
Food and Nutrition Services will offer Thanksgiving-inspired dinners to students, families and anyone else in the community who needs a meal.
Dinner will be served from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday, November 24, at Herndon and Justice high schools. Annandale and Mount Vernon high schools will host meals during the same hours Tuesday, November 25.
The dinners are free for adults and children and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is not required, and diners do not have to be affiliated with the school system.
New western high school receives programming plan
The School Board approved operating the new western high school as a comprehensive school with traditional attendance boundaries. It will also include a special-programming pathway option.
The campus is expected to open for the 2026-27 school year, initially serving students in grades 9 and 10 who choose to attend.
The Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee met Wednesday, November 12, as the division continued its comprehensive review of school boundaries.
Volunteer requirements change after heavy response
Volunteer FCPS allows community members to create profiles and search for opportunities throughout the school division or at individual schools. Volunteers must register through the platform and use the visitor kiosk to sign in and out on every school visit.
Following a large community response, fingerprinting requirements have been temporarily paused for most Level 3 volunteers. People who have already submitted fingerprints will continue to be processed for eligibility across all Level 3 assignments.
Field-trip chaperones are now considered Level 2 volunteers, meaning they will not need the comprehensive background check that includes fingerprinting.
Every new volunteer must sign a legal certification confirming no history of violent felonies, physical or sexual crimes against children, or offenses involving moral turpitude, such as dishonesty or fraud. Prospective volunteers can also complete an orientation through the online system.
Google access requires new parental consent
Google has changed how educational applications are managed on Chrome browsers and Chromebooks, with many programs moving from the Chrome Web Store to the Google Play Store.
The Parent Digital Consent system now includes separate options for Additional Google Services through the Chrome Web Store and the Google Play Store. Families are being asked to review and approve both so students can continue using authorized instructional tools.
Parents may also manage home use of school-issued devices through the Lightspeed Parent Portal. Available controls include limiting YouTube access and pausing website browsing.
The restrictions operate after school from 3:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, including student holidays, and throughout Saturday and Sunday. Families can enroll through the link in the weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email.
Student support results arrive in ParentVUE
Students in grades 3 through 12 completed the Social and Emotional Learning Screener in October. The assessment covered goal-setting, emotional management, relationships, responsible decisions and whether students feel valued, included and supported at school.
Individual reports are being placed in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE during the week of November 17. Schools will give printed reports to families without active ParentVUE accounts.
Schools also use the Multi-Tiered System of Supports to provide high-quality instruction and add interventions, time or assistance when students need them. Families can monitor intervention plans and progress in ParentVUE, with updates expected each quarter.
Special education conference scheduled for March
The 2026 Special Education Family Conference will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at Marshall High School.
Families, educators and community members may attend the free, in-person event to learn about special education services, resources and support. A call for proposals will begin after Thanksgiving break, followed by registration after winter break.
Athletic and inclusion programs earn recognition
Oakton High School’s girls flag football team captured the school division’s first championship in the sport. The inaugural program involved 775 athletes.
Bush Hill Elementary School earned a place on the 2025 ESPN Honor Roll for its inclusive Unified Special Olympics programming. It was also named a Special Olympics Unified Champion School for the second time.
Fairfax Villa Elementary students in the Peer Buddies program observed World Kindness Day by painting “kindness rocks” and creating encouraging notes. The items were placed around the school grounds after the November 13 celebration.
Sisters Anne and Hannah Przydzial of Frost Middle School also celebrated at the Fairfax County cross country championship.
These activities accompanied continuing work on Universal Design for Learning and inclusive classroom practices. The approach seeks to reduce educational barriers and help students of different backgrounds, abilities and needs learn together.
During Family Engagement Month, the division also recognized Amal Ibrahim Elsayed, Family Resource Center liaison at the Dunn Loring Center, for cultivating partnerships with families.
Educate Fairfax launches year-end appeal
Educate Fairfax invested $1.27 million in the previous year to expand student opportunities, support employees and strengthen alumni and community involvement.
Its grant program reached more than 36,000 students across 100 schools. A record 258 applications arrived from 136 schools this fall, but the organization expects to finance only about half of the proposed projects.
The foundation also partners with Food and Nutrition Services to provide meals during extended school breaks. Its “25 for 2025” year-end campaign is seeking donations from $25 to $25,000.
Thanksgiving closure coincides with education sale
Schools and offices will close Wednesday, November 26, through Friday, November 28, for Thanksgiving. The school division’s weekly update will not be distributed November 26.
Adult and Community Education will offer 20% off hundreds of classes from 6 p.m. Thursday, November 27, until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, November 30. Eligible offerings include adult learning, SAT preparation, driver education and behind-the-wheel courses.
Customers may register for multiple classes or buy courses for friends and relatives. The promotion cannot be combined with another discount and does not cover gift cards.