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Fairfax County Public Schools received the 2026 Gold Award for Achievement of Excellence from The Partnership for Excellence, becoming the first education applicant to earn the top recognition on its first attempt.

The award uses the Baldrige Excellence Framework to assess innovation, results, leadership, productivity, costs, and employee and customer satisfaction. Superintendent Michelle Reid credited FCPS employees with keeping students at the center of their work while managing public resources efficiently.

The honor capped a busy stretch that also brought school renovations, student and staff awards, robotics success, boundary discussions, arts performances, inclusion work, and difficult budget decisions.

Inclusion efforts expand across schools

On May 1, Phase 1 and Phase 2 school leaders, senior administrators, and central office employees gathered for an Inclusion Exhibition of Learning. The event examined efforts to increase inclusive opportunities for students.

Dr. Shelley Moore delivered a virtual keynote about five leadership pillars for inclusion. Her presentation stressed creating a place for every student instead of concentrating only on placement, designing instruction for everyone from the outset, responding compassionately to students with invisible disabilities, and rejecting the idea that accommodations reduce academic rigor.

Teams from Bush Hill, Dogwood, Franklin Sherman, Greenbriar East, Hunt Valley, and Saratoga elementary schools joined Edison and Herndon high schools, Hayfield Secondary School, and South County Middle School in sharing successes, challenges, and lessons.

Participants identified intentional scheduling, student input, and deeper training in Universal Design for Learning as priorities. The work supports the school division’s goal of giving every student an inclusive environment in which to thrive.

Employees and students earn major honors

Fanny Salazar-Laske, a family liaison at Herndon Middle School, received the Distinguished Service Award during Herndon’s 40th annual Mayor’s Volunteer Appreciation Reception. Mayor Keven LeBlanc presented the recognition through the “Heroes Among Us” initiative.

Salazar-Laske was honored for organizing monthly food distributions, assisting families in crises, helping parents navigate schools and public services, and supporting colleagues. She described volunteering as love expressed through time, compassion, and service rather than a pursuit of recognition.

Mount Vernon High School orchestra director Alberto Rodriguez was selected as one of 202 quarterfinalists for the 2027 Grammy Music Educator Award. The Recording Academy and Grammy Museum chose the group from more than 2,100 applicants representing kindergarten through college and private schools. Semifinalists are expected to be announced in September.

Two FCPS students received Class 6 Achievement Awards. Chantilly High School’s Titus Er was named Male Scholar Athlete, while Breanna Graham of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology earned Female Scholar Athlete honors. Graham credited her coaches, teammates, and teachers with helping her grow as both an athlete and a person.

The Hispanic Leadership Alliance also awarded scholarships to 26 graduating FCPS seniors and two adult English-language learners during its 21st annual awards banquet at Willow Oaks. One educator received a scholarship as well. The alliance presented its Leadership Award to Chief of Schools Geovanny Ponce, who is leaving FCPS to become superintendent of Champaign Unit 4 School District in Illinois.

Robotics teams excel on the world stage

Two FCPS teams qualified for the FIRST Robotics World Championship in Houston, where 600 teams from more than 10 countries competed.

Team 5549, Gryphon Robotics from Marshall High School, ranked third in its division and led its alliance to seventh place overall. Team 614, the Night Hawks from Hayfield Secondary School, endured a difficult qualification round before surging in the playoffs and finishing as part of the third-place alliance.

FCPS plans to bring robotics programs to every school over the next three years, giving more students experience with programming, engineering, teamwork, and complex problem-solving.

Renovated Crossfield opens as boundary work continues

Crossfield Elementary School celebrated the completion of a renovation that added 11,638 square feet to the Herndon-area campus. The school has served families in Herndon and Reston since the late 1980s.

Construction was financed through the voter-approved 2021 bond referendum, while planning money came from the 2019 bond referendum.

Reid later met with the Strategic Plan Advisory Group at the Gatehouse Administration Center. The parent and community panel reviewed data connected with two goals in the 2023-30 Strategic Plan: ensuring students are safe, supported, included, and empowered, and providing equitable access and opportunity.

The Boundary Advisory Core Committee also met at Gatehouse to review feedback from community meetings. Working groups began developing an after-action report and a handbook for future boundary advisory committees.

At South County High School, another community meeting examined possible changes affecting Gunston, Halley, Laurel Hill, and Lorton Station elementary schools. Dr. Nardos King is leading that neighborhood-level process.

FCPS confronts a $28 million budget hole

Budget uncertainty emerged as the week’s most pressing unresolved issue. Reid presented proposed adjustments to the fiscal 2027 budget during a School Board meeting, with FCPS facing a $28 million gap and continued uncertainty over state funding.

The proposal seeks to preserve previously agreed compensation under collective bargaining agreements while keeping FCPS competitive in recruiting and retaining employees.

Classroom priorities include restoring money for elementary special education department chairs and advanced academic resource teachers, partially reversing staffing-formula reductions, placing certified athletic trainers in high schools, and providing every school with a dedicated family liaison. The proposal would also preserve the Middle School After-School Program.

To close the gap, Reid recommended reducing the staffing reserve, using alternative funding for major maintenance, extending the replacement cycle for FCPSOn technology devices, delaying micro-credentialing, cutting math curriculum-adoption materials, and reducing the superintendent’s strategic reserve. One-time funds could also provide a bridge while state funding remains unsettled.

The division made significant reductions in fiscal 2026 but continues to point to strong academic measures. FCPS educates one-quarter of Virginia’s multilingual learners, and all its schools are fully accredited under the new Standards of Accreditation. The division also reported 37% growth in National Merit semifinalists from the previous year.

A public budget hearing was scheduled for May 12, followed by the final School Board vote on May 21.

During the same board meeting, FCPS reviewed school climate and students’ sense of safety, inclusion, belonging, academic support, and trust in teachers. Transition events—including school tours, student panels, and elective-course previews—are intended to make moves from elementary to middle school and from middle to high school less intimidating.

Technology, leadership, and community partnerships grow

The Lighthouse Schools program held its end-of-year celebration at Willow Oaks. Launched with seven pilot schools in August 2023, the partnership among schools, the FCPS technology department, and ISTE+ASCD has expanded to 31 teams.

After a keynote from Dr. Joseph South, Hunt Valley Elementary School, Columbia Elementary School, and Davis Career Center presented stories showing the program’s impact. Participating educators are experimenting with emerging technologies to improve teaching and address student and staff needs.

Reid also addressed Leading the Mission, a cohort of experienced principals and central office employees preparing to influence work across the school system rather than within a single school or department.

Another group of employees completed the Accelerated Certification Cohort after a year of preparation for leadership positions. Nearly 8,000 FCPS employees have received tuition-based higher-education support during the past five years.

At the final Family Vision Group meeting of the school year, held at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, parents, caregivers, and experts discussed artificial intelligence and how FCPS can help families understand it.

Reid also attended the 2026 Fairfax County Police Fallen Officers Memorial Service at the county Government Center. The event honored officers killed in the line of duty and highlighted law enforcement’s role in supporting school safety.

Music, theater, and athletics fill the week

Students at Cooper Middle School attended a performance and master class by the Stiletto Brass Quintet. Amy Gilreath, principal trumpet of the Illinois Symphony, coached a student ensemble featuring Andrew Lin, Arjun Tengli, Sarah Workie, Eleanor Hwang, and Graham Wiltbank.

The Falls Church High School Guitar Ensemble performed at Gatehouse under director Jacob Walker. The program included music inspired by Joe Hisaishi, whose film scores have accompanied Studio Ghibli productions since the 1980s.

West Springfield High School presented a sold-out production of “Mamma Mia” created by more than 160 students. Students designed and built the sets, lighting, costumes, props, and other scenic elements. The technical team also constructed and operated a 15-foot turntable.

Westfield High School staged “Anastasia,” with director Christine Maxted and the student company exploring identity, memory, and the ways stories from the past shape the future.

Other stops included West Potomac High School’s annual Fish Fry for Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week and a middle school track meet at the same campus.

Heritage celebration emphasizes year-round learning

Families, students, elected officials, and community organizations gathered at Mason District Park to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

The event recognized the cultures, traditions, achievements, and stories of the county’s AANHPI communities. FCPS said those perspectives should remain part of students’ education throughout the year through social studies, world-language programs, and community partnerships.

Memorial scholarship reaches a 20-year milestone

As graduation season approached, FCPS recognized Louise and Mark Foreman for two decades of work through the William J. Foreman Memorial Scholarship.

Their son, an FCPS graduate, died in a car crash seven days after graduating in 2006. His parents created the scholarship to assist seniors who overcame significant challenges during high school and successfully reached graduation.

Over 20 years, the program has awarded a combined $130,000 to help recipients attend college.