2025 Summer Update from Kyle McDaniel

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 07/31/2025 11:34 AM EDT

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.

Dear Friends,

I hope you and your family are enjoying a relaxing and fun-filled summer break! While school is out, the School Board has been hard at work preparing for the upcoming year.

In addition to planning for a strong start this fall, we've been addressing several long-standing matters — including the demolition of the abandoned Clifton Elementary, continuing our review of school boundaries, and evaluating key FCPS policies.

As we enter the Board's annual summer recess, I wanted to share a few important updates for the year ahead. We've completed our annual Board reorganization, and I want to congratulate our new Board Chair, Sandy Anderson (Springfield District), and our new Vice Chair, Robyn Lady (Dranesville District). I also want to sincerely thank our outgoing Chair, Karl Frisch (Providence District), for his outstanding leadership and service.

In addition to a new Chair and Vice Chair, every July the School Board reorganizes its standing committees and liaison roles. This year I will serve in the following roles:

As we enjoy the remainder of the summer, please remember that many dedicated FCPS employees are working diligently to prepare to welcome our 184,000 kids back to school on August 18th. I hope you and your family are as excited for the new school year as we are.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office should you need assistance.

 

Sincerely,

Kyle McDaniel

Member, At-Large

Fairfax County School Board

Clifton Elementary & FCPS Demolition Policies

Kyle McDaniel and Sandy Anderson (Springfield District) released the following statement after the School Board voted to approve the changes they proposed to update its facility demolition policy:

At its June 26 regular meeting, the Fairfax County School Board voted to approve updates to Policy 8258 – Building Evaluation, Building Renovation, and Infrastructure Maintenance, including a new provision that provides a clear process and timeline for demolishing buildings deemed uninhabitable, or with structural integrity issues and environmental hazards.

The newly added section of the policy states: “Buildings deemed uninhabitable shall be removed from service immediately and demolished within 36 months of the uninhabitable determination, unless granted an extension by the School Board for documented extenuating circumstances.”

This addition is designed to ensure that unsafe and unusable facilities do not remain in the school system’s inventory indefinitely. It was spearheaded by Springfield District School Board Member Sandy Anderson and At-Large Member Kyle McDaniel, with strong support from the Town of Clifton.

The Clifton Town Council submitted a formal letter urging timely action, signed by the mayor and every council member. “Many residents have personal connections to the school, having attended as children or watched their own children learn there,” the letter reads.

“While we value those memories, the deteriorating building no longer serves our community.” Clifton Elementary School, which has been unoccupied since 2010, is unsuitable for renovation or reuse. Under the revised policy, the School Board can now initiate demolition proceedings to remove the structure and allow for a new use for the site.

Springfield School Board Member Sandy Anderson remarked,

“I’m eager, after 15 years, to ensure a path forward for the Clifton Elementary site and for this community. My predecessor, Delegate Laura Jane Cohen, laid the groundwork to make this happen during her time on the school board. The next step is to determine the site’s future use, but for now, we are prioritizing increased safety, and that feels like a win.”

“We were so fortunate to get great feedback from the Clifton Town Council, and I want to thank them for their collaboration and support,” commented School Board At-Large Member Kyle McDaniel. “This brings some closure to the community, and now we can start building towards an exciting future for the space."

Kyle McDaniel in front of the Clifton School Sign

Back to School Events

Get ready for the 2024-2025 school year by attending a Back to School event!  Below are links for every back to school event by Region. Find out your school’s region here.

FCPS UPDATES

  • 🍽️ Summer Meals for Students
  • 🍴 Apply Today for Free and Reduced Price Meals!
    • According to the Centers for Disease Control, eating breakfast at school is associated with better attendance rates, fewer missed school days, and better test scores. Students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals receive breakfast and lunch at school at no cost. 

  • 📝 Request PSAT and SAT School Day Testing Accommodations and Multilingual Support

    •  FCPS high schools will give the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) to 10th and 11th graders on Wednesday, October 8. That same day, 12th-graders will participate in SAT School Day. 

    • Because these exams are operated by the College Board, students do not automatically receive testing accommodations or multilingual support. Families can view Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about College Board accommodations on the FCPS website. 

    • If you have a student with disabilities in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade this school year, please review the accommodations request process and return forms to the high school by Monday, August 4.  

    • If you have a multilingual learner (ML) in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade this school year, please review the ML support request process and return forms by Thursday, August 28, if you wish to request ML support for the October 2025 PSAT/NMSQT or SAT School Day.

    • Find out more about SAT and PSAT assessments in FCPS.

  • 💯 Secondary Grading Updates
  • 🩹 Back-to-School Immunization Requirements
    •  Make sure your child has all of their required immunizations before the first day of school. Check their immunization records to see what they might be missing. You can:
      1. Request immunization records online through the Virginia Immunization Information System (a free service).
      2. Get records from other states’ systems if your child was immunized outside of Virginia.
      3. Request records from your health care provider. Some may charge for copies.

      Review school-required immunizations to verify that your child is up to date. 

    • Required Immunizations for Rising 7th and 12th Graders

      Several immunizations are required for students entering 7th and 12th grades. 

      • All students entering 7th grade are required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations before the beginning of school: Tetanus, Diphtheria, the Pertussis booster (Tdap), Meningococcal (MenACWY), and Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
        • To meet the Tdap requirement, the vaccination must be administered at age seven or older.
        • To meet the MenACWY requirement, the vaccination must be administered at age 10 or older.
        • Parents/guardians may choose for their child to not receive the HPV vaccination. Documentation is not required to opt out of the HPV vaccination.
      • All students entering 12th grade are required to receive one dose of the MenACWY vaccine before the beginning of school.
        • To meet the MenACWY 12th grade requirement, the vaccination must be administered at age 16 or older. 

      As long as your child meets the age requirements listed above, they can be immunized at any time. 

    • Where to Receive Immunizations

      If your child needs an immunization, make an appointment with your family’s health care provider or one of the following clinics:

      FCHD offers limited walk-in hours for immunization services on a first-come first served basis. Immunizations are also available by appointment.

      • Inova Cares Back to School Pediatric Health Fairs provide children ages 5 and up with free school physicals and immunizations. Weekday and weekend clinics are available in July and August. These health fairs are for VA Medicaid or Uninsured Inova registered patients only. Appointments are required. Call 703-698-2550 to make an appointment. Bring vaccine records to the appointment. 

      Local immunization clinics and additional resources are available on the FCPS Immunization Resources webpage and from the FCHD.

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