Dear Community Members,
As 2025 draws to a close, before I share the latest updates below, this newsletter begins with a roundup of notable work and achievements we’ve seen in our Hunter Mill schools and community, and across Fairfax County.
Celebrating Student Achievements and Excellence
Most recently, I accompanied students from George C. Marshall and South Lakes High Schools, as they performed in Hawaii for the Pearl Harbor memorial events, in Honolulu! The adventure engaged us in American and world history; Polynesian and Southeast Asian cultures; marine life; and geography and geology of Hawaii. You can see here the epic drum battle I helped to kick off! 😃 Our students are amazing!
This year began continuing the Student Leadership Development Program of the School Board, during which I worked with Madison High School Student Wala Malik, who’s gone on to secure a leadership position in student government! This year, I’ve begun working with 10th grade Madison student Benjamin Gummer. The program provides students the opportunity to experience how the School Board operates while developing policy recommendations.
I joined students from Madison and Westfield High Schools in the uniform reveal for the first-ever girls flag football season in FCPS! Also in athletics, for a second consecutive year, I cheered on the South Lakes High School boys basketball team as they earned the state basketball championship title!
I got to know just some of our stellar Class of 2025 graduates. That included Evan Meade, awarded the prestigious Jefferson and Echols Scholar at the University of Virginia, reserved for UVA’s “most intellectually curious and ambitious students”. Graduate Megan Sawant served as the Student Representative to the School Board, and is now studying at Harvard.
Honoring Staff Professionalism
Among our faculty and staff, just one notable achievement this year is Emily Burrell receiving the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. This month, the Madison pyramid will be saying farewell to 18-year Principal and longtime FCPS educator, Michelle Makrigiorgos, of Louise Archer Elementary School.
FCPS Region 1 this summer welcomed new Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Jameile Choice.
We Got Some Money (but have much more to go)
My efforts to “Get The Money” from the Virginia state government paid off to the tune of $21 Million for FCPS! Elevating the findings of the seminal 2023 JLARC report – showing that FCPS is underfunded by $500,000,000 annually – and coordinating advocacy with partnering School Boards made a difference! Ever onward into 2026.
Comprehensive Boundary Review
This School Board initiated a county-wide review of all school boundaries, the first in over 40 years. In 2025, the process elevated engagement among neighbors about our public schools. I’ve learned much and met even more residents. The School Board votes on boundary changes on January 22, 2026. Reviewing boundaries will be routine going forward to help us best use resources to educate students.
Purchasing a New School
The School Board approved the purchase of a new western high school, on 32 acres of land and modern, accessible facilities. Hunter Mill residents will be within the school attendance boundary, which is planned for adoption in the early months of 2026.
Strengthened Learning and Instruction
Elementary grades finished year one with the new Benchmark Advanced literacy curriculum – reading strongly by 2nd grade is critical! Also, I helped lead updates to grading policy and implementation.
On a personal note: My family said “good-bye” to elementary school, as my youngest entered middle school. My oldest earned her drivers permit! I visited several states new to me, bringing my total life count to 42 (aiming for all 50!). Finally, I won first place in a lip sync battle hosted by the South Lakes High School Chorus.
We have an amazing public school system, filled with children and adults who care about learning and our community. While there are some challenges, I am convinced more than ever that if we show up and speak up – with each other, and for each other – we will continue to fortify the place we call home.
Listening to Hunter Mill Residents
Showing Up and Speaking Up about School Boundaries
The Comprehensive School Boundary Review has been top of mind for many Hunter Mill residents. In response to overwhelming community feedback, I scheduled two boundary review conversations. The first, held Nov 10 at Wolftrap Elementary School, focused on boundaries around northeastern Vienna, especially around Westbriar Elementary School and the subsequent boundaries of Madison High School and Marshall High School.
The second event was held Nov. 18 at South Lakes High School, focused on areas around the new Western High School, including Crossfield Elementary School and other schools that feed into Oakton High School, Westfield High School, and South Lakes. We were joined by my colleague, Kyle McDaniel, an at-large member who represents all of Fairfax County.
From these community conversations, I heard themes of constituents’ desire for stability, community building, and transparency. I agree that residents need more information from FCPS about the process and the financial implications of these developments. I continue pressing the Superintendent and my Board colleagues to bring forward more detailed information about the costs and timelines to open the Western High School in 2026. It is imperative that residents understand how much it will cost to renovate and staff the school, if educators will be reassigned from neighboring schools, and what extracurricular activities will be available for their children.
The Superintendent will present her final boundary change recommendations to the School Board at our January 8, 2026 public meeting. As such, I have sent a memo to the Superintendent requesting the following considerations:
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Wolftrap Elementary School: Retain the Scenario 4 proposal to boundary Wolftrap Elementary School residences into Thoreau and Madison, thereby eliminating the current split feeder to Kilmer and Marshall middle schools.
- While I advocate to address split feeders as much as possible, if Town of Vienna residences are to remain assigned to Madison High School, then I recommend the assignment be Westbriar - Thoreau - Madison.
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Crossfield Elementary School: keep the Fox Mill Woods Neighborhood in Crossfield - Hughes - South Lakes. These homes are within walking distance of Crossfield.
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Fox Mill Elementary School: the school should be retained in the South Lakes pyramid, and split feeder remedied so students attend Langston.
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Oakton Elementary School: Revert to Scenario 3 that reassigned the upper neighborhoods from Oakton to Flint Hill. Move the neighborhoods, such as Wayside and Tamarack, into Flint Hill Elementary School.
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Floris Elementary School: the school should feed into the to-be-determined Western High School boundary. Parents at Floris have clearly voiced interest in having their future students attend the new high school, as it is now geographically closest.
My job on the school board is to set policy and hold the Superintendent accountable–I represent Hunter Mill residents and will continue to ask the hard questions so that the community gets the answers they deserve as taxpayers and parents.
Thank You for Attending my Community Engagement Summit
Our community packed the room at Louise Archer Elementary School for my Community Engagement Summit, on November 4. You can watch recordings of the summit on my YouTube channel. I summarized data about FCPS, the structure of local and state government, how schools are funded, and what we can do - together - to show up and speak up for public education! I appreciate County Supervisor Walter Alcorn attending to hear from constituents and answer their questions.
Since then, federal funding changes have greatly impacted the availability of funds for our public schools. As a result of upcoming cuts to Medicaid, Virginia taxpayers will be funding this federal program that provides health care to our most vulnerable residents. Still, we must keep advocating for our schools. Virginia must not only maintain, but expand funding public education so that we can pay our teachers competitive salaries while retaining special education and English language learner educators. Currently, FCPS is a leader in salaries for new teachers, but at the bottom among local school divisions when it comes to salaries for experienced teachers - those who are most adept at educating children, especially those with challenges.
It’s time to change the status quo! Please mark your calendars for important advocacy dates to show up and speak up, together:
- January 10 at 9am: VA General Assembly Members' Public Hearing (Fairfax). Register to speak by Jan 8 at 12pm.
- January 22 at 7pm: School Board Meeting, Budget Proposal
- April 14 at 4pm: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Budget Public Hearing
- April 15-16 at 3pm: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Budget Public Hearings
School Board Updates and Recent Work
🪙Get the Money - NEW DATA FURTHER SHOWS UNDERFUNDING
If you’ve been reading my newsletters since 2023, you’ll recall that the “JLARC report” proves unconditionally that public schools in Virginia are chronically underfunded. This has become a report to rally around to Get The Money for our schools.
In those footsteps is a new report from the nonpartisan Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, University of Virginia, showing further, sobering data about how Fairfax County is the loser in Virginia regarding state funds for local services. Fairfax County enrolls nearly 15% of Virginia students but only receives 10% of K-12 Direct Aid. Despite changes in our local economy and population well before this chaotic year, Northern Virginia has been and continues to be a huge state tax revenue source - even when we know that our schools are underfunded!
With that in mind, on Dec. 2, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and School Board met to review next year's budget forecast. We owe it to our teachers, first responders, and other public servants to pay them competitively and be able to retain them in Fairfax County. However, wage increases require revenue. Our combined institutions are looking at a projected $131 million budget shortfall, with upwards of $50 million or more in a budgetary shortfall for FCPS based on the County transfer rate of roughly 70%.
You can view my meeting remarks at my YouTube page. Here is a snippet:
"I've thought about the budget a lot this year. I want to seek action to change what’s no longer working, or what we do by tradition, that just can’t fly anymore. The longer I serve, the more humbled I am at the billions of dollars that I feel responsible for. I hope we can all see that our residents are counting on us to do something different."
🏫Where It’s At: Maintaining $8.7 billion in Public Facilities Assets
In December, I focused on elevating data about the Memorandums Of Understanding (MOUs) that are used to commit FCPS facilities to non-instructional uses by other local government agencies, sports leagues, and other community use (Scouts, religious organizations, etc). Unfortunately, any MOUs I’ve been able to locate are woefully out of date - by at least a decade or more since agreement or last review. This includes for School Age Child Care (SACC); field usage at four high schools where I represent students; and turf usage and maintenance agreements.
As I said at the December 11, Joint Facilities Review Committee Meeting with the Board of Supervisors, this is an unacceptable practice in Fairfax County. Resources of time and money are being wasted, and frustration among residents about facility availability and condition is ever-increasing. I want to fix the problems we have now - maintenance backlogs and lack of funding for repair and renovation - and end this legacy in Fairfax. Committee meetings continue into March, when we are to present recommendations.
Taking Responsibility for Course Offerings in FCPS
For about 15 years, the School Board regularly approved school course offerings by consent, allowing the Superintendent to move forward without a public presentation or discussion with the Board. That changed in December when I ensured the School Board would have the conversation. As elected officials, our job is to represent the interests of Fairfax County residents, including families who depend on us to provide courses that are relevant and widely available to students, while efficiently utilizing taxpayer dollars. You can view my remarks on my YouTube channel.
Here are my closing remarks:
“For me, this is about budgetary limits and seeing what we can afford. We no longer may be able to afford really specialized courses. I’d like to know how much it would cost. Programs have been added here and there over time by advocacy, not data. For me, it’s also about equitable access. There are two language courses being offered only in high school currently when half of our elementary schools have zero world language instruction is a budgetary decision. The Board does have a role in course development.”
Exploring the role of Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education
Our School Board aims to learn more about artificial intelligence and how to prepare students to thrive in the future where AI impacts most of life, including the workforce and government. In November, FCPS hosted a forum, Meeting the Moment, where we heard from AI educational experts. I’ve asked the Superintendent to more specifically inform and train the School Board about emerging practices. The Governance Committee, which I chair, will begin crafting a policy regarding the topic in January.
Shortly after the forum, the Superintendent announced that FCPS will be among the first group of school divisions working with OpenAI to pilot ChatGPT for Teachers. According to Dr. Michelle Reid, OpenAI will have strong privacy and security safeguards while providing support to our educators to work more efficiently.
Lastly, in case you missed it, the School Board received a brief from an expert on AI in education, Dr. Babak Mostahimi, who works with LearnerStudio. He presented three efforts: the readiness of students to succeed in the future, the use of AI tools in their education, and the use of AI for educators. Find the recording at the FCPS YouTube page, and the presentation at BoardDocs.
Upcoming Public School Board Meetings
Regular School Board Meetings (Luther Jackson Middle School)
- Thur, Dec 18, 7pm - Regular Meeting
- Strategic Plan Goal Five: Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation Presentation and Vote
- FY26 Midyear Review
- Boundary Change Phasing & Transportation Decision
- Thur, Jan 8, 7pm - Regular Meeting
- Ratification of Tentative Collective Bargaining Agreements Between Fairfax County Public Schools and FCFPSA
- Presentation on Boundary Review
- Thur, Jan 22, 7pm - Regular Meeting
- School Boundary Changes
- FY27 Proposed Budget Presentation
Public Hearings (Luther Jackson Middle School)
- Sat, Jan 10, 10am-5pm - Boundary Public Hearing
- Tues, Jan 13, 6pm - Capital Improvement Program Public Hearing
- Tues, Feb 10, 6:30pm - FY27 Proposed Budget Public Hearing
- Tues, May 12, 6pm - FY27 Approved Budget Public Hearing
Committee Meetings (Gatehouse Administration Center)
- Thur, Jan 15 at 4:30pm - Comprehensive Planning and Development Committee
- Tues, Jan 20 (time TBD)- Governance Committee
Work Sessions (Gatehouse Administration Center)
- Wed, Jan 13, 10am - All-Day Work Session
- Strategic Plan Goal Three: Academic Growth and Excellence
- Capital Improvement Program
FCPS Staff Recognized for Excellence
Aldrin Principal Honored as Virginia Principal of Distinction
Principal Shane Wolfe of Aldrin Elementary School has been honored as a Virginia Principal of Distinction by the Virginia Department of Education — a statewide recognition of outstanding leadership in instructional excellence and school culture🏆. This honor celebrates his visionary leadership, and the positive impact made right here in our school community.
🎨South Lakes HS Art Teacher Awarded at ArtsFairfax👨🎨
Congratulations to visual arts teacher Marco Rando for earning the 2025 ArtsFairfax Education Award, an honor celebrating those who provide exceptional arts education opportunities and experiences. This recognition highlights the tremendous success of his founding of the STEAM Public Art Program at South Lakes High School, where students gain real-world skills in design, engineering, and fabrication while strengthening ties to the Reston community.
Wolftrap Teacher Commemorated by Executive Principal, Staff
Woltrap Elementary School teacher, Lydia Cubbage, was recognized for outstanding teaching and presented an award by executive principal Lindsey Trout. Lydia taught my daughter at Wolftrap several years ago, and it was exciting to see her continue to excel.
Hunter Mill Happenings
🌸Marshall and South Lakes Bands travel to Hawaii, Perform at Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade ⚓
The bands from Marshall High School and South Lakes High School teamed up for a joint trip to Hawaii, where they marched in the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade on Dec. 7. What an honor and joy it was to accompany these young musicians as they performed a touching tribute to our brave troops who lost their lives in the terrible attack 84 years ago. You can watch the performance on the YouTube page.
Food Pantry Volunteer Honored at Madison High School
The food pantry at Madison High School was renamed the Eachus Food Pantry to honor Beth Eachus, a dedicated leader in our community who has served as the JMHS Pantry Lead, a substitute teacher, and PTA President at three different Vienna schools. Beyond the classroom, she chairs the Town’s Transportation Safety Commission and was recently elected to the Board of Directors for Special Olympics Virginia. Congratulations to Beth and her family on this well-deserved honor!
Seahawk Battalion Marches in NYC Veterans Day Parade🦅
On Veterans Day, the South Lakes High School Army JROTC unit, the Seahawk Battalion, marched in the 29th Annual New York Veterans Day Parade. They were joined by Principal Carlos Seward. This is the sixth year that South Lakes JROTC has had the honor of marching in the New York City's Veterans Day Parade.
Take Your Legislator to School Month
Each November, the Fairfax County School Board invites Virginia delegates and state senators to visit schools, hear from teachers and students, and learn more about how to fortify public education.
Delegate Holly Seibold visits Cunningham Park Elementary School🐦
Cunningham Park Elementary School hosted Delegate Holly Seibold, Supervisor Walter Alcorn, and me for a tour on Nov. 7. Del. Seibold began her career as a 4th grade teacher at Vienna Elementary School, so she has a unique perspective as an educator and FCPS parent. Del. Seibold expressed her dedication to public education, especially supporting career and technical education. Principal Allison Hoak showcased the creativity of students and educators. Check out the leaf art that students crafted into characters!
I couldn’t help but spend time with kindergarteners, and enjoyed coloring with them! 🖍️
Senator Jennifer Boysko visits 🐲Dogwood and 🐯Terraset Elementary Schools
Senator Jennifer Boysko began her day touring FCPS with a visit to Dogwood Elementary School, where she met student ambassadors and the friendly dragon mascot. Dr. Jameile Choice, Regional Assistant Superintendent for Region 1, joined us. Student leaders guided us on the tour around campus. These young men are going places!
Sen. Boysko listened to Principal Kate Beckner describe the incredible dedication of the staff to meet students’ needs - children who work to improve their language skills while their families work hard to make ends meet. She advocated for more time in the school year to close the education gap with other students at FCPS. I am grateful for Ms. Beckner’s candor and commend Sen. Boysko for her commitment to serving the families of Fairfax County.
Afterwards, Sen. Boysko visited Terraset Elementary School, where a crowd of cheerful students greeted her, along with Principal Katie Aldridge and Assistant Principal David Ickowski.
The two administrators shared their pride in Terraset’s students and educators. As a parent of a former Terraset student, I appreciate the joy and hard work that happens here for kids.
The school is represented by a tiger mascot🐅, so she read the children’s book, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, by Peter Brown.
Delegate Irene Shin visits Floris Elementary School 🦅
Floris Elementary School hosted Delegate Irene Shin, with Principal Josh DeSmyter showing her around school. Del. Shin spent time with students, sharing smiles and high-fives as she learned about instruction, the students, and educators. We talked about STEM, AI, and access to rigorous coursework.
Delegate Karen Keys-Gamarra tours the new Western High School
Lastly, Delegate Karen Key-Gamarra, my former colleague on the School Board, toured the Western High School to observe the opportunities and challenges of opening a school on an existing campus. Some of the rooms feature unique learning spaces that will require some renovation to conform with instructional practices at FCPS. She shared that it will be a difficult budget year for Virginia, but she remains supportive of public education.
Other Info of Interest
🖼️FCPS Fine Arts Program🎼
Fairfax County Public Schools administers a Fine Arts Program for students in grades 4, 6 and middle school, affording them field trip opportunities throughout the year. These trips allow students to experience art up close and learn by observing musical performances, theatrical shows, and gallery displays.
Fourth Grade National Symphony Orchestra Young People’s Concert
In November 2025, our fourth graders visited the Kennedy Center to see the National Symphony Orchestra perform “Philharmonia Fantastique.”
Sixth Grade Art Museum Tour
All FCPS sixth-grade students will participate in a museum tour with an assigned Washington, D.C. art museum. To ensure balance among the institutions, schools have been scheduled to visit one of five museums: the Hirshhorn Museum, the National Gallery of Art, the National Museum of Asian Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, or the National Portrait Gallery.
Middle School Theatre Field Trips
All FCPS middle school theatre students enrolled in introductory-level theatre classes will participate in a field trip to attend a live performance.
🏛️Advocate for Public Education at Legislative Town Halls
Fairfax County residents have two opportunities to show up and speak up with local legislators:
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.
© Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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