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Fairfax County Public Schools has begun issuing citations to drivers caught illegally passing stopped school buses, while the School Board prepares for key budget decisions and families face a busy calendar of meetings, events and schedule changes.

The School Board will hold a budget work session Tuesday, May 20, before voting on the spending plan Thursday, May 22.

School bus camera warnings end

Stop-arm cameras have been installed on 50 FCPS buses to identify motorists who pass while students are boarding or exiting. The warning period has ended, and violations now result in citations.

Virginia law requires drivers approaching from either direction to stop when a school bus displays flashing red lights and extends its stop sign. The exception is when a barrier or median separates the driver’s lane from the stopped bus. Motorists must remain stopped until everyone is clear and the bus begins moving.

Students also have several public transportation options. All Fairfax County middle and high school students may apply for a Student Bus Pass SmarTrip card providing free rides on Fairfax Connector and Fairfax CUE buses from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, throughout the year.

Students at Justice, Annandale, Falls Church and Marshall high schools, along with Davis Center students, may ride free on approved Metrobus routes. Applications for both programs can be returned to school offices. Children 12 and younger ride Fairfax Connector free when accompanied by a paying adult.

For adults, the Transit Ridership Incentive Program offers Fairfax Connector fares at a 50% discount to qualifying low-income residents ages 18 through 65.

Summer event draws more than 1,100

More than 1,100 students and relatives attended the second annual FCPS Summer Extravaganza. Children participated in learning activities and enjoyed food, music and entertainment, while parents gathered information from school offices and community organizations.

The event is intended to help families continue learning and engagement outside the classroom while strengthening community connections. Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid also attended.

Spelling champion heads to national competition

Rocky Run Middle School eighth grader Nikita Ramakrishnan won the 2025 Fairfax County Spelling Bee by correctly spelling “xanthic,” an adjective of Greek origin meaning yellowish.

She will advance to the 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee, scheduled for May 27-29. The final two nights will be televised live on ION.

Other recent student highlights include a Chantilly Academy automotive student using classroom skills to help a stranded driver get back on the road.

Middle school eSports are also making their debut. Roughly a dozen boys at Key Middle School compete after classes on Thursdays against schools from as far away as Michigan. Key and Hughes middle schools and Robinson Secondary School are fielding teams.

At Oakton High School, robotics team members described how geometry and trigonometry guide the design and construction of their robots. They also discussed communication, calculated risk-taking and learning from failure.

Marshall Academy’s automotive technology and engineering students are turning a retired school bus into a mobile learning lab. When complete, the “Classroom on Wheels” will visit neighborhoods to provide extra academic assistance and help schools build closer relationships with families.

Music honor and scholarships announced

The National Association of Music Merchants Foundation named FCPS one of its Best Communities for Music Education for 2025.

The FCPS Hispanic Leadership Alliance also awarded scholarships to 32 high school seniors, adult learners and community leaders pursuing fields including health care, education, engineering, psychology, law, public policy and cybersecurity.

Justice High School’s production of “Almost, Maine” was reviewed through the Critics and Awards Program for High School Theatre, known as the Cappies. The program trains theater and journalism students to serve as critics, attend productions at other schools and publish reviews. It operates through 15 chapters across the United States and Canada. Amanda San Pedro of South County High School wrote the review of Justice’s production.

Boundary review meetings continue

FCPS will hold eight hybrid community meetings to gather feedback on initial Phase 2 boundary-review scenarios before summer break:

  • Thursday, May 15, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Oakton High School.
  • Friday, May 16, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Robinson Secondary School.
  • Monday, May 19, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Herndon High School.
  • Friday, May 23, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Lewis High School.
  • Wednesday, May 28, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Annandale High School.
  • Thursday, May 29, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Whitman Middle School.
  • Friday, May 30, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Chantilly High School.
  • Friday, June 6, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Glasgow Middle School.

Participants may attend in person or through Zoom. Childcare will be available as needed for those attending in person, while language interpretation and translation can be requested by all participants. Online registrants are expected to receive a Zoom link by email within 24 business hours.

Employees recognized for exceptional support

March’s FCPS CARES honorees include Timber Lane Elementary School’s English for Speakers of Other Languages team: Clara Vilalobos Cortes, Catherine Muha, Scott Taggart, Tricia Tyskowski and Elizabeth Smith.

Principal Benjamin Chiet praised the educators’ collaboration, innovation and support for students and general education teachers. The team worked with the FCPS ESOL office to produce videos supporting the rollout of the Benchmark Express curriculum.

Additional recipients include Tatiana Sanchez, Maria Angulo, Max Mongkolrattanatorn, Yolanda Barboza, Nubia Bonilla Euceda, Pakamas Davidson, Kim Ensley, Graciela Guevara, Seung Hur, Sun Kang, Japinder Kaur, Paramjit Kaur, Mi Kim, Mija Lee, Hue Long-Tran, Phuc Luu, Elka Morales Lopez, Ranjit Nijjar, Li Wang and Jun Zhu from the Office of Food and Nutrition Services.

Rebecca Schnabel of Navy Elementary School; Charles Armstrong and Greg Dombrowski of Edison High School; Amanda Alsbaugh of Oak View Elementary School; Jesus Henriquez Otero of Stone Middle School; and Christina Cashman, Roseann Contreras and Stephanie Dawley of Lewis High School were also recognized.

Attendance and calendar reminders

Families are being urged to keep students attending and engaged through the final day of school. Attendance affects academic performance as well as school accreditation.

Elementary schools in the Centreville, Chantilly, Fairfax, Herndon, Langley, Madison, Marshall, McLean, Oakton, Robinson, South Lakes and Westfield pyramids will dismiss students three hours early Monday, May 19, for a Limited Early Release Monday.

Schools and school offices will be closed Monday, May 26, for Memorial Day.