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Fairfax County Public Schools capped a busy week with an estimated 1,000 families, students and community members touring the county’s new western high school, while officials continued gathering feedback on school boundaries, artificial intelligence, student well-being and environmental goals.

The open house was held Saturday at the former King Abdullah Academy in western Fairfax County. Visitors explored a modern campus featuring classrooms, laboratories, theaters, gyms, a heated pool and outdoor areas.

Community members were asked whether the site should become a comprehensive high school or follow a magnet-school model. Families also reviewed preliminary boundary scenarios that would apply if officials choose the comprehensive option. Those maps are expected to be posted online.

Questions at the event ranged from potential athletic programs to advanced academic opportunities. Student volunteers helped guide visitors through the building.

Boundary review continues across Fairfax County

Community Boundary Review meetings were held at Hayfield Secondary School and Annandale, Lewis and Mount Vernon high schools. Discussions covered the review’s priorities, the Boundary Review Advisory Committee, previous community engagement and Scenario 4 in the Boundary Explorer Tool.

Additional in-person and virtual meetings were scheduled for:

• Monday, October 27, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Irving Middle School for the Lake Braddock and West Springfield pyramids.

• Tuesday, October 28, from 6 to 6:30 p.m. in the Fairfax High School library for the Chantilly and Westfield pyramids.

• Tuesday, October 28, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Fairfax High School library for the Woodson and Fairfax pyramids.

• Wednesday, October 29, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at McLean High School for the Madison and McLean pyramids.

• Thursday, October 30, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Chantilly High School for the Westfield and Chantilly pyramids.

Every high school pyramid has representation on the superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee. Residents may also submit comments through the Boundary Explorer Tool or contact their pyramid representative.

Three principals receive statewide recognition

Three FCPS principals were selected for the Virginia Department of Education’s Principal of Distinction Program: Shane Wolfe of Aldrin Elementary School, Kambar Khoshaba of South County High School and Shawn DeRose of Annandale High School.

They were among 31 Virginia principals chosen for the honor, which recognizes leadership, promotion of excellence and improvements in student outcomes. The program is offered with the Virginia Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals.

The honorees attended a professional-development symposium in Richmond focused on leadership, growth and school improvement. They will also complete capstone projects demonstrating an effect at the school level before receiving a Level II Principal of Distinction endorsement in administration and supervision for prekindergarten through 12th grade.

Their recognition came during National Principals Month, when FCPS highlighted the work of principals and assistant principals throughout the school system.

Index looks beyond standardized tests

FCPS is also promoting its Future-Ready Index, a tool intended to show how the school division supports students from early education through graduation and beyond.

The index is designed to give families, employees and community members a broader view of student success than Standards of Learning scores alone. Its five domains address learning, belonging and practical experiences while identifying both strong results and areas needing improvement.

The goals are based on research and can be compared with those used by school systems elsewhere in the country, while the domains also reflect FCPS priorities and local conditions.

Schools test new approaches to learning

During a visit to Crestwood Elementary School, Superintendent Michelle Reid observed literacy instruction under Principal Francoise Casablanca.

At Cardinal Forest Elementary School, student ambassadors Charles and Veera joined Principal Ashleigh Long and family liaison Mariel Otero in welcoming Reid. In Melanie Ano’s class, students compared the fables “The Dog and the Bone” and “The Ant and the Dove” during a Benchmark Literacy lesson.

Ano is a Participate Learning ambassador teacher from the Philippines.

Reid also observed Cardinal Forest’s Virtual Algebra 1 pilot. Sixth graders received online instruction while working under the supervision of advanced academic resource teacher Karen Mitchell. Their learning space in Assistant Principal Cindy Agner’s office included vocabulary materials, anchor charts and visual supports intended to connect virtual lessons with hands-on learning.

FCPS plans to hold “Meeting the Moment: FCPS Forward — AI and the Future of Learning” from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, November 3, at West Springfield High School. The event will examine the opportunities and challenges artificial intelligence presents in education, including its possible uses in student achievement and workforce preparation.

An interactive expo featuring AI partnerships is scheduled from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Teachers who attend will receive two recertification points.

Mobile app consolidates school information

The school division’s mobile app combines news, live updates, calendars, school notices and cafeteria menus on a district-branded platform. Much of its content is available without signing in.

Schools can publish information and push notifications to the app while also distributing content through Facebook, X and Instagram.

Parent TeAndra Nelson said the app makes it convenient to retrieve announcements for her four children, who attend two schools. Roy Dykes said he uses it to follow Centreville High School football and obtain directions to away games. The app is available through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Vietnamese heritage flag receives support

Reid and other senior FCPS employees met with Vietnamese American community leaders during the week marking the 50th anniversary year of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War.

Community representatives asked FCPS to display the Vietnamese heritage flag when national flags are presented. Reid expressed support for the request, citing those who suffered losses and those who served during the conflict.

Reid also attended a Northern Virginia Technology Council Board of Directors meeting Wednesday morning as part of FCPS efforts to maintain regional partnerships.

Students push FCPS environmental goals

The new Student Youth Environmental Council met Wednesday at the Gatehouse Administration Center.

FCPS has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2040, cutting greenhouse-gas emissions in half by 2030 and converting its entire school bus fleet to electric vehicles by 2035.

The Get2Green program operates in nearly every FCPS school, supporting projects that reduce waste, protect wildlife habitats and develop edible gardens. FCPS says its schools account for roughly half of all schools nationwide holding the Green Flag Award.

The division has also received the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award for Sustained Excellence and the International Award for Institutional Energy Management. Energy initiatives have produced reported savings of more than $110 million since 2013.

Students have helped drive campaigns to eliminate plastic straws, expand solar power and reduce food waste. FCPS is also pursuing additional solar installations, net-zero building practices and a larger electric-bus fleet.

Survey shows declines in substance use and bullying concerns

At Thursday’s School Board meeting, Reid presented findings from the 2024-25 Fairfax County Youth Survey. The anonymous and voluntary annual survey asks students in grades six, eight, 10 and 12 about their experiences, behaviors and risk or protective factors.

Questions address subjects including substance use, mental and physical health, and bullying. They are based on the Monitoring the Future Survey and the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Survey.

Results showed that reported alcohol, tobacco and other drug use continued declining in 2024, reaching its lowest level since 2018. The share of students reporting mental-health concerns and bullying concerns also fell.

More students reported healthy habits, with one exception: the percentage watching television for at least three hours a day.

The survey also found that young people with at least three positive protective factors—an approach called “Three to Succeed”—are more likely to manage stress, make sound decisions and develop healthy habits. FCPS identifies those factors as student connection and belonging, positive communication with caregivers, access to activities and parent education.

During the same School Board meeting, FCPS announced that 49 schools had newly received Purple Star School recognition and another 40 had renewed the designation. The division now has 145 designated schools, nearly 75% of its total, and aims to reach 100% by next year. The program recognizes support for military-connected families.

Thomas Jefferson marks four decades

Reid closed the week at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology’s 40th-anniversary celebration at the Hilton in Tysons Corner.

FCPS research estimated that nearly 16,000 students have graduated from the school during its four-decade history.

The celebration also revisited remarks delivered at the school’s dedication by then-superintendent Robert R. Spillane, who argued that technological education should be balanced with human connection, history and the expressive arts. FCPS used the anniversary to reaffirm its emphasis on a broad education combining technology with equity, excellence and opportunity.