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Fairfax County Public Schools marked a consequential week with voter approval of a $460 million bond referendum, the launch of new artificial intelligence plans and a series of student and staff achievements across the division.
Superintendent Michelle Reid also recognized FCPS employees who are veterans, along with staff members whose relatives have served in the military.
More than seven in 10 Fairfax County voters supported the 2025 bond referendum. The money will fund school buildings, athletic fields and other capital improvements as FCPS works to shorten a renovation cycle that now exceeds 40 years. The industry standard is about 20 to 25 years.
FCPS is also submitting an application for the Baldrige Award for Excellence. Experts from The Partnership for Excellence will evaluate the school system and identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. The effort follows FCPS receiving the Spirit and Pioneer Awards earlier in 2025.
Baldrige examiners are scheduled to meet with the division in March, with a detailed feedback report expected later in 2026. FCPS intends to use the process to improve leadership, student and staff services, data-based decisions and management of its resources.
Students Earn Academic, Arts and Science Honors
During the 2024-25 school year, 187 FCPS students earned the Advanced Placement Capstone Diploma, while 22 received the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.
The College Board’s AP Capstone program centers on two yearlong courses, AP Seminar and AP Research. Students investigate subjects across multiple disciplines and complete academic papers, multimedia presentations and defenses of their findings. The program emphasizes research, critical thinking, collaboration, presentation and time-management skills.
Another 39 students from 18 Fairfax County high schools and two elementary schools were selected for the 2025 All-Virginia Orff Ensemble, the 2024 All-Virginia Jazz Band and Jazz Ensemble, and the 2025 Virginia Music Educators Association Senior Honors Choir.
They will rehearse and perform with musicians from across Virginia in Norfolk from Tuesday, Nov. 18, through Saturday, Nov. 22. The free public performances follow a competitive audition process and will give participants opportunities to work with nationally recognized conductors.
Carter G. Woodson High School also received the 2025 Science Olympiad Spirit Award at the national tournament at the University of Nebraska. The honor recognizes positivity, teamwork, character and citizenship.
Woodson was one of 60 leading teams at the competition. Its students were recognized for supporting both their teammates and competitors from other schools. Principal Kevin Greata announced the award, and team sponsor Ellen Babcock was credited with helping cultivate the program’s supportive culture.
Participation beyond the classroom remained strong during the fall. More than 8,000 FCPS students competed in athletics, including 775 who joined a new girls flag football program sponsored by the Washington Commanders. About 8,200 students participated in theater onstage or behind the scenes.
Purple Star Recognition Expands
FCPS added 49 schools to Virginia’s Purple Star program for their support of military-connected students and families. The division now has 145 designated schools, representing nearly 75% of the district.
The school system is working toward Purple Star Division status by the 2026-27 school year, a goal that requires every FCPS school to receive the designation.
Families are also being asked to complete the Federal Impact Aid Survey. FCPS expects to receive approximately $4 million through the program this year.
Federal Impact Aid helps school systems recover revenue unavailable because federal property cannot be taxed. FCPS uses the funding to support staffing and classroom instruction, facilities and maintenance, and student transportation.
The survey is available through the Online Packets section of SIS ParentVUE. Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 12, schools will provide paper copies to families that have not submitted the online form.
Boundary Review Nears Decision Point
FCPS held 12 community meetings in October as part of its comprehensive boundary review, with each gathering concentrating on two school pyramids.
The Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee is expected to deliver its recommendations to Reid later in November. She will consider those proposals before presenting her final recommendations and an implementation plan to the School Board.
Board members will then review the proposal, conduct a public hearing and vote on any boundary changes in January.
The School Board’s upcoming work session will also include a discussion at approximately 10 a.m. about the fiscal year 2027 budget. The initial budget forecast will examine division priorities, including higher compensation for teachers and other employees.
The discussion is also expected to address chronic underfunding, Virginia’s Standards of Quality and Local Composite Index formulas, and mandates that are not fully funded. Programs and services that FCPS provides beyond state requirements will be part of the review.
Reid is scheduled to release her proposed needs-based budget on Jan. 22, 2026. She warned that inadequate funding could force difficult decisions about the education and services offered to Fairfax County students.
FCPS Launches Its AI Plans
At West Springfield High School, FCPS hosted “Meeting the Moment: FCPS Forward — AI and the Future of Learning,” an event focused on how artificial intelligence could reshape education and employment.
An interactive expo featured tools from Google and Playlab. A panel included Reid; FCPS Chief Information Technology Officer Gautam Sethi; Google Director of Education for North America Steven Butschi; and Playlab Strategic Partnerships Lead Hilah Barbot.
The discussion examined the disappearance of some entry-level positions, particularly in white-collar fields, and the projection that nearly 40% of workplace skills will change by 2030. FCPS leaders said today’s kindergarten students—the class of 2038—will enter a dramatically different labor market.
The division’s Department of Information Technology is working with Google and Playlab, identified in the message with Amazon, as FCPS develops its approach. The plans call for controlled environments where students can experiment, make mistakes and learn to create with AI instead of using it only as passive consumers.
Educate Fairfax and ITServe Alliance sponsored the event, which drew hundreds of students, employees and community members.
School Leaders and Community Partners Recognized
Reid visited Aldrin Elementary School to celebrate Principal Shane Wolfe’s Virginia Principal of Distinction Award. The Virginia Department of Education program, offered with the Virginia Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals, honors leaders who inspire excellence and improve student outcomes.
Wolfe recently attended a professional development symposium in Richmond with Annandale High School Principal Shawn DeRose and South County High School Principal Kambar Khoshaba.
The Superintendent’s Advisory Committee for Twice-Exceptional Programming also met at the Gatehouse Administration Center to discuss support for students who are both academically advanced and have disabilities or other learning needs.
Later in the week, Reid joined the Rotary Club of West Springfield at the Springfield Golf and Country Club. The discussion covered progress under the FCPS 2023-30 Strategic Plan, budget planning, emerging career paths and the future workforce.
The club sponsors the Interact Club at West Springfield High School, offers scholarships to seniors planning to attend Northern Virginia Community College and pairs recipients with Rotary mentors. It also works with Irving Middle School on the annual Four-Way Test Essay Contest, which asks students to consider truth, fairness, goodwill and benefits to others.
Reid concluded the week by attending the American Association of School Administrators’ National Superintendent of the Year Gala in Washington, D.C., where education leaders from across the country gathered to discuss current issues.
With Veterans Day approaching, she asked the FCPS community to recognize those who served and the sacrifices made by veterans and their families.