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Fairfax County Public Schools entered April with national student honors, new funding for college access and attendance programs, and a packed schedule of arts, athletics and community events. At the same time, school leaders warned that a proposed county budget leaves the division facing a $150 million shortfall.
FCPS students earned 31 national Scholastic Art and Writing Awards: one American Visions Medal, 11 Gold Medals, 16 Silver Medals and three portfolio Honorable Mentions. Among the recognized works was “Kaleidoscope Through My Lens,” a Gold Medal-winning piece by Chantilly High School student Yoo Junseo.
The national medalists are scheduled to be honored at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June. Selected work will also appear in a New York exhibition and a traveling exhibition during the following year.
Rachel Carson Middle School’s counseling program received the American School Counselor Association’s 2025 Recognized ASCA Model Program designation. The honor recognizes comprehensive, data-driven counseling programs aligned with the association’s national model.
Fourteen FCPS counseling programs currently hold active RAMP certification, accounting for nearly one-third of Virginia’s schools with the designation.
Students propose changes across FCPS
The Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council recently presented recommendations connected to all five goals in the FCPS Strategic Plan. The council includes 102 delegates representing every FCPS high school and has been researching its proposals since the fall.
For the Strong Start: Pre-K-12 goal, students recommended giving classmates choices in reading materials and standardizing breaks within Benchmark instruction.
Suggestions for creating safe and supportive schools included strengthening teacher-student relationships, offering parent workshops about attendance, promoting the Attendance Recovery Program and establishing peer mentorship programs.
To improve academic growth, students proposed official course-pathway flowcharts, career-exploration documents and world-language programs in every elementary school.
Their recommendations for equitable access addressed multilingual learner representation, service projects and participation in clubs. For the innovation goal, students called for required advisory lessons about college and career resources, stronger alumni connections and equitable bus access for after-school college and career events.
Bus drivers put their skills to the test
On Tuesday, FCPS transportation employees competed in a Transportation Road-eo held during a professional development day for bus drivers, attendants and supervisors.
Thirty-five competitors navigated 11 stations testing skills such as parallel parking, backing a bus, conducting pre-trip inspections and safely picking up students.
Il Seon Kim of Area 4 won the Specialized Transportation, or lift-equipped, division. Tashima Bradshaw of Area 3 placed second, and Todd Wyatt of Area 4 finished third.
In the General Education conventional-bus division, Juan Solari of Area 2 took first place, followed by Hugo Olivares of Area 3 and Titus Nmashie of Area 2.
Kim and Solari will represent FCPS at the Virginia State Bus Road-eo in May. Transportation leaders Kerrissa Watson, Peter Gado and Jeremy Doxer were among those recognized for organizing the event.
$10,000 grant expands student support
Also Tuesday, the Burke and Herbert Bank Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to Educate Fairfax, the nonprofit education foundation supporting FCPS.
Part of the grant will support the College Success Program, which serves more than 350 high school students. Many participants would be the first in their families to attend college and need substantial financial assistance. The funding will give students an opportunity to visit at least one college campus.
The grant will also help expand Spring Sprouts, an FCPS initiative addressing chronic absenteeism at Title I elementary schools. The program allows children to recover missed instructional time while building stronger relationships with their families and schools.
With the new funding, FCPS can double the number of Title I schools offering Spring Sprouts during spring break. More than 300 students are expected to receive additional instructional time through the expansion.
Budget concerns dominate community discussions
A Tuesday Community Conversation at Lorton Station Elementary School, led by Principal Francis Legagneur, covered school boundary changes, local and federal budget concerns, diversity, equity and inclusion, changes to Standards of Learning tests, and Benchmark Advance.
A Quad 3 Family Vision Group also met Wednesday at Oak View Elementary School.
Additional Community Conversations were scheduled for April 7 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Greenbriar West Elementary School, April 21 during the same hours at Mount Eagle Elementary School, and April 23 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Mason Crest Elementary School. Registration was preferred but not required.
On Wednesday night, students and employees spoke about programs important to them during a budget town hall at West Springfield High School. The event was hosted by at-large School Board member Kyle McDaniel, Springfield District representative Sandy Anderson and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay.
The Board of Supervisors was expected to finalize the budget May 6. FCPS officials said the advertised spending plan underfunded the school division by $150 million and urged residents to respond to the county’s fiscal year 2026 budget survey or register to speak at a public hearing by April 24.
Later in the week, representatives of the Hispanic Educators Association met with FCPS human resources leaders to discuss support for educators and students.
Northern Virginia public-school leaders also met Friday to examine changes at the U.S. Department of Education, grants supporting meals, Title I, special education under IDEA and transportation, as well as the effects of state legislative and budget decisions.
Student creativity fills schools across the county
The Westfield Pyramid Art Show brought together work from students at 11 schools, including Rachel Carson Middle School. The exhibition included two-dimensional and three-dimensional pieces, digital art and photography by students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Westfield Principal Tony DiBari said seniors assembled complete booth collections, while students received awards selected by classmates, art faculty and principals. Work by juniors and seniors was presented in a gallery-style setting.
Hunt Valley Elementary School hosted a STEAM Night on Thursday with a parachute and wind tunnel, 3D printing, MicroBit coding, math games, greenhouse construction, robots and bridge-building activities.
On Friday morning, Mount Vernon High School was preparing an International Baccalaureate art exhibition. A visit to the school included tours of art classes, previews of exhibits and conversations with current and prospective students.
Edison High School presented “Grease” on Friday evening, followed by a sold-out Saturday performance. The production featured a collaboration between Edison Theatre and the school academy’s Auto Collision Class, which transformed the front end of a rusty vintage Ford into a polished “Greased Lightning” prop.
The cast portrayed the musical’s return to Rydell High in 1959, supported by a student crew working behind the scenes.
Athletics, hiring and service mark a busy Saturday
Fairfax High School hosted the FAX LAX Fest girls’ lacrosse tournament Saturday morning. One matchup featured the host Fairfax Lions against the Herndon Hornets.
FCPS also held an instructional job fair at Oakton High School, where hundreds of teacher candidates sought positions with the school division. Human resources employees and school administrators participated in the recruiting event.
At the Church of the Good Shepherd in Burke, FACETS held a volunteer appreciation gathering. The organization provides a major social safety net for Fairfax County families, children and individuals.
Later that day, Bailey’s Upper Elementary School hosted Move ’Til You Drop, an annual dance event launched in 2015 to connect young dancers from across FCPS.
Students from Bailey’s Upper and Hunters Woods elementary schools participated alongside alumni. High school students from schools including West Potomac, Fairfax and Justice served as instructors.
Bailey’s Upper dance teacher Becky Sorto and Hunters Woods dance teacher Julie Ohrnberger have worked with FCPS high school dance programs to connect students across grade levels. Participants learned styles including lyrical jazz, musical theater and hip-hop. Two high school students choreographed and taught one lyrical jazz performance in 45 minutes.
Blue ribbons raise awareness of child abuse prevention
Chrissy McLaughlin, the school-based technology specialist at Navy Elementary School and a 20-year FCPS educator, urged the school community to recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and in future years.
McLaughlin and her family decorated a Blue Ribbon Tree at Lees Corner Elementary School from 2012 through 2019. During the COVID-19 disruption in 2020, she continued the tradition outside her home. After moving to Navy Elementary in 2023, she brought the observance to her new school.
This year, she decorated a tree at the Navy Elementary entrance, distributed blue-ribbon pins to employees and helped students make blue pinwheels representing things that bring them happiness. The school planned a Wear Blue Day for Monday, April 28.
McLaughlin said the advocacy is personal and honors her son, Zachary. She emphasized the role educators play in providing children with care and a safe place.
Elementary students build confidence through literacy
Franklin Sherman Elementary School highlighted its approach to reading and writing as part of FCPS’ literacy efforts.
During a two-hour language arts block, students read literature connected to their experiences and use reference tools such as dictionaries to strengthen comprehension. First graders also began writing personal narratives about their own lives.
Principal Farris Thomas said the school works with students and families to nurture an interest in reading. Collaboration, shared expertise and feedback based on student data are also being used to improve instruction and align classroom practices with Benchmark Advance.