|
English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
Meeting Recap: Instructional Technology, New Math Textbooks, Skyview Boundaries, and More (July 16, 2026)
Dear Neighbor,
Last week, at the Fairfax County School Board’s final regular meeting of the 2025-26 school year on Thursday, July 16 (agenda | video), the Board discussed and advanced several key priorities that reflect our continued commitment to academic excellence, equity, and innovation across the school division.
The Board approved year-end budget expenditures, the attendance boundary and transportation plan for the new Skyview High School, new mathematics textbooks and other instructional resources for students in grades 6-12, a series of educational technology motions, and more.
We also approved School Board Chair Robyn Lady’s committee assignments for the year ahead. I am honored to continue serving as Chair of the Administration Committee, as a member of the Governance Committee, and as one of the School Board’s two representatives to the Fairfax County Planning Commission. In addition, I will serve as the Board’s liaison to its Adult and Community Education (ACE) Advisory Committee.
As always, I invite you to learn more about the various topics discussed during these meetings by reviewing the updates below. You are also welcome to attend School Board meetings (schedule) and register to share your thoughts with us during community participation (sign-up).
In service,
Karl Frisch
Providence District Representative
Fairfax County School Board
Table of Contents:
Year-End Budget Expenditures (FY 2026)
Video | Meeting Materials
The Board approved the FY 2026 Year-End Budget Review, which indicated that the School Operating Fund ended the fiscal year with $54.5 million in available funds after accounting for revenue adjustments, expenditure savings, reserves, commitments, and carryover. Consistent with prior Board direction, the available funds were fully allocated to previously approved priorities, including $28.5 million to extend special education teachers’ daily contracts by 30 minutes, and $25 million to strengthen the employee healthcare Premium Stabilization Reserve.
The Board also reviewed year-end adjustments across several other funds, including School Construction, Food and Nutrition Services, Adult and Community Education, Grants and Self-Supporting Programs, School Insurance, Health and Flexible Benefits, and the Educational Employees’ Supplementary Retirement System (ERFC). The review highlighted continued investments in multiyear construction projects, grant-funded programs, employee healthcare, retirement programs, and other essential services while ensuring budgets accurately reflect year-end revenues, expenditures, and long-term financial commitments.
Motion: Dixit, Second: S. Anderson / Vote: Yes 9, No 2
Skyview High School Boundary and Transportation Plan Approved
The Board approved the Superintendent’s recommended attendance boundaries (Video | Meeting Materials) for the new Skyview High School while adjusting high school and middle school boundaries in western pyramids. The recommendation was developed following months of community engagement, including six public meetings, input from the Superintendent's Boundary Advisory Committee, and more than 15,000 public comments. The approved boundary plan is designed to balance enrollment, improve feeder alignment, maintain access to programming, and support long-term capacity needs in western Fairfax County.
The Board also approved the transportation plan for Skyview High School (Video | Meeting Materials), which will provide traditional neighborhood bus service for students living within the Skyview attendance boundary and depot-style transportation for eligible out-of-boundary students during the phased opening. The approved plan also includes Skyview’s athletic transition, with students participating in VHSL athletics and activities at their base schools during the 2026-2027 school year before Skyview becomes a Virginia High School League (VHSL) member school in 2027-2028. Staff reported that the transportation plan can be implemented within the existing FY 2027 adopted budget.
Boundary Main Motion: Dixit, Second: S. Anderson / Vote: Yes 11, No 0
Transportation Main Motion: Moon, Second: Dixit / Vote: Yes 11, No 0
New Secondary Mathematics Textbooks and Resources
Video | Meeting Materials
The Board approved the adoption of new secondary mathematics basal instructional resources – physical textbooks and other materials – for students in grades 6-12 beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. The adoption concludes a multi-year review process that included teacher input, an extensive committee review, a pilot of Algebra I materials in ten middle schools, and a public review of the proposed resources. The adopted materials are aligned with Virginia’s Standards of Learning and support a strong progression of mathematical concepts across grade levels.
With its vote, the Board approved SAVVAS enVision as the core instructional resource for Mathematics 6 through Algebra 2 and Cengage resources for AP Calculus, AP Precalculus, AP Statistics and Probability, Statistics and Probability, Trigonometry, and Precalculus courses. The selected materials were recommended for their clear lesson structure, strong support for diverse learners, alignment with state standards, and emphasis on critical thinking and problem-solving. Teachers will receive professional development and instructional materials before the start of the school year.
Motion: Meren, Second: Dunne / Vote: Yes 11, No 0
Educational Technology Motions
Video | Meeting Materials
The Board approved several motions related to instructional technology that are intended to provide clearer expectations for the use of technology in our schools. During the discussion, I co-sponsored a successful amendment to one motion ensuring that the new prohibition on laptops and tablets for pre-K and kindergarten students remains in effect until the Educational Technology Review Committee provides recommendations to the Superintendent and the Board takes formal action, including the adoption of policy. I also offered a successful amendment to a motion ensuring there are appropriate guardrails on the use of generative AI by secondary students.
The Board also approved additional technology initiatives, including directing the Superintendent to develop a plan for storing FCPS-issued devices when they are not in use for instruction, pilot enhanced internet filtering (“whitelisting”) for student devices, evaluate allowing students with documented medical or developmental needs to opt out of using FCPS-issued devices, require students to use FCPS-issued devices rather than personal devices during the instructional day, and evaluate network-level filtering to limit direct YouTube access for pre-K through eighth grade students while preserving access to teacher-embedded instructional content.
Amendment to Main Motion #1: Dannan, Second: Frisch / Vote: Yes 11, No 0
Amended Main Motion #1: Meren, Second: Dunne / Vote: Yes 11, No 0
Main Motion #2: Meren, Second: Dunne / Vote: Yes 10, No 0, Abstain 1
Amendment 1 to Main Motion #3: S. Anderson, Second: Lady / Vote: Yes 9, No 2
Amendment 2 to Main Motion #3: Frisch, Second: Dunne / Vote: Yes 10, No 1
Amended Main Motion #3: Dunne, Second: R. Anderson / Vote: Yes 9, No 1, Abstain 1
Main Motion #4: Dunne, Second: Dannan / Vote: Yes 9, No 1, Abstain 1
Main Motion #5: Dunne, Second: Moon / Vote: Yes 6, No 3, Abstain 2
Main Motion #6: Lady, Second: R. Anderson / Vote: Yes 10, Abstain 1
Main Motion #7: Lady, Second: Dixit / Vote: Yes 11, No 0
Studying Middle School Configurations
Video | Meeting Materials
The Board approved a motion directing the Superintendent to evaluate best practices for middle school grade configurations and develop a recommendation for a standard Fairfax County Public Schools middle school model. The study will examine the benefits and challenges of both grades 7-8 and grades 6-8 configurations, with the goal of identifying a consistent approach that supports student achievement, effective use of school capacity, and long-term planning across the division.
As part of the study, the Superintendent will identify both near-term and long-term opportunities to transition individual middle schools to the recommended configuration. The review will consider how changes to grade configurations could help reduce overcrowding in elementary schools, improve capacity utilization, advance the goals of the FCPS Strategic Plan, and better meet the educational needs of students as the division continues to plan for future enrollment and facility needs.
During my remarks, I noted that this will likely require a decades-long plan that includes aligning our renovation queue, capital improvement program, holistic boundary reviews, etc.
Motion: Dunne, Second: Dixit / Vote: Yes 11, No 0
National Merit Scholarship Award Recognitions
Video | Meeting Materials
Our students continued their tradition of academic excellence by earning recognition through the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. This year, nine FCPS students were named recipients of National Merit Corporate-Sponsored Scholarships, 31 students received National Merit Scholarships, and 17 students earned National Merit College-Sponsored Scholarships.
Congratulations to the Providence District students recognized this year: Sophie Burrell of Oakton High School, who received the National Merit General Dynamics Corporation Scholarship, and Jordan Gee of Marshall High School, who was awarded the National Merit Case Western Reserve University Scholarship. I also congratulate Juliet Phillips of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, who received a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
These outstanding achievements reflect the dedication, hard work, and academic excellence of these students and the educators and families who have supported them throughout their educational journey.
Student Performance of the National Anthem
The Board meeting began with a beautiful performance of the national anthem by Soco’s Quartet under the direction of Karine Chapdelaine-Walker:
Upcoming School Board Meetings
Work Sessions (Gatehouse Administration Center)
- Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 11:30 a.m.
- Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 11:30 a.m.
Regular Board Meetings (Luther Jackson Middle School)
- Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 7:00 p.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 alcanal 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
|
