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FCPS leaders unanimously approved the school division’s fiscal 2025-26 budget after making $121 million in reductions to a needs-based spending proposal developed with community expectations in mind.
Officials said the reductions followed years of underfunding and would affect classrooms, but pledged to continue working toward a high-quality education for every student.
Boundary review meetings approach
Three community meetings will give residents an opportunity to respond to initial school-boundary scenarios before summer break. The hybrid sessions will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on:
- Thursday, May 29, at Whitman Middle School.
- Friday, May 30, at Chantilly High School.
- Friday, June 6, at Glasgow Middle School.
Child care will be offered to in-person participants, and language interpretation or translation will be available as needed. Registered virtual attendees should receive a Zoom link within 24 business hours.
A consultant will use an online tool to collect comments during each meeting and display them to participants in real time. The feedback will later be compiled, analyzed and posted on the Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage. Residents may also enter their addresses in the Boundary Explorer Tool to examine how the proposals could affect their schools or neighborhoods.
Music and special education honors announced
Twenty-three FCPS schools earned the Virginia Music Educators Association’s 2025 Blue Ribbon Award for excellence in band, chorus and orchestra. It is the association’s highest honor for school music programs in Virginia.
Fairfax County’s Special Education PTA recognized 21 people and groups at its annual Excellence Awards in April. Chosen from approximately 200 nominations spanning every FCPS grade level, the winners were honored for recognizing children’s strengths while supporting their needs.
Olympiad programs reach hundreds of students
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid highlighted Math and Science Olympiad programs during a May 22 presentation about equitable access and opportunity.
Students can participate in the STEAM programs without paying for enrollment, transportation or meals. Participation in Olympiad programs and other clubs has been associated with stronger attendance, academic achievement and success after high school.
Science Olympiad involves more than 500 FCPS students from 37 elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. Reid also presented a video showing students strengthening their problem-solving abilities outside regular classes.
Senior takes vocational route to graduation
Jared Terceros-Grundy, a Quander Road School senior in Alexandria, is expected to graduate in June with a level 2 heating, ventilation and air-conditioning certificate.
His path included vocational instruction at Edison Academy with HVAC teacher Robert Stringham.
Edison electrical students also designed and built a retro arcade featuring Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., FIFA 2014 and a decade-old edition of Just Dance. Open to the Edison High School community for several weeks, the arcade offered students and employees a break during spring testing while advancing the school division’s innovation goals.
Graduation and summer deadlines near
Families, students and employees may share photographs from 2025 graduation and promotion ceremonies on Facebook or Instagram by tagging FCPS and their school and adding the hashtag #FCPSgrad25.
Registration for summer courses through the FCPS Online Campus closes Friday, June 6. The program can be reached with questions at 703-503-7781.
Student mental health resources highlighted
Reid also reviewed mental health and wellness assistance available through school-based services, policies, family resources and partnerships with community providers.
Those efforts include Our Minds Matter, a student-led club that encourages self-care, healthy routines, social connection and suicide prevention. The Become Unskippable campaign provides families with practical guidance for conversations with teenagers about difficult subjects, including fentanyl risks.
FCPS high school students can receive virtual therapy at no cost for anxiety, fears, grief, mood or behavioral changes, motivation, bullying, social skills, peer and family relationships, and academic pressure.
A guardian or authorized school employee may refer a student by calling 571-749-2940 or contacting a school counselor, social worker, psychologist or director of Student Services.
The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board provides further youth support, including individual and family counseling, psychiatric evaluations, medication management, parenting groups, peer assistance, crisis response, recovery services and medication-assisted treatment. Families can reach its Entry and Referral service at 703-383-8500.
General school-division information is also available through family phone lines in Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu and Vietnamese.
School calendar and community event
The final day of the school year is Wednesday, June 11. Students will leave early, with individual schools setting their dismissal times.
Classes for the 2025-26 school year begin Monday, August 18.
Healthy Together Fairfax will run rain or shine from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 8, at Franconia Park. The free gathering will focus on physical, environmental, social and emotional well-being.
Planned attractions include fitness classes, guided trail walks, the Wonder Wagon mobile nature center, a mobile health van, children’s stories, carousel rides, a playground and hands-on activities offered by more than 40 community partners. Healthy treats will be available from a participating food truck.