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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.
Hello, Springfield District,
Below is a roundup of School Board action from the past few weeks, including votes and presentations by the Superintendent. I wanted to make it easy to find the updates that matter to you
Here are a few items I want to highlight:
Appointment to the Chairman’s Task Force
Earlier this month, I was grateful to share that the Board of Supervisors funded high school crossing guards for the remainder of this school year. That decision gives us time, but there is still important work ahead to identify the safest path forward for our students. I volunteered to serve as a Board liaison to the task force and am honored to have been selected, along with At-Large Member Kyle McDaniel. We are eager to work with our colleagues on the Board of Supervisors, FCDOT, and VDOT to determine a path forward for pedestrian safety across Fairfax County.
Tech Use for Our Kindergartners Clarified
Last July, when the Board voted to restrict tablet use for our youngest learners (Pre-K and K), the stipulation on the motion was an exception for students with individualized education plans (IEPs), 504 plans, and multilingual learners. Technology can be an important support for each of these groups.
We also requested that the Superintendent work with the newly formed Educational Technology Review Committee to gain their feedback about the impact of this motion. That review identified one more group of students who may need to be included in the technology exception.
At the Regular Meeting on September 24th, the Superintendent offered a presentation about those students who are in need of extra supports for literacy. These children are identified through initial testing conducted by kindergarten teachers early in the school year. Right now, about 30% of our kindergarten students are determined to be in a high-risk category for literacy when they arrive in our classrooms. The state requires students in this category to receive 150 minutes of intervention time in groups of five students per staff member. Historically, FCPS has used small group instruction for these kiddos for 75 minutes a week, and kindergartners use Lexia for up to 75 minutes per week to round out that support.
Dr. Reid’s recommendation to the Board is that we continue to allow use of Lexia as an intervention for this small group of students while we determine a potential path forward. Participation would be optional, and families would be given the opportunity to opt out. I have further requested that the Superintendent look into the feasibility of allowing students in this category to utilize a laptop instead of a tablet. The Board is scheduled to vote on this item at its October 8 regular meeting.
Update from the Governance Committee
This year, I am chairing the Board’s Governance Committee. The five Board members on the committee this year have already been hard at work. We have updated 17 policies that were already approved by the full board, and we have five more that will be voted on at the next meeting. The committee is going to be looking at another large swath of policies that are due for review over the next few meetings.
In addition to the core work of the committee to review policies as part of the standard five-year cycle, we will also be working on the educational technology policies that the Board requested Dr. Reid to draft last spring. At our last meeting, the Governance Committee reviewed the proposed timeline. I look forward to the first step in the process: reviewing the Superintendent’s draft policies at our October 27 meeting.
Please see below for more updates, and reach out with any questions.
I will be in touch soon,
Sandy
This newsletter includes information on the following issues:
 School Board Work
Automatic License Plate Readers Prohibited on FCPS Property:
Keeping our campuses safe while respecting the privacy of our students, staff, and families is a delicate balance, and one that our Board takes very seriously.
At our recent meeting, I was proud to co-sponsor and support a motion brought forward by Vice Chair Kyle McDaniel to set clear boundaries on automated surveillance technology on school grounds. Specifically, the Board voted to prohibit the installation, procurement, or leasing of Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) systems on school-owned property. This is not something the division currently has, and this motion will ensure it stays that way.
While ALPR technology has been a frequent topic of conversation across our region, it operates very differently from standard safety tools. Rather than simply capturing a specific traffic violation, ALPR systems collect continuous data on vehicle license plates, dates, times, and locations, creating searchable records of everyday movements. Establishing this clear boundary now provides our Superintendent and staff direct guidance on the types of security measures our Board supports.
It is important to emphasize that this motion is targeted and deliberate. It ONLY applies to School property and does not interfere with external law enforcement operations. Furthermore, it explicitly preserves safety tools that directly protect our kids, such as speed cameras and school bus stop-arm cameras, which target dangerous driving behavior in real time.
Technology should always serve our community without overreaching. This motion strikes the right balance, maintaining the essential safety tools that keep our school zones safe while ensuring our school properties remain a welcoming, privacy-respecting environment for all.
Meeting Materials | Video
Quantum Computing in FCPS:
I am always thrilled to share news about the incredible, forward-thinking opportunities being built for FCPS students!
As you may have recently heard, FCPS is making history by hosting the world’s first K-12 Quantum Computer at Skyview High School. This incredible partnership will give our students unprecedented access to next-generation quantum technology, opening doors to careers and fields that were once unimaginable at the high school level.
Workplace innovation like this is vital, but so is ensuring that every single one of our student communities shares that progress. That’s why I was so proud to partner with my colleague, Franconia District Representative Maricia St. John-Cuning, at our recent Board meeting as she introduced a key follow-on motion. Our motion specifically directs the Superintendent to expand cutting-edge technology directly into John R. Lewis High School when the division is ready.
Equitable access to modern STEM learning and emerging tech isn’t just a nice feature; it’s essential to preparing all of our students for the future workforce. I want to extend a huge Thank you to Ms. St. John-Cunning for her partnership on this motion, and I look forward to working together to ensure that students across all our neighborhoods, including Lewis, have the tools, technology, and opportunities they need to thrive.
 Meeting Materials | Video
AAP MS Expansion Plan:
We were thrilled to discuss and approve the next phase of our Middle School AAP Center Expansion Plan. This initiative aims to establish full-time AAP centers in every FCPS middle school over a multi-year phased rollout, ensuring students can access rigorous, high-level coursework directly within their neighborhood schools without having to travel outside their communities. Moving forward, FCPS will begin an extensive community engagement process this fall, kicking off public hearings and staff professional learning before bringing individual school phase-in schedules back to the Board for action. This phased approach allows us to thoughtfully prepare school leaders, train educators, and build strong cohorts while keeping our students connected to their local peers.
MS AAP Center Community Engagement and Implementation Timeline
Meeting Materials | Video
HVAC Repairs for Centreville ES!
The Board approved a $392,137 contract with CMTA, Inc. for HVAC repairs at nine (9) of our FCPS Schools, including Centreville Elementary!
I’m proud to highlight an important step forward in our commitment to both environmental stewardship and wise fiscal management. FCPS is moving forward with targeted facility work to secure 2026 ENERGY STAR certification for our buildings. By running our facilities more efficiently, we aren’t just lowering operational costs; we are actively reducing our carbon footprint.
This specific project uses specialized diagnostics to fix long-standing ventilation issues, ensuring our classrooms remain healthy, comfortable learning environments for students and staff. This smart approach allows us to jump straight to work without the delays or added costs of a new procurement cycle.
It’s a win for our students, our taxpayers, and our environment!
Meeting Materials | Video
At Our Last Work Session
Traffic & Pedestrian Safety Report:
The safety of our students as they walk, bike, scooter, or travel to and from school every day is a responsibility we all share. At a recent work session, the Board reviewed a comprehensive report from FCPS’s Safe Routes to School team, which highlighted critical insight into traffic and pedestrian patterns around our schools.
Key takeaways from the report include:
- Congestion of drop-off and pick-up zones, affectionately referred to as Kiss-N-Ride, across the district are heavily overextended, creating significant traffic bottlenecks and safety concerns for our students crossing.
- The need to expand active transportation programs, improve traffic circulation, review “illegal” drop-offs, and partner directly with transit agencies to improve infrastructure for walking and biking.
Permanent safety improvements require coordination across county boundaries. To tackle these challenges head-on, Chairman McKay and the Board of Supervisors established a joint task force on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety. As I shared above, I am deeply honored to have been appointed by Chair Lady to serve on this task force alongside our Vice Chair, Kyle McDaniel, and our colleagues on the Board of Supervisors, Vice Chair Kathy Smith and Supervisor Bierman.
Working hand in hand with the County Police Department, VDOT, FCDOT, and our State lawmakers, our goal is to deliver actionable and long-term solutions. Keeping our children safe requires a commitment from everyone, and I am eager to represent our community on this task force to ensure our school zones are as safe as possible.
Legislative Program:
Recently, the Board’s new Legislative Committee Chair, Dr. Anderson from the Mason District, and staff presented a bold, proactive approach to how our Board advocates for FCPS at the state and federal levels. Instead of limiting our efforts to the legislative session, we are shifting toward a flexible, year-round strategy. This means strengthening our relationships with lawmakers, expanding our presence in state and federal policy, and ensuring our Board’s voice is heard whenever decisions impacting our schools are being made.
To keep pace with the fast-moving political landscape, we are proposing to treat our Legislative Program as a dynamic, living document one that we can update throughout the year as new issues emerge.
Here is how we plan to turn this vision into action over the coming year:
- Engaging Lawmakers early
- Continuous Planning, holding regular legislative committee meetings.
- Spring Reflection & Action
By fine-tuning our state and federal legislative priorities, we are ensuring that Fairfax County Public Schools remains a leading voice for public education! A huge thank you to our Legislative chair and vice-chair for their forward-thinking on this!
Naming Rights:
Staff presented a proposed framework during a recent work session for an FCPS Naming Rights Program for athletic facilities. This initiative is designed to generate new revenue streams to help fund critical facility needs without impacting core classroom spaces.
To kick things off thoughtfully, staff recommended issuing a Request for Information (RFI) late this fall to gauge market interest and properly value our assets. Here are key safeguards and priorities built into the proposed framework:
- Naming opportunities would be strictly limited to athletic venues and related spaces, excluding instructional spaces like classrooms and libraries.
- Revenue would be pooled division-wide and bundled across schools. Equity First!
- The School Board will retain final approval over all agreements.
Example of Athletic Field Naming Rights Program
What's Next on the Horizon?
Nov/Dec 2026: Issue the FRI to evaluate market interest.
Feb 2027: Adopt policy revisions and prepare marketing strategies
Fall 2027: Target timeline to potentially launch initial agreements.
This is a creative and prudent way to support our student athletes and maintain top-tier facilities while upholding our values and keeping equity at the center!
Budget Committee of the Whole:
We also had a quick update from our finance team about what the budget might look like this year. While it is far too early to predict what exactly the board will need to do to prepare for the next fiscal year, these early conversations are essential.
Meeting Materials | Video
Information from the Superintendent
Executive Limitations:
You might occasionally hear us reference Executive Limitations (ELs) during Board meetings, and I wanted to briefly share what that means in practice!
In simple terms, while the Superintendent manages the daily operations of our school system, the School Board sets the overarching boundaries, or executive limitations, within which those decisions must be made. Think of them as guardrails that outline what practices, conditions, or financial decisions are off-limits. Our role as a Board is to establish these clear expectations and continuously monitor compliance, ensuring our district operates transparently, responsibly, and always in the best interest of our students and community. Below, you will find the list of Executive Limitations we have already reviewed so far this school year.
Executive Limitation 1: Treatment of Students, Families, and Community Members
This EL requires the Superintendent to take reasonable steps to prevent practices, decisions, or conditions that are unlawful, unethical, unsafe, disrespectful, or unwise; violate School Board policy; create a conflict of interest; damage public trust in the Division; or leave the Division unprepared for emergencies. It also requires the Superintendent to use data regularly to track progress and improve efforts to meet the goals in the Division’s Strategic Plan and the priorities of the Board’s Educational Equity Policy.
The School Board found the Superintendent in compliance with EL 1 on August 27, 2026.
Meeting Materials | Video
Executive Limitation 8: Superintendent's Relationship with the Board
This EL requires the Superintendent to work professionally and collaboratively with the School Board, follow the Board’s direction as a body, treat all members fairly, and provide expert guidance to support informed decisions. It also requires the Superintendent to keep the Board informed through timely, clear reports and updates about Division priorities, significant issues, legal or policy compliance, finances, programs, personnel, and student success; respond promptly to Board members’ concerns; and support their participation in Division events and planned community engagements, including access to interpretation and translation services.
The School Board found the Superintendent in compliance with EL 8 on September 10, 2026.
Meeting Materials | Video
Executive Limitation 9: Instructional Program
This EL requires the Superintendent to provide all students with engaging, challenging, and accessible instruction that aligns with the Division’s Strategic Plan and state standards, supports equitable opportunities to learn, and meets students’ different strengths and needs. It also requires consistent instruction across schools; regular review of programs using research and student progress data; learning opportunities that build academic, social, emotional, and Portrait of a Graduate skills; and meaningful input and resources for students, families, and staff.
The School Board found the Superintendent in compliance with EL 9 on September 24, 2026.
Meeting Materials | Video
Recent Presentations:
Academic Matters: Building Supportive School Communities
The Superintendent presented an update highlighting how FCPS builds welcoming, inclusive environments where students feel a strong sense of belonging. The presentation featured a video showcasing how daily practices, like teachers greeting students by name, fostering trusted adult dialogue, and encouraging open dialogue, directly supports student’s well being and academic success.
Meeting Materials | Video
Academic Matters: Summer Literacy Symposium:
The Superintendent highlighted the 2026 Summer Literacy Symposium, a major professional learning initiative aimed at strengthening literacy instruction across FCPS. Over 1,300 elementary, middle and high school educators participated in specialized training support for multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and developing readers to advance our Reading by Grade3 goals.
Meeting Materials | Video
Strategic Plan Update: Diverse, Adaptive, and Supported Workforce
During our recent meeting, Superintendent Dr. Reid presented an update on Pillar C: Diverse, Adaptive, and Supported Workforce of our 2023-2030 Strategic Plan, with a special focus on the extraordinary impact of our custodial staff.
It’s hard to overstate the magnitude of what this team accomplishes every single day
- Over 1,400 custodians serve across more than 230 FCPS schools and facilities
- They maintain over 29 million square feet of space
- Daily, they care for more than 14,000 classrooms and 1,200 restrooms to ensure our environments are safe, healthy, and ready for learning.
They are often the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night, ensuring our students and staff step into welcoming, clean, and safe spaces every day. They deserve to know that their dedication is seen, valued, and deeply appreciated across our entire community.
As part of the update, Dr. Reid shared a wonderful video celebrating their hard work and contributions. I encourage you to take a moment to watch it here
Meeting Materials | Video
🗣️ Community Conversations With Superintendent Reid
Your voice matters, and Dr. Reid wants to hear from you! At FCPS, parents are partners, working with us to set our students up for long-term success at school and in life.
Join us for a series of Community Conversations that will be held across the school division. Share your thoughts with Dr. Reid and ask her questions. Click on the date to register for any of the following events:
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Monday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m., at Spring Hill Elementary School
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Monday, October 26, at 6:30 p.m., at Beech Tree Elementary School
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Thursday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m., at North Springfield Elementary School
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Friday, November 13, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School
Registration is not required, but it helps with planning. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are one hour long and open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.
Upcoming School Board Meetings
Meeting information and materials will be posted to BoardDocs. Please note that times have not yet been confirmed. Once done, you may view the 2026-2027 School Board Annual Work Plan in the Library on BoardDocs.
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October 6 - Work Session
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October 8 - Regular Meeting
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October 20 - Work Session
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October 22 - Regular Meeting
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November 10 - Work Session
- Hold for potential public hearing
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November 12 - Regular Meeting
Watch and Participate:
Stay Informed:
Support & Accessibility:
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Interpretation: Contact the Board Clerk if you require language or ASL support.
Save-the-Date!
🪖 Military Academies and Colleges Expo
The National Museum of the United States Army in Fort Belvoir is hosting a Military Academies and Colleges Expo on Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is free and open to all students and families.
Whether you are considering a career in service or exploring post-secondary options, this event brings together representatives from all U.S. Service Academies and Senior Military Colleges under one roof.
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet directly with admissions and program officers, learn about military scholarship opportunities, and explore support networks for aspiring service members. Don't miss this one-stop chance to plan your future in military service!
Register and find more information online.
🎓 Discover Your Path Expo: College & Career Fair
Students and families are invited to the FREE Discover Your Path Expo to explore post-secondary options and connect directly with college representatives, local employers, and trade schools.
Event Details
Event Highlights
- Financial aid and college admission workshops
- Skill-building opportunities
- On-site mock interviews and resume assistance
- Extensive college and career planning resources
Admission is free, but registration is recommended. Reserve your spot today!
🔬 Applications Open October 5 for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Eighth graders who have an aptitude and passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) are encouraged to apply for admission to the Class of 2031 at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST).
The application will be available Monday, October 5, at 4 p.m. Applications must be started by 4 p.m. Wednesday, October 28, with a submission deadline of 4 p.m. Friday, October 30. Visit the TJHSST registration page for more information, including a schedule of upcoming information sessions at middle schools.
🏢Careers with FCPS
FCPS welcomes your expertise to help shape the future of our students. Visit our careers website for more information about current job openings, job fairs, and recruitment events.
Upcoming hiring events include:
🧬 STEAMOLOGY STEM Fest
Get ready for an exciting day of hands-on learning and discovery. STEM FEST brings Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math to life for elementary and middle school students with interactive activities designed to spark curiosity and creativity.
This event is a true community effort:
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High School Volunteers: High schoolers can step up as leaders, earn valuable community service hours, and help inspire the next generation of innovators. Sign up online.
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Clubs & Vendors: Local high school clubs and STEM organizations will showcase interactive booths and engaging displays throughout the day. Complete the online sign-up.
STEAMOLOGY is expecting over 500 students for a memorable, fun, and safe experience. Full guidelines and safety details will be provided to ensure a seamless day for all participants.
Don't miss out on the excitement—come explore, create, and connect at STEM FEST on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at South County High School. Elementary and middle school students may register online.
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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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