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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 FCPS Families,
As we enter into the fall season, I wanted to give you an update on three key issues that the School Board is managing:
Division-wide Boundary Review
FCPS is in the latter stages of completing a very lengthy boundary review process as directed by the School Board in July, 2024. This is the first comprehensive boundary review in nearly four decades, and it has been a monumental undertaking by staff.
The fourth round of proposed boundaries were released today and the Superintendent is following through with another round of community meetings. You can view the maps here and provide feedback here. The School Board is scheduled to vote on the final proposal in Late January, 2026, for implementation of the new boundaries beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.
Western High School
Earlier this year, the School Board purchased a turn-key high school adjacent to Carson Middle School. This new facility is adding 33 acres and 355,000 square feet to the FCPS portfolio complete with athletic fields, parking and circulation, a main building and two multi-purpose buildings, with state-of-the art lab and collaborative work spaces. This acquisition accelerated the opening of the long-promised Western High School (WHS) by at least a decade, and saved the taxpayers around $350m.
Based on FCPS staff analysis, the WHS facility will put 2,000 seats of additional capacity into service, and provide much-needed overcrowding relief to the western communities. At a recent work session, I spoke on the need to accomplish three things with this site: 1) provide capacity relief to existing high schools that draw from the western neighborhoods; 2) clean up the split feeders in that area which are the worst in the County; and 3) eliminating the very long bus trips from western Fairfax to Oakton High School.
The Superintendent will propose boundary lines for the new school later this fall, and I will be looking at the proposals, keeping in mind these three goals.
School Start Times
Conversations on changing middle school start times have been ongoing for many years now, dating back to 2011. Earlier this year, an outside consultant presented their findings which, in my opinion, were lacking a realistic approach to changing the middle school schedule. More importantly, the conclusion drawn from their analysis was that there are only two ways to change middle school start times: 1) change start times for all grade levels; or 2) increase the transportation budget by $6.4-$17.3 million to acquire and run 75-100 additional busses.
I will not support option 2, which is not grounded in fiscal reality. As a result, and as I made clear back in February when this was presented to the School Board, if we have to shift all school start times, it is no longer a conversation on changing Middle School times, it is a conversation on changing all start times. As a result, the School Board tasked FCPS staff with developing options to shift all start times, and to collect community feedback on the most viable options.
The two options that were presented were: 1) All Elementary School start times are shifted earlier (7:45-8:10am); or 2) All school start times are shifted 30 minutes later which would have some Elementary School not starting to nearly 10am.
Based on analysis and community feedback, neither of these options are realistically viable. To put it more plainly, the only way to shift Middle School start times without causing significant disruption to the other 11 grade levels is to increase the transportation budget by ~$15m.
With those being the only two options, I do not support moving forward with changing any start times right now.
Sincerely,
Kyle McDaniel
Fairfax County School Board
Member, At-Large
Upcoming School Board Meetings
Meeting information and materials will be posted to BoardDocs.
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October 23 at 7 p.m. - Regular Meeting: New Western High School Discussion, Secondary Course Offerings
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November 12 at 10 a.m. - Work Session: Budget, Legislative Agenda, Boundries
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October 23 at 7 p.m. - Regular Meeting: Western High School, Preformance and Plicy Review on Learning Environment
Please note that times and topics are subject to change.
The work sessions and meetings will be broadcast live on Channel 99 (Verizon channel 11) and the FCPS website. Both will be 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 Español 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.
ACSD Town Hall
Join the Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities (ACSD) for its annual "Town Hall Meeting" Wednesday, November 12, 2025
This is your chance to share concerns, kudos, or ideas about special education in FCPS. Each speaker will have three minutes to offer their thoughts about students with disabilities and learning differences in the division.
Can't attend in person? Participate via Zoom, send a video in advance, or submit written comments that will be read aloud on your behalf during the meeting.
Email ACSDChair@fcps.edu by 5pm Tuesday, November 11 to request virtual access. There is no need to RSVP if you plan to attend in person.
All comments will be shared with the school board, central office staff, and included in the ACSD Annual Report. Please note, these public meetings are recorded and published on the ACSD website; parents should be cognizant of personally identifying details about their children when preparing their comments.
Other Updates
💻 All Families Opted in to Lightspeed Student Online Activity Report
FCPS provides families with a free service that allows parents and caregivers a way to stay informed about their child's online activity on any FCPS device. Starting Sunday, October 12, all parents and guardians who have access to student records in SIS ParentVUE will be automatically enrolled to receive a weekly Lightspeed Student Online Activity Report.
This report provides a summary of the websites your child visited during the previous week and is delivered every Sunday to your email directly from Lightspeed, our internet content filter.
Each weekly report also includes a link to register for the Lightspeed Parent Portal, which provides more detailed browsing information. This portal also gives you the ability to pause internet access on your child’s FCPS laptop during non-school hours, such as dinner or bedtime.
Visit the Lightspeed Parent Report page for more information and answers to frequently asked questions.
🏗️ FCPS Buildings Benefit All Community Members
In addition to our students and teachers, we estimate millions of visits by students and community members to Fairfax County schools through more than 500,000 events. Most of the public meeting and recreational facilities available in the county are FCPS facilities.
FCPS works with the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and with the Fairfax County Park Authority to ensure that school facilities and athletic fields are available to the public after school hours.
The 2025 Bond Referendum will be on the ballot in November. Vote on Tuesday, November 4. Learn more about registering to vote and make a voting plan.
📵 When Cell Phones Are Down, Learning and Engagement Are Up: Help Keep Our Schools Phone-Free
Cell phones can significantly impact academic performance — research has shown that it takes students 10 minutes or more to shift their focus back to learning after being interrupted by a single cell phone notification! You can help keep our schools phone-free (and your child focused on learning) by:
- Reminding your child about FCPS’ cell phone policy and telling them why you support it.
- Contacting your school’s front office (rather than your child directly) if there is a family emergency during the school day.
- Contacting your child about non-urgent matters before or after the school day.
- Waiting to respond to non-urgent texts from your child until the school day is over.
Learn more about FCPS’ cell phone and personal device policy. Also, view our Media Balance and Well-Being Toolkit for resources to help your child maintain a healthy and balanced relationship with technology at home.
🎓 Your Next Chapter Starts Here: College Fair and Virtual Postsecondary Night
Prepare for your student’s future at College Fair and Postsecondary Night. The annual FCPS College Fair will be held Sunday, October 19, at George Mason University’s Eagle Bank Arena, from 4 to 6 p.m. Approximately 200 colleges and universities will be represented, including two- and four-year schools and U.S. Service Academies.
The virtual postsecondary night event will be held on Tuesday, October 21, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Both events will help students prepare for the next chapter of their educational journey. Learn more about the College Fair and Virtual Postsecondary Night.
Roadmap to College: What Students Should Do Each Year of High School
Join FCPS’ Family Resource Center for a webinar on what high school students should do to stand out on college applications. Receive clear strategies for college preparation and success. This webinar will take place on Friday, October 31, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., and is for families of eighth graders and high school students. Register to attend.
📅 Calendar Reminder
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Monday, October 20 - Diwali. A school holiday - all schools and offices are closed
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Friday, October 31 - Quarter End, Early Release. The last day of the first quarter, and a two-hour early release for students.
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Monday, November 3 - School Planning Day. Schools are closed for students on Monday, November 3, for a school planning day,
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Tuesday, November 4 - Election Day. Don’t forget to get out and vote on Tuesday, Nov. 4! The day will be observed as a holiday for students and a teacher work day. For more information, visit the Virginia Department of Elections webpage.
See the complete school year calendar.
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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