|
English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
Note: This newsletter contains links to translated versions of the content for your convenience. These translations are generated by Google Translate and are not intended to be a substitute for professional translation services.
Board Meeting Recap: April 10, 2025
Dear Neighbor,
I hope you and your family are enjoying Spring Break.
Last Thursday, at the Fairfax County School Board’s Regular Meeting (agenda | video), we approved new divisionwide investments in student safety and security and funding for the Marshall High School running track replacement.
Additionally, we discussed several important topics including the Superintendent’s FY 2026 approved budget and investing in teachers trained to support high-needs schools. We also celebrated our Purple Star Schools and National Board Certified Teachers.
As always, you are welcome to attend School Board meetings (schedule) and register to share your thoughts with us during community participation (sign-up).
In service,
Karl Frisch
Chair and Providence District Representative
Fairfax County School Board
Table of Contents:
Third Quarter Budget Review (FY25): Investing in Student Safety
Video | Meeting Materials
Following a presentation by FCPS Chief Financial Officer Leigh Burden on the Third Quarter Budget Review for Financial Year 2025 at our previous meeting, the School Board approved an investment of $621,413 to support various student safety and school security initiatives using funds from a settled class-action lawsuit against a vaping company.
Motion: McDaniel, Second: Sizemore Heizer / Vote: Yes 10, No 0
Local Investments: Track Replacement at Marshall High School
The Board awarded a contract in the amount of $1,425,546 for the running track replacement at Marshall High School, which many Providence District students attend. Funding for this project will be provided from the Athletic Infrastructure Replacement Upgrade Fund. The contractor was selected and awarded per the competitively procured, AEPA 024A Athletic Surfaces – Athletic Surfaces Natural & Synthetic Surfaces for Sport Fields, Tracks, Courts, Playground & Landscaping Application, Contract. [Details]
New Teachers Trained to Support High-Need Schools
Video | Meeting Materials
The Board approved a multi-year contract for up to $770,000 with Teach for America, Inc. to provide teachers trained to support high-need schools and authorized the Division Superintendent or the Director of the Office of Procurement Services to execute, deliver, and administer the contract on behalf of the School Board. Here are my remarks on this important work to staff every classroom with a world-class educator:
Motion: Dunne, Second: R. Anderson / Vote: Yes 9, No 1
Superintendent Performance Review
The School Board evaluates the overall success of the Superintendent based on the school division’s reasonable progress toward achieving the 2023-2030 Strategic Plan goals and adherence to a set of thirteen Executive Limitations outlined 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.
Executive Limitation 7: Asset Protection
Video | Meeting Materials
The Superintendent provided her annual monitoring report on Executive Limitation 7: Asset Protection. As outlined on page 23 of the Board’s Strategic Governance Manual, Executive Limitation 7 stipulates that the Superintendent shall not fail to ensure all Division assets are adequately protected, properly maintained, appropriately used, and not placed at undue risk. Following the Superintendent’s presentation and a thorough discussion, the Board found that the monitoring report was in compliance with EL-7.
Motion: Dixit, Second: Moon / Vote: Yes 9, No 1
Academic Matters: Purple Star Schools
Video | Meeting Materials
For Academic Matters, the Superintendent discussed our Purple Star Schools. More than 13,000 military-connected students attend FCPS. In fact, military-connected youth attend every school in the division.
Virginia’s Purple Star Designation program recognizes schools for excelling in their support of military-connected students, who face unique challenges due to frequent relocations. Being a Purple Star School creates a welcoming culture, fosters connections among peers, develops leadership skills for Student Ambassadors, connects families to resources, builds trust between schools and families, signals military-friendliness, connects military-connected families with civilian peers, and fosters a sense of belonging.
Last fall, the Superintendent announced a goal for FCPS to become a Purple Star Division by the 2026-27 school year. Virginia school districts are awarded Purple Star Division status when 100% of their schools earn and/or maintain their Purple Star Designation. In 2018, FCPS had fewer than 20 Purple Star schools; today, 96 schools in FCPS hold the designation. More than 50 schools are expected to apply for the first time in September, while 40 schools will renew their designation. All FCPS schools must earn the designation by September 2026.
Strategic Plan Update: FCPS Family Academy
Video | Meeting Materials
For the Strategic Plan Update, the Superintendent discussed Pillar B: Vibrant Home, School, and Community Partnerships, and in particular, the FCPS Family Academy. Launched in August 2024 to enhance home-school collaboration, the Family Academy is a one-stop shop where families can learn about classes, workshops, webinars, and a variety of other resources to ensure student success. As part of her presentation, the Superintendent shared this video about the various ways the Family Academy empowers families to support their children’s education:
FY 2026 Approved Budget Update
Video | Meeting Materials
The Superintendent provided an update on the FY 2026 Budget and shared this video of the Budget roundtable she hosted with two dozen student journalists at the Gatehouse Administration Center:
The discussion comes within weeks of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors finalizing the budget, which currently underfunds FCPS by $150 million. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will finalize the budget on Tuesday, May 6. You can provide feedback on the county’s FY 2026 Advertised Budget by April 24.
Arab American Heritage Month Proclamation
Video | Meeting Materials
The Board proclaimed April as Arab American Heritage Month, officially recognized the contributions Arab Americans have made to our society and encouraged the celebration of the collective ingenuity, creativity, cultures, and traditions of Arab Americans and participation in educational events honoring their contributions.
Motion: Moon, Second: Sizemore Heizer / Vote: Yes 10, No 0, Absent 2
Month of the Military Child Proclamation
Video | Meeting Materials
The Board recognized April as the Month of the Military Child, celebrating and honoring military-connected students for their heroism, character, sacrifices, and continued resilience. The Board extended its appreciation for the service of all children in military families and encouraged the community to wear purple throughout the month to raise awareness, build support, and celebrate our military-connected students and their families.
Motion: Meren, Second: R. Anderson / Vote: Yes 10, No 0, Absent 2
National Board Certified Teachers Recognition
Video | Meeting Materials
The Board recognized and honored the 23 FCPS educators who achieved or renewed their National Board Certified Teacher status.
The National Board Certification program in FCPS has been in place for over 20 years, and more than 500 FCPS teachers have achieved this prestigious certification. FCPS is ranked in the top five for both new National Board-certified teachers and current National Board certification candidates in the state of Virginia
FCPS also ranks in the top 30 school districts nationwide for the number of National Board-certified teachers, with over 300 active National Board-certified teachers currently supporting students and schools. Seventy-five percent of National Board-certified teachers in FCPS work directly with students, while others have moved into leadership roles throughout the division.
Student Performance of the National Anthem
The Board meeting began with a beautiful performance of the National Anthem by the Navy Elementary Strings under the direction of Robert Salzberg:
Board Matters: Providence District Update
At the end of most meetings, School Board Members provide updates from their communities about school visits, activities, upcoming events, and more. Here is a video of my update from the meeting:
Upcoming School Board Meetings
Regular Board Meetings (Luther Jackson Middle School)
- Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
Work Sessions (Gatehouse Administration Center)
- Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at 11:30 a.m.
- Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 11:30 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
|
