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Fairfax County Public Schools entered its sixth week of the 2025-26 school year with new safety measures, preparations to name a recently acquired high school and a packed calendar of community meetings.

At Glasgow Middle School, students and staff discussed the introduction of weapons-detection systems. Students Owen, DeAnnie, Jared, Alex, Willow and Isla described how feeling secure helps them concentrate on learning.

Principal Lisa Barrow said the systems can give students peace of mind as they arrive at school. Brian Lambert, FCPS chief of Safety and Security, noted that the screening process also creates opportunities for staff members to greet students each morning.

FCPS also became Virginia’s first school division to work with Virginia State Police on Rap Back, a continuous background-check program that provides real-time alerts about criminal activity involving employees, independent contractors and Level 3 volunteers.

More than 32,000 people had enrolled in the system, with FCPS aiming to complete enrollment by the end of October. The district described the program as a shift from periodic, reactive checks to ongoing monitoring and said its implementation could help inform protections for Virginia’s 1.3 million students.

New high school enters naming and planning process

FCPS announced in early September that it had acquired a new high school in western Fairfax County. The division is now beginning a community-focused naming process governed by Policy and Regulation 8170.

The School Board is scheduled to discuss the school’s programs and possible boundary status during an October 7 work session. The school will appear as new business at the board’s October 9 meeting, beginning a one-month public comment period.

FCPS plans to release information about submitting possible names through a public hearing, community meeting and survey.

Boundary maps coming in October

FCPS is continuing its comprehensive boundary review after holding another community meeting at Madison High School. September sessions are covering the review’s current status, the role of public input and the next steps.

Updated draft boundary maps are expected to appear in the Boundary Explorer Tool in October. The revisions will incorporate feedback collected during the spring and input from the Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee.

October meetings will present those maps and collect additional feedback:

  • October 13, 6:30-8 p.m., Robinson Secondary School, for the Centreville and Robinson pyramids.
  • October 14, 6:30-8 p.m., Herndon High School, for the South Lakes and Herndon pyramids.
  • October 15, 6:30-8 p.m., Langley High School, for the Oakton and Langley pyramids.
  • October 16, 6:30-8 p.m., McLean High School, for the Madison and McLean pyramids.
  • October 17, 6:30-8 p.m., Falls Church High School, for the Marshall and Falls Church pyramids.
  • October 21, 6:30-8 p.m., Annandale High School, for the Justice and Annandale pyramids.
  • October 22, 6:30-8 p.m., Hayfield Secondary School, for the South County and Hayfield pyramids.
  • October 24, 6:30-8 p.m., Mount Vernon High School, for the West Potomac and Mount Vernon pyramids.
  • October 27, 6:30-8 p.m., Fairfax High School, for the Woodson and Fairfax pyramids.
  • October 28, 6:30-8 p.m., Chantilly High School, for the Westfield and Chantilly pyramids.
  • October 29, 6:30-8 p.m., Lewis High School, for the Edison and Lewis pyramids.
  • October 30, 7-8:30 p.m., Irving Middle School, for the Lake Braddock and West Springfield pyramids.

Child care will be offered for in-person attendees as needed, along with language interpretation and translation.

Families and employees raise concerns

The first Community Conversation of the school year took place at Woodlawn Elementary School, where families and other residents discussed homework rules, federal funding concerns, handwriting instruction and textbooks.

Additional conversations are scheduled for September 29 at McNair Upper Elementary School, October 3 at Annandale Terrace Elementary School, December 5 at Churchill Road Elementary School, December 9 at Fairhill Elementary School and December 11 at Bull Run Elementary School. Each meeting will run from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The first fall Employee Conversation was held at Franconia Elementary School. Staff members raised issues including federal funding, the budget and class sizes. More employee sessions are planned for September 30 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., November 18 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and December 10 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Regional cooperation was also on the agenda at the Region IV Superintendents’ Retreat at National Harbor, where school leaders met to discuss their work supporting public education.

Longfellow students build academic and lifesaving skills

During a visit to Longfellow Middle School, seventh-grade students in Nora Oney’s English class reviewed feedback from a recent writing assignment. They recorded what they had done successfully and identified areas to improve, beginning a yearlong process for tracking their progress in reading and writing.

In physical education, eighth graders practiced archery while seventh graders learned to pitch golf balls with wedges. Teachers Todd White and Katherine Shapiro discussed the extensive preparation required to conduct those activities safely. Longfellow’s physical education staff also trains other FCPS personnel in archery instruction.

The school partners each spring with the nonprofit Gwyneth’s Gift to teach hands-only CPR. Those lessons recently proved critical when three Longfellow students attended a scouting mountain-bike event with one student’s father. After the father suffered a cardiac emergency, the students used CPR techniques learned at school and saved his life.

The visit concluded in Elaina Bafaro’s AVID classroom, where students were researching universities.

Library card opens access far beyond books

A visit to Thomas Jefferson Library during National Library Card Sign-Up Month highlighted the range of materials available through Fairfax County Public Library.

The registration process took only a few minutes, followed by an introduction to the express-checkout system from librarian Vicky Chu. Cardholders may borrow as many as 50 items and can obtain more than conventional books, including artwork, thermal cameras, board games and educational Launchpad tablets.

Fairfax County’s system includes 14 community libraries and eight regional branches.

Alumni honored at Wolf Trap

The fourth annual Educate Fairfax Alumni Hall of Fame induction ceremony recognized 11 FCPS graduates at Wolf Trap:

  • Amir Abu-El-Hawa, Annandale High School Class of 2005, for politics, government and military service.
  • Jim Acosta, Annandale High School Class of 1989, for news and entertainment.
  • Maureen Boland, West Springfield High School Class of 1986, for education and FCPS leadership.
  • Michele Bolos, West Springfield High School Class of 1986, for business and nonprofit leadership.
  • Arun Gupta, Lake Braddock Secondary School Class of 1987, for business and nonprofit leadership.
  • Mark Holbrook, Mount Vernon High School Class of 1990, for education and FCPS leadership.
  • Meredith Hovan, Chantilly High School Class of 1997, for philanthropy.
  • Jennifer Montone, Robinson Secondary School Class of 1995, for news and entertainment.
  • Dennis Scarborough, Annandale High School Class of 1985, for politics, government and military service.
  • Philip Wilkerson, Mount Vernon High School Class of 2003, for education and leadership.
  • Jennifer Williamson, Fairfax High School Class of 1990, for business, education and FCPS leadership.

The honorees’ careers span public service, education, nonprofit leadership, technology, entrepreneurship, journalism, the arts and national security.

The event was organized by Educate Fairfax with support from Apple Federal Credit Union, Burke & Herbert Bank, Cigna Healthcare, Cox Business, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, Guernsey Inc., I-66 Express Mobility Partners, Kaiser Permanente, Moseley Architects, Ricoh USA and Samaha Associates.

Technology, school events and community programs

At a Northern Virginia Technology Council meeting, CrowdStrike co-founder Dmitri Alperovitch discussed the rapidly changing cybersecurity environment and its effects on communities. The presentation also raised questions about how schools can prepare students for careers and challenges in technology and cybersecurity.

Back-to-school gatherings were held at Annandale High School, Garfield Elementary School and Bull Run Elementary School. Other school activities included a South Lakes-Oakton field hockey game and a Chantilly-Fairfax varsity football game featuring dance and marching-band performances.

At Marshall High School, Providence Day brought together elected officials, county partners and community members, with the school’s cheer squad participating.

The Special Needs Conference and Resource Fair at Northern Virginia Community College connected families and educators with resources for students with disabilities. The event was hosted by the 7Q Foundation in partnership with All Needs Planning and aligned with the FCPS strategic plan’s goal of ensuring students are safe, supported, included and empowered.

The Nottoway Tribe of Virginia held a powwow at the Surry Parks and Recreation Center near Richmond. Built around the theme “Indigenous Resilience,” the event featured dancing, drumming, crafts, demonstrations and food while teaching visitors about the tribe’s history, traditions and continuing cultural practices.

At Fairfax Corner, the 17th annual Asha Jyothi 5K Fun Run/Walk drew FCPS students, employees and other community participants. Founded in 2003, the volunteer nonprofit supports education and health programs locally and abroad. Its Educate-Innovate program has invested millions of dollars in local schools to expand STEM opportunities.

Solar program launches as electric bus fleet grows

Louise Archer Elementary School hosted the Sun Day NoVA celebration marking the launch of an FCPS solar initiative and the arrival of 17 electric school buses.

The additions are expected to bring the district’s electric fleet to 48 buses by the end of 2025. The solar and transportation projects support Joint Environmental Task Force goals involving energy-efficient schools, reduced greenhouse-gas emissions and student leadership in sustainability.

Volunteer backlog brings provisional approvals

FCPS launched Volunteer FCPS on August 1 using the Samaritan platform. All volunteers must register through the system before principals can authorize them to begin working.

Because of heavy demand and delays in processing background checks, schools may grant provisional approval to Level 3 volunteers when they have time-sensitive needs. Fingerprinting is still expected before those volunteers begin Level 3 activities, but provisional status can be used when the backlog causes delays.

Volunteers must sign in through the school’s visitor kiosk before every activity. They may also complete fingerprinting through Fieldprint locations instead of traveling to Gatehouse or arranging virtual appointments. School Volunteer Points of Contact can provide assistance.