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Fairfax County Public Schools will close all schools on April 21 as voters head to the polls for a special election on mid-decade congressional redistricting.
Superintendent Michelle Reid said the closure is intended to protect students and staff, prevent classroom disruptions and give voters unobstructed access to the 168 public school buildings used as polling places. Officials expect high turnout for the referendum.
The ballot measure asks voters to temporarily amend Virginia’s Constitution, allowing the General Assembly to adopt a new congressional district map. The Democratic-drawn proposal would divide Fairfax County among five new districts and could help the party secure as many as 10 congressional seats, countering redistricting efforts in Republican-led states.
“Providing polling locations during an election is one of the many ways FCPS supports our entire Fairfax County community, but it means that we must provide open public access to portions of our school buildings throughout the day,” Reid wrote to families.
She said the expected number of voters would significantly disrupt normal operations and make it harder to maintain a secure learning environment.
Despite the additional day off and an extended winter-weather closure earlier in the year, Reid said students will still receive more instructional hours than the Virginia Department of Education requires.
The decision comes amid concerns from some families about the scarcity of full, five-day school weeks. In recent years, FCPS has added observances including Veterans Day, Diwali and Yom Kippur, along with two-hour early-release days intended to provide more training and planning time for employees. Those early dismissals began on Mondays in 2024 and shifted to Wednesdays for the 2025-2026 school year.
School Board member Melanie Meren, who represents the Hunter Mill District, recently said families have complained that too few weeks this school year include five full instructional days.
As chair of the board’s governance committee, Meren plans to lead a review of the school calendar policy. The effort will seek to preserve more five-day weeks while retaining planning time for staff.
“What I am seeking is how to retain the time so it meets staff’s needs, but have it be configured so more five day weeks remain intact. I see options to consider,” Meren said.
She believes FCPS can increase the number of full weeks without making drastic changes to the planned 2026-2027 calendar.
Early voting for the redistricting referendum began March 6 and will run through April 18 at the Fairfax County, Mount Vernon and North County government centers.
Three other proposed constitutional amendments will go before voters during the regular Nov. 3 general election. Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed legislation in early February placing measures on the ballot that would protect reproductive rights, formally repeal Virginia’s prohibition on same-sex marriage and restore voting rights to people convicted of felonies after their release.