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Board Meeting Recap: October 10, 2024
Dear Providence District Families,
At last Thursday’s Regular Meeting of the Fairfax County School Board (agenda | video), we discussed and considered several important items, most notably, the Superintendent provided an update to the board about school accreditation and SAT score performance (we lead state averages in both).
The board also approved funding for various Roof Replacement Projects, including nearly $1.8 million for projects at schools attended by Providence District residents – McLean and Woodson high schools.
Additionally, the board recognized October as LGBTQIA+ History Month. As I noted in my remarks, I am grateful to be a part of a school board and school division where our commitment to our LGBTQIA+ students is not in doubt – where we are on the right side of history, and constantly pushing ourselves to do even more to support our students:
As always, you are welcome to attend School Board meetings (schedule) and register to share your thoughts with us during community participation at Regular Meetings and Public Hearings (sign-up).
In service,
Karl Frisch
Chair and Providence District Representative
Fairfax County School Board
P.S. Connect with me and follow my work on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
Table of Contents
Local Investments: Roof Replacement Project (McLean and Woodson)
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McLean High School Roof Replacement: The board awarded a $795,000 contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder for the roof replacement project at McLean High School (details).
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Woodson High School Roof Replacement: The board awarded a $960,785 contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder for the roof replacement project at Woodson High School (details).
Academic Matters: 2024 Accreditation and SAT Scores
Video | Meeting Materials
For the Academic Matters presentation, Superintendent Reid offered an update about the school division’s 2024 accreditation and SAT scores:
In FCPS, 192 schools (98.5%) are fully accredited, and just 3 schools (1.5%) are accredited with conditions. These numbers are much better than the Commonwealth as a whole, where only 1562 schools (86%) of all schools are fully accredited, and 254 schools (14%) are accredited with conditions.
Additionally, FCPS continues to outperform the Commonwealth and the nation when it comes to SAT scores. The average SAT score in FCPS is 1178 compared to 1101 in Virginia and 1024 nationally. FCPS had a 69.0% participation rate, while Virginia had a 52.4% participation rate.
LGBTQIA+ History Month
Video | Meeting Materials
The board unanimously proclaimed October 2024 as LGBTQIA+ History Month in Fairfax County Public Schools. The board urges all to learn more about the many historical and contemporary contributions and experiences of this diverse community and to build a culture of inclusivity and equity, not only during LGBTQIA+ History Month but throughout the entire year.
Motion: Dixit, Second: Moon / Vote: Yes 12, No 0
School Principals, Administrators, and Administrative Assistants Appreciation Month
Video | Meeting Materials
The board unanimously proclaimed October 2024 as School Principals, Administrators, and Administrative Assistants Month and recognizes the importance of school leadership and support personnel in ensuring every child has access to high-quality education.
Motion: Dunne, Second: Meren / Vote: Yes 12, No 0
Indigenous People’s Day and Native American Heritage Month
Video | Meeting Materials
The board unanimously proclaimed October 14, 2024, as Indigenous People’s Day and November as Native American Heritage Month in recognition and celebration of the many contributions of our nation’s Indigenous people to our school system, community, and country.
Motion: S. Anderson, Second: St. John-Cunning / Vote: Yes 12, No 0
Red Ribbon Week
Video | Meeting Materials
The board unanimously proclaimed October 23-31 as Red Ribbon Week in recognition of the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation and encouraged students, families, and the Fairfax County community to unite and take a personal and visible pledge to a drug-free lifestyle.
Motion: McDaniel, Second: Lady / Vote: Yes 12, No 0
Superintendent Performance Review: Financial Planning
The board judges the overall success of the Superintendent on the basis of the school division’s reasonable progress toward achieving the 2023-30 Strategic Plan’s goals and adherence to a set of thirteen Executive Limitations found on pages 14-31 of the board’s Strategic Governance Manual.
The Superintendent provides annual monitoring reports to the board for each Executive Limitation. The board then votes on whether the provided reports are in compliance with the given Executive Limitation. If the report is found not to be in compliance, the Superintendent provides a corrective action memo addressing the board’s concerns.
Financial Planning (EL-5) Monitoring Report
Video | Meeting Materials
The Superintendent provided her annual monitoring report for Executive Limitation 5: Financial Planning. As outlined on page 19 of the board’s Strategic Governance Manual, Executive Limitation 5 stipulates that the Superintendent shall not fail to develop and maintain a multi-year financial plan that is data-driven, comprehensive, transparent, and part of a long-term plan to achieve the Board’s Strategic Plan goals for students. Additionally, in preparing the Division budget, the Superintendent shall not fail to use best practices for budgetary planning and financial reporting, implement needs-based resource allocation, and substantially involve all appropriate stakeholder groups. Following the Superintendent’s presentation and a thorough board discussion, the monitoring report was found to be in compliance.
Motion: S. Anderson, Second: McDaniel / Vote: Yes 9, No 0 (Not Present: 3)
Student Performance of the National Anthem
The board meeting began with a beautiful performance of the National Anthem by the West Springfield HS Student String Ensemble under the direction of Alexandra Blaine:
Student Performance Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, students from Groveton Elementary performed “De Colores,” under the direction of Maritza Lugo and Natalie Adams. De Colores, a traditional folk song thought to have originated in Spain and sung in the Americas and throughout the Spanish-speaking world since the 16th century, celebrates the beauty of life, love, and unity:
Board Matters: Providence District Update
At the end of each meeting, School Board Members provide updates from their communities about school visits, activities, upcoming events, and more. Here is the video of my update from the meeting:
Upcoming School Board Meetings
Regular Board Meetings (Luther Jackson Middle School)
- Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, November 14, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.
Work Sessions (Gatehouse Administration Center)
- Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at 10:30 a.m.
- Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at 10:30 a.m.
All meetings are broadcast live on Channel 99 (Verizon channel 11) and on the FCPS website. Meetings are also recorded for future viewing and posted to the FCPS YouTube channel. Visit the community participation webpage to sign up to speak at regular meetings or public hearings.
Reuniones de la Junta Escolar de FCPS en Español: Para ver las reuniones de la Junta Escolar grabadas o para ver en vivo durante las reuniones regulares en YouTube, por favor vaya al canal de YouTube de FCPS en Español.
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
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