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Dear Community Members,

There is so much happening in our lives here in Fairfax County - as parents, residents, professionals, students - and there are many priorities that vie for our attention. With the federal government shutdown in effect, I hope we can be extra compassionate to one another under this latest immense stress. I am keeping this in mind as significant decisions come before the Board in the near future, and I am responsible for sustaining our school communities - a major part of what makes Fairfax the place we call home.   

I completed my final Back-to-School-Night last week at Dogwood Elementary School, our singular elementary school in the Hunter Mill district with an International Baccalaureate (IB) program (leading to IB programs at Langston Hughes MS and South Lakes HS).  

As at my other visits, adults say they can’t imagine what it’s like to be in my role at this time. They acknowledge the School Board’s huge undertakings - especially the boundary review and determining use of the new Western High School - and the national political attention we are navigating while strictly adhering to laws. 

I hear often that being a School Board Member is a thankless job, but it’s not. I am humbled and buoyed regularly by the gratitude from parents and family members, employees, and residents who believe that our public schools are worth fighting for. 

People also ask what they can do to meet the moment as a community and a democracy. Here is my suggestion for what you can do:

Show up and speak up! November 5, 7:00pm

As such: I’m delighted to invite you to a Community Engagement Summit, which I’ve envisioned as a place for learning, connecting, and action. It will be on Wednesday, November 5, from 7:00-8:30pm, at Louise Archer Elementary School in Vienna. Please register and provide information helpful for planning using this Google form. This Summit will be in-person only, to invest in person-to-person community-building. 

What can you expect to experience and gain by attending the Summit?

1. Understand how our public schools are funded: I’ll relay simply Virginia’s complex funding process, and identify who is involved in funding decisions.
2. Discuss how we as individuals and a community support children and public education, and fortify the public’s investments made in Fairfax. 
3. Prepare to speak up for the success of our community. Learn about how you can advocate, including at specific upcoming opportunities here in Fairfax where showing up and speaking up can make the difference! You are needed! 

Until then, you have the opportunity to vote in the November 4 general election. This election asks us to select the top three leadership positions in Virginia: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General, as well as all 100 Virginia House of Delegate representatives (each voter is represented by just one). Additionally, local town elections, like in the Town of Vienna, are on the ballot. And critical to FCPS is the capital bond, which delegates funding to maintaining our 28 million square feet of public facility assets, valued at $8.7 billion, used seven days a week by Fairfax residents. Read the more about the bond in this newsletter, below.

There is no off-year election in Virginia - we vote every year, and every election matters! More information is found here, including to vote early in-person (now available!) and absentee.

School Board Updates and Recent Work

🪙Get the Money for Student Learning and Employee Compensation

The School Board began our Fiscal Year (FY) 27 budget development work in August, seeking to get as ahead as we can to at the very least avoid a repeat of the weakening FY26 underfunding of FCPS. Final budget decisions are made in spring 2026. 

Check out this local news article featuring our Board’s commitment to working with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, who are the primary funders of FCPS. 

The School Board is also preparing to meet with state legislators to discuss the policy and funding support FCPS is due as required by state law. A priority continues to be seeking action on the seminal 2023 report proving that Virginia’s public schools are chronically underfunded. In Fairfax County, we local taxpayers pay an extra half billion dollars annually above what the state’s current, and wrong, calculations say is needed to provide excellent education in Fairfax. Moreover, we residents pay another half billion dollars annually on top of that, to further elevate public education. That is $1 billion. Yet, this amount is not enough to provide competitive salaries to retain the best staff and provide the research-proven instructional services that students require to succeed.

As such, I attended a meeting in greater Richmond last month, with three of my Board colleagues, to connect with other school board members across Virginia. The General Assembly convenes in January, but now is the prime time to work with our state legislators to inform them about what’s needed. 

🏫Where It’s At: Maintaining $8.7 billion in Public Facilities Assets 

The School Board is charged with overseeing the use and maintenance of $8.7 billion in public facilities that tax payers rely on for delivering public education, employing 25,000 full time staff, providing space for civic engagement like voting and community meetings, locations for recreational and competitive athletics, performing arts space, and safety from weather. 

In late October, I will join my School Board colleague, Kyle McDaniel, as representatives on the new Joint Facility Review Committee with the Board of Supervisors, as authorized earlier this year. The charge is to identify financial savings to inform development of the County’s Fiscal Year (FY) 27 budget. This work is aimed to inform budget development, which continues intensively at the start of 2026 and concludes by May 2026. We are preparing compelling data on the value of our facilities, and opportunities for the County and Schools to build efficiencies across our one county. After the first meeting, on October 30, 10:30am at the Fairfax County Government Center, meetings will continue through March. Meetings are open to the public, though public comment opportunities are not provided. 

Relatedly, I’m adding another aspect of facility use as the School Board Liaison to the Fairfax County Athletic Council. The first meeting I attended, last month, provided a wealth of context for me about the community’s use and desires of our school facilities and athletic fields. There are many connections, and also concerns, among the groups who rely on these public facility assets for a high quality of life in Fairfax County. Meeting with these community leaders is helping me identify areas where stronger communication among all parties will improve experiences. I’m excited to be involved.   

Determining the use and boundary of Western High School

FCPS acquired a new high school in the western part of the county. In a testament to how FCPS squeezes every penny out of a public dollar, the school division paid $150 million for this nearly 33-acre site with 325,000 square feet of modern space, built in 2016. FCPS’ Capital Improvement Program (CIP) had projected $430 million for such a future facility (see page 42). By seizing opportunity swiftly, FCPS saved taxpayers $280 million on this real estate transaction! The capital bond on the November general election ballot seeks to replenish available capital funds used for this historic purchase.  

This month, the School Board will discuss and determine at its public meetings how this asset will be used: as a traditional high school with local school boundaries geographically close to the school; as a magnet school that hosts a thematic program and would educate students from a variety of geographic areas of Fairfax; or a hybrid of those options. Also, there is a school naming process detailed by Board policy, and details will be available soon. 

What I’m hearing: The location is adjacent to the Hunter Mill district, and I’ve most frequently heard from residents the preference for a traditional high school with local school boundaries. I’ve also been asked how identifying programming and boundaries for Western HS will align with the countywide school boundary review process. This latter point is one myself and Board Members will clarify in this month’s meetings. 

Here is a summary of upcoming public meetings where the Board will work on Western HS, as per the publication of this newsletter:

Tuesday, October 7, Work Session: Western High School programming, which will be when the Board discusses the traditional HS, magnet program, or hybrid options. A work session is when the Board meets at Gatehouse Central Office building, and discusses the topics on the agenda, and receives input from the Superintendent and staff. Work sessions allow community members to observe, but not participate.

Thursday, November 13, Regular Meeting: ACTION: Western High School programming. A Regular Meeting is when the Board publicly conducts its official actions, held at Luther Jackson Middle School, beginning at 7pm. Community members can register to speak or submit video testimony at this link. Note that “Western High School Programming” is listed as “New Business” on the October 23 Regular Meeting agenda of the School Board. No action is being taken on October 23: this is only a public announcement about future action, on November 13, to inform the public in advance.

Bond on the November 4 election ballot to fund FCPS facilities

Funding for our $8.7 billion in public school facilities comes directly from voter-approved bonds on the November ballot. This election will include a $460 million Bond Referendum to ensure our schools continue to receive maintenance and renovations. Approving this bond referendum is a crucial investment in the cornerstones of our community, ensuring these hubs for learning, recreation, and civic life continue to serve everyone.

📌Comprehensive Boundary Review Update  

This month, the public can review the most up-to-date proposed boundary change maps. Please see the list of October community boundary review meetings, here. The Boundary Explorer Tool continues to be available here. 

I attended the community meeting at South Lakes High School last month, and plan to be at these upcoming meetings:  

• Tuesday, October 14, 6:30-8 p.m., at Herndon High School: For South Lakes and Herndon High School Pyramids
• Thursday, October 16, 6:30-8 p.m., at McLean High School: For Madison and McLean High School Pyramids
• Tuesday, October 28, 6:30-8 p.m., at Chantilly High School: For Westfield and Chantilly High School Pyramids

Here is what I commit to Fairfax constituents: 

• I will understand each change being proposed, including the benefits and drawbacks as shared by residents, my School Board colleagues, and the Superintendent per her analysis of all input and data leading to this point.
• I will communicate with you as clearly and as often as I can about my decision-making status.
• I aim to reduce upheaval in our school communities, particularly over short periods of time. 
• I aim to advocate for families to have the option for siblings to remain in their pyramid of choice, in an effort to keep siblings in the same pyramid over time if the family so desires, especially in secondary grades (7-12). Basically: offering the choice for families to keep their middle school student headed into the currently assigned high school if it keeps siblings together in the same pyramid.

In addition to your School Board member, Hunter Mill has several volunteers serving on the Superintendent’s Boundary Review Committee, who you can contact and share your input. Our members represent each pyramid, and you can email them at the links below:

Herndon

Zulakha Imran

Monica Vilpors 

Madison

Dana Stewart

Julia Tungli

Marshall

Elise Fisher

Kristina Glines 

Oakton

Daniel Erickson Plasters

Rola Hariri

South Lakes

Michael Gandolfo

Brian Gerald McInerney

Westfield

Jenae Grader

Kristen Reed (no email link provided)

Virginia Department of Education Moves the Goalpost, again, for Student Achievement 

As communicated by the Superintendent and myself since last summer, 2024, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), has been changing how it rates school performance, based on students’ standardized test scores (the Standards of Learning (SOL) tests). Our advocacy has been clear that these hastily-made changes, without consideration of input from school divisions nor the public, are damaging to our students. Further, while we welcome high standards, meeting those goals requires resources of time and money, neither of which have been provided to local school divisions in Virginia. 

Moreover, this is now the second change that VDOE is implementing since the decision was made by the state Board of Education in late July 2024! This is not an approach for ensuring thoughtful education for students - especially relying solely on standardized testing as the measure, which is a defunct approach. Please keep your eyes peeled for more information from the Superintendent, as the new ratings will be telling a different story about our students’ and schools success that is unfounded by what’s actually happening in FCPS. 

👮‍♀️Safety Investments benefit Students, Employees

Rap Back continuous background check system rolling out

Please know that I have advocated for funding and implementation of the Rap Back program for over two years, and now it is here in FCPS. We are the first school division in Virginia to implement Rap Back, a continuous criminal background check monitoring system. Officially launched on July 1, this significant safety and security enhancement demonstrates the division’s strong commitment to keeping students and staff safe at school and in the workplace. 

WTOP, WJLA and Northern Virginia Magazine reported on this significant achievement. With more than 32,000 already enrolled from FCPS, and increasing daily until all are enrolled by the end of October, this shifts FCPS from a reactive process to a proactive safeguard for our students and staff. Read more about the background check program.

Volunteer FCPS

The roll out of the new and needed Volunteer FCPS volunteer management system continues, and I am very aware of the challenges and time delays. This is such an important safety tool, yet I join many of you with frustration at the roll out. Thank you to the PTA Boards and members, parents, family members, staff, and residents who have shared your feedback with the Board and me. I’ve relayed each point to the Superintendent, alongside my colleagues. Communication is an integral part of successfully supporting our students - this has got to be tightened up, immediately.  

FCPS awarded $250k for security cameras, to match local investment 🎦

It’s never too late to improve safety: VDOE recently awarded FCPS $250,000 as part of the School Security Equipment Grant Program authorized by the 2013 General Assembly, for the purchase and installation of cameras at:

Camelot Elementary

Canterbury Woods Elementary

Centre Ridge Elementary

Marshall Road Elementary

The FCPS obligation is to match 25% ($62,500 in-kind). These four schools will likely run about $500k so FCPS will certainly meet the 25% in kind requirement. This will allow FCPS to spend funds on other safety priorities, likely adding cameras at two additional schools.  

Upcoming Public School Board Meetings

Regular School Board Meetings (Luther Jackson Middle School)

• Thur, Oct 9, 7pm - Regular Meeting
• Executive Limitations #5, Financial Planning
• Thur, Oct 23, 7pm - Regular Meeting
• Strategic Plan Goal One: Strong Start, Pre-K-12

Committee Meetings (Gatehouse Administration Center)

• Tues, Oct 14 at 3pm - Governance Committee (which I Chair)
• Thur, Oct 30 at 4:30pm - Comprehensive Planning and Development Committee

Work Sessions (Gatehouse Administration Center)

• Tues, Oct 7, 10am - All-Day Work Session
• Project Labor Agreement
• Strategic Plan Goal One: Strong Start, Pre-K-12

Spotlight on Football and Marching Bands

🎺Herndon High School hosts Showcase of Bands Competition 

Photo Credit: Loch Leven Photography

Each year, Herndon High School hosts the Showcase of Bands to allow NOVA high school bands the opportunity to compete and showcase their talents. As a former high school musician, I enjoy watching the tremendous work of our FCPS students as they pour their hearts and souls into the work.

This year, the Marshall High School and South Lakes High School won honors for the top performances in their groups. I also enjoyed watching the Westfield High School band. Music is more than just art. It helps with students' cognitive development and personal confidence. This is public education!

Photo Credit: Loch Leven Photography

🦅Madison Warhawks Win Homecoming Game 🏈

Madison High School held its homecoming football game against Marshall High School, with the Warhawks putting up a dominant 42-6 victory. The game brought together the band and community to celebrate school spirit. Well done Warhawks!

🏈Washington Commanders Support Girls Flag Football during Uniform Reveal

The Washington Commanders joined FCPS students for a uniform reveal! A big thank you for their partnership to support Girls Flag Football at FCPS. The event featured new uniforms for South Lakes (above), Madison (below), and Westfield high schools.

Hunter Mill Happenings

🦋Hundreds attend Marshall Road Elementary School Picnic

Marshall Road Elementary School held its family picnic, which brought together over 100 students and family members to celebrate the new school year and make friends. I met some former students who are now at Thoreau Middle School and fundraising to begin a composting program modeled after their wildly successful program in elementary school. These are environmental leaders!

💪Physical Education Instruction at Forest Edge Elementary School

Forest Edge Elementary School started its week with physical education, and it was quite a workout! The quality of PE has improved so much over the past few decades, with training and instruction based on more rigorous science; physiology and kinesiology in particular. When children learn about fitness at a young age, they may find a personal passion that stays with them for years to come. I’m glad my own regular fitness habit paid off, and I could nearly keep up with the Kindergartners! 😉 

Langston Hughes Students Sing for Seniors

Our Langston Hughes Middle School Panther Chorale performed for residents at the Hunters Woods at Trails Edge Senior Living Facility. The audience consisted of memory care and assisted living patients. LHMS teacher Mr. Steve McBride led the children’s chorus, and the Superintendent joined them for the performance.

Vienna Students Win National Structural Engineering STEM Title

Two recent graduates of Kilmer Middle School, Ezra Leung and Kingsley Chow, have brought home a national title for Vienna. The duo took first place in the Structural Engineering competition at the prestigious Technology Student Association (TSA) 2025 National Conference held in Nashville, Tennessee.Competing against 19 of the country's top teams, Ezra and Kingsley represented Fairfax County Public Schools and made history as the first team from Kilmer to win this category.

Their winning project involved designing and building a balsa wood structure to support the greatest possible vertical force relative to its own weight. This challenge pushed the young engineers to apply critical STEM concepts, including load distribution, blueprint drafting, and structural analysis. The students' project was judged on a number of criteria, including strength-to-weight ratio, blueprint accuracy, and research documentation. Their hard work paid off, and their names were announced as national champions in front of a crowd of over 8,500 people. Now students at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, both plan to continue their involvement with TSA at the high school level, hoping to expand their skills into new engineering categories. More than just a personal victory, this achievement highlights the strength of the Vienna community and Fairfax County Public Schools’s commitment to nurturing innovators now, and in the future.

📕Oakton High School Students Publish Book

Oakton High School students Jovina Arulandu and Victoria Yu turned a personal story about hearing loss into the published book, “Hear That, Squiggle Squiggle!”. Not only did they produce a resource for children, educators, and families, $1,300 from book sales was donated to fund new hearing aids for a young girl in Reston. The students are working to have their book included in public libraries, which they hope will help children with hearing loss to see themselves represented in a publication.

🏫Louise Archer Historical Marker Dedication Ceremony

Mrs. Louise Archer was a unique and impactful teacher in Vienna and taught in Fairfax County from 1922-1948. Her efforts to include African American children in public school education are now memorialized in a historic Marker at the elementary school bearing her name, for all to learn of her legacy. The Marker reads:

"Louise Archer: Champion for Education.

During her twenty-six years in Fairfax County, Louise Archer (1893-1948) taught at Herndon Colored School and was a teacher and principal at Vienna Colored School. She provided quality education, taught life skills including cooking and gardening, organized extracurricular activities at her own expense, and drove students to and from school. Since Fairfax County did not provide secondary education for African Americans until 1954, Archer had students use her Washington DC address to register for high school in the district so they would not pay out-of-state tuition. When Archer died in 1948, former students successfully petitioned to rename the Vienna Colored School in her Honor."

📜Delegate Irene Shin Teaches how to Build a Bill

Thanks to Virginia Delegate Irene Shin, who engages the public in policy-making and community-building! I attended her “Build a Bill” workshop for the first time, though this is her fourth year offering it. As Legislative Liaison on the School Board for the second consecutive year, I still have strategies and info to learn. Delegate Shin explains how anyone can get involved and make a difference on a topic important to them.

The participants there seek law-making about a range of issues, including education, access to energy and also sustainable energy, native species, healthcare and AI’s impact, free school meals for students, and more. Power to the people! Show up, speak up!

Other Info of Interest

🏛️James Walkinshaw Elected to Congress

Congratulations to James Walkinshaw, who was elected to Congress at the September 9 Special Election to replace the late Gerry Connolly. Walkinshaw served as the Braddock District Representative to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors from 2020-2025, and he comes to Congress with ten years of prior experience on Capitol Hill with the Office of Gerry Connolly. Walkinshaw represents Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, which includes all of Hunter Mill. I look forward to partnering with the Congressman and his staff to benefit our community. For information about how to contact his office, please visit the website.

Contacting Me

I prioritize responses to Hunter Mill constituents, so please be sure to identify yourself as such if you contact me. 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 via my website (click "Submit a Question"). This form prioritizes emails to me from constituents, and helps me track communication so I can be sure you receive a response. Thank you for your cooperation.

Best,

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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.

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