|
To read this newsletter in other languages, please visit our website.
Para leer este boletín en otros idiomas, visite nuestro sitio web.
이 소식지를 다른 언어로 읽으려면, 우리 웹사이트를 방문하시기 바랍니다.
Để đọc bản tin này bằng ngôn ngữ khác, xin quý vị truy cập vào trang mạng của chúng tôi.
.يرجى زيارة موقعنا الألكتروني لقراءة هذه النشرة الإخبارية بلغات أخرى
Dear FCPS Community,
Happy New Year!
I hope you and your family had a restful break. I am excited to start my term as your at-large representative to the Fairfax County School Board. We have a busy schedule as we start our FY 25 Budget Process and our Capital Improvement Plan. I've shared below the upcoming school board meetings and how to follow along with our work.
I want to share the items I'm focusing on as I start my term. Our country is experiencing an epidemic right now in relation to fentanyl overdoses. This poses unique challenges to our school system and community. Opioids are unforgiving and as we grapple with this, we must recognize the complexities and use an "all hands on deck" approach to protecting our students. I attended the Justice High School PTSA Town Hall on Monday and the Community Conversation to Raise Awareness of Fentanyl and Other Drugs conversation on Wednesday at Edison High School. FCPS’ website has resources to help you start the conversation with your students and additional support for families struggling with substance misuse. I am working with our staff to ensure parents and school staff have access to the resources they need to address this problem. Please do not hesitate to contact my office for further assistance.
The second item I'm focused on is addressing our school meal debt. Due to the high cost of living in Fairfax County, many families struggle to pay for their children to have a meal during the school day despite various Federal Free and Reduced Meal programs. FCPS currently reports around $1 million in outstanding meal debt division wide. I've submitted a forum topic to our board for review and for the Superintendent to assess the debt with ways to reduce it, expand the number of students receiving free meals, and consider plans for providing more kids with access to free meals.
Finally, as a new board member, I wanted to let you know that you can follow me on Facebook and Instagram at @McDanielAtLarge. I'm looking forward to connecting with you in our community. Please reach out to my staff aide to set up a meeting for me to come to your community, PTA, and PTO. You can contact me here for any issues and concerns.
I've also shared that I have several openings to citizen advisory committees, which can be found at the end of this newsletter.
I look forward to connecting with you soon. ~ Kyle
|
|
 |
Upcoming School Board Meetings
Our new board started our term of office on January 1, 2024. I want to share how you can watch our meetings and follow our work.
-
Thursday, January 11, 7:30 pm- Regular Meeting
-
Thursday, January 18, 6 pm- Capital Improvement Program Public Hearing
-
Thursday, January 25, 7:30 pm- Regular Meeting
-
Tuesday, January 30, 10 am- Work Session
Please note that times and topics are subject to change.
The work sessions and regular meetings are broadcast live on Channel 99 (Verizon channel 11) and the FCPS website. Both are recorded for future viewing and posted to the FCPS School Board YouTube channel.
For Spanish speakers, to watch recorded School Board meetings, or live during regular meetings, visit the FCPS en Espanol YouTube channel.
Visit the community participation webpage to sign up to speak at a regular meeting. Visit BoardDocs for more meeting logistics, agendas, and handouts.
Academy Open Houses
FCPS high school academies will hold open houses for interested students beginning in mid-January.
A high school academy is a center within a high school that offers advanced technical and specialized courses to prepare students for postsecondary education and/or career fields. Students enrolling in academy elective courses will be provided with opportunities to participate in a variety of career experiences including shadowing, mentoring, or internships with local businesses.
View the calendar of Academy Open Houses.
JLARC Study on Virginia’s K-12 Funding
The General Assembly directed Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to study the cost of education in Virginia and assess the costs of the Standards of Quality. Virginia school divisions receive less K-12 funding per student than the 50-state average, the regional average and three of Virginia’s five bordering states, which equates to approximately $1,900 per student in state underfunding. You can read the article published by Fairfax County Government about the study here.
|
|
 |
Open Citizen Advisory Committee Appointments
Part of the job of a school board member is appointing citizens to serve on advisory committees. I have three openings and I encourage you to apply via this google form for the open position I have on the Career and Technical Education Committee and the Facilities Planning Advisory Council. The process for the Facilities Planning Advisory Council is different, so please read below to apply for that position.
The Fairfax County School Board invites applications from community members interested in serving on the Facilities Planning Advisory Council (FPAC) for an At-Large member, Providence District member, and a Sully District member. FPAC advises and informs FCPS staff and the School Board in the development of comprehensive, long-term plans for facilities.
The Facilities Planning Advisory Council consists of 13 members, one from each Fairfax County magisterial district, three At-Large representatives, and one representative from the City of Fairfax, each appointed for three-year terms.
FCPS encourages individuals with experience in construction, engineering, architecture, land use planning, development, demographics, government operations, and financing to apply. The deadline to submit an application is January 22nd. Applicants must reside within the boundaries of Fairfax County or Fairfax City, or in the Providence magisterial district if seeking the Providence representative seat, or in the Sully magisterial district if seeking the Sully representative seat. Please use this online application to apply.
Contacting Me
When you contact me, please know that I may also be reaching out to your magisterial district school board member. If you are unsure of your county magisterial district, you can look that information up here.
To contact me, it is most helpful to please use the official school board contact form, found on my website. This form helps me track communication so I can be sure you receive a response.
Best Regards,
Kyle McDaniel
Was this email not addressed to you? Sign up for my newsletters here!
The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
© Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
|
