Fairfax County Public Schools

The Fairfax County Public Schools system (FCPS) is a school division in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. It is a branch of the Fairfax County government which administers public schools in Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax. FCPS's headquarters is located in the Gatehouse Administration Center in Merrifield, an unincorporated section of the county near the city of Falls Church; the headquarters has a Falls Church address but is not within the city limits.^[6][7]

Fairfax County Public Schools
Address
8115 Gatehouse Road Falls Church , (Fairfax County), Virginia, 22042 United States
Coordinates	38°52′06″N 77°13′26″W / 38.86833°N 77.22389°W / 38.86833; -77.22389 (Fairfax County Public Schools district office)Coordinates: 38°52′06″N 77°13′26″W / 38.86833°N 77.22389°W / 38.86833; -77.22389 (Fairfax County Public Schools district office)
District information
Type	Public
Motto	Engage Inspire Thrive
Grades	Pre-K through 12^[1]^[2]^[3]
Established	February 6, 1870; 153 years ago (1870-02-06)
Superintendent	Michelle Reid
School board	13 members ^[5]
Governing agency	Virginia Department of Education
Schools	222^[1]
Budget	$3.3 billion (FY 2023)^[4]
NCES District ID	5101260^[1]
Students and staff
Students	178,479 (2021–22)^[1]
Teachers	13,199.00 (FTE) (2021–22)^[1]
Staff	5,878.00 (FTE) (2021–22)^[1]
Student–teacher ratio	13.52 (2021–22)^[1]
Other information
Website	fcps.edu

With over 185,000 students enrolled, FCPS is the largest public school system in Virginia and one of the largest in the country.^[2][8] The school division has been led by Division Superintendent Michelle Reid since July 2022.^[9][10]

History

 

Fairfax High School, owned by Fairfax City Public Schools and administered by FCPS

The public school system in Fairfax County was created after the Civil War with the adoption by Virginia of the Reconstruction-era state constitution in 1870, which provided for the first time that free public education was a constitutional right. The first superintendent of schools for Fairfax County was Thomas M. Moore, who was sworn in on September 26, 1870.^[11][12]

At the time of its creation, the Fairfax County Public Schools system consisted of 41 schools, 28 white and 13 colored schools.^[11][12]

In 1886, Milton D. Hall was appointed superintendent. He would serve for 44 years until his retirement in 1929.^[11]

Fairfax County Schools, like most school systems in the south, schools practiced de jure segregation. There were local elementary schools for black students but no high schools. Although Fairfax was a densely populated area, there were proportionately few black high school students.^[13] Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Arlington and Fauquier Counties shared the high school for black students. The school was centrally located between the counties in Manassas. Others attended high schools in Washington, D.C., where many had relatives. Those schools were Armstrong High School, Cardozo High School, Dunbar High School, and Phelps Vocational Center in Washington, D.C.. In 1951 Fairfax County, at the request of residents for a black high school, began construction of the Luther Jackson School. ^[14] The opening coincided with the Brown decision passed in 1954.

In 1954, FCPS had 42 elementary schools and 6 high schools.^[15] That year, the Luther Jackson High School, the first high school for black students, opened in Falls Church.^[16]

In 1961 FCPS began administering the schools in the City of Fairfax.^[17]

Massive resistance

Further information: Massive resistance

The Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ordered an end to racial segregation. In response, the Commonwealth of Virginia immediately enacted legislation to stop the desegregation process, took control of all the schools in Virginia, and resorted to closing school systems attempting to desegregate. When Arlington County announced an early attempt at a desegregation plan, its school board was fired by the State Board of Education.^[18] In 1955 the Fairfax County School Board renamed a "Committee on Desegregation" as the "Committee on Segregation" after a petition and threat of litigation from a civic group called "Virginia Citizens' Committee for Better Schools".^[19]

After the Brown v. Board of Education decision, Daniel Duke,^[20] author of Education Empire, wrote: "Whether local school systems such as Fairfax County, left to their own, would have moved forward to implement desegregation in the late fifties will never be known. Richmond removed any possibility of local option..."^[21] It was recognized in court cases that it was the state who was running the show, not the county. The ruling in a 1964 decision stated, "Prior to the Brown decision Fairfax County maintained a dual school system: one for Negro students; one for all other races. Shortly thereafter the placement of all children in the Fairfax County schools was taken from the local School Board and vested in the state Pupil Placement Board. The assignment of students remained with the state Board until the 1961–62 school year, at which time placement responsibilities were reinvested in the local School Board."^[22] Fairfax County began their desegregation efforts shortly thereafter.^[15]

As early as 1955, it was noted that in the Virginia General Assembly: Delegates from Northern Virginia openly opposed the Stanley Plans and called for even more radical legislation. Virginia's 10th district was the only congressional district to vote against the Gray Plan.^[23] Delegate Boatwright also introduced another bill aimed at correcting the unorthodox views of the northern Virginians.^[24] Boatwright's legislation would have prohibited certain federal employees from serving on school boards or holding other local offices. The point of this bill, called the "Boatwright Bill", was without a doubt aimed at Northern Virginia and the School Boards.^[25] Boatwright said his bill affected all Virginia communities but admitted Northern Virginia was most affected. The reason for the bill was that they felt that Federal Employees were in support of the Federal government's position on integration. The seven-member Fairfax County School Board included four Federal employees.

In Blackwell v. Fairfax County School Board (1960), black plaintiffs charged that the Fairfax grade-a-year plan was discriminatory and dilatory. Fifteen black children had been refused admission to white schools because they did not fall within the prescribed grades of the School Board's assignment plan. The plaintiffs contended successfully that the speed of desegregation was too slow under the school board's plan. District Judge Albert V. Bryan did not categorically rule out such plans in accepting the plaintiff's argument. Instead, he emphasized that they must be judged according to the community's character. Since the black school population of Fairfax County was less than four percent, Bryan considered the fear of racial friction an unacceptable justification for such a cautious desegregation plan.^[24]

The Civil Rights Commission report of 1962 found that "Every sign indicates that the communities in northern Virginia will be the first in the State to reach compliance with the mandate in the School Segregation Cases."^[13] Ultimately, Fairfax County was one of the first school systems in the country to be awarded funds to aid with desegregation because of their efforts to implement a desegregated system.^[13][21]

The Fairfax County School Board voted to switch from a 7–5 to a 6–2–4 grade level configuration in 1958, necessitating the creation of what were then called intermediate schools for students in grades 7 and 8.^[15] By the time the first eight intermediate schools opened in the Fall of 1960, they were already over their 1000 student capacities.^[15][26]

In the fall of 1960, the first black students were admitted to newly desegregated public schools. Jerald R. Betz and Raynard Wheeler were enrolled at the Belvedere Elementary School in Falls Church, and Gwendolyn Brooks was enrolled at Cedar Lane Elementary School in Vienna.^[27]

The changeover to the 6–2–4 plan was the last major initiative of Superintendent W. T. Woodson, who retired in 1961, having served 32 years, the second-longest tenure as head of the Fairfax County Public Schools system.^[15][28]

In April 1961, Wilmington, North Carolina Superintendent Earl C. Funderburk was appointed superintendent to replace Woodson.^[29]

Post-segregation

As early as 1965, Superintendent Funderburk was discussing plans to decentralize FCPS.^[15] By 1967, Funderburk had put together a plan for five area offices, each serving a portion of the county and had appointed Woodson High School Principal Robert E. Phipps and West Springfield High School Principal S. John Davis as his first two administrators that December.^[15][30]

Although the school board had endorsed Funderburk's plan, they also hired the consulting firm of Cresap, McCormick & Paget to conduct an audit of the system's management organization and operations.^[15] In 1968, based on their consultant's recommendations, the school board put a significantly modified version of the decentralization plan into effect, dividing FCPS into four areas which were, in effect, miniature school systems.^[15][31][32]

In January of the following year, Funderburk resigned, telling the school board he did not want a third term as superintendent.^[33] The school board selected Lawrence M. Watts from the Greece School District in Greece, New York to take the reins of the Fairfax County Public Schools system, which had grown during Funderburk's tenure from 65,000 to 122,000 students, in May 1969.^[32]

In May 1970, Watts appointed Taylor M. Williams as the first black high school principal since FCPS had desegregated, placing him in charge of James Madison High School in Vienna.^[34]

Watts' appointment of Williams would be one of his final official acts. After less than a year as superintendent, Watts died, aged 44, of a heart attack at his home in Oakton in June 1970.^[35] Assistant Superintendent S. Barry Morris was named interim superintendent while the school board sought a replacement to lead the 130,000 student school system.^[36]

The board did not have to look far for its new superintendent. In September 1970, Area Superintendent S. John Davis was chosen following a nationwide search to serve the remaining 33 months of Watts' four-year term.^[37]

During the mid-1970s, Davis had difficulties dealing with the start of a demographic crash and a population shift. The student population dropped from a high of 145,385 in the 1974–75 school year to an eventual low of 122,646 in 1982–83.^[15] Additionally, families migrated from established eastern and central parts of the county to newer developments in the west and south, leading to the unenviable task of Davis having to request the closings of some schools while needing to build entirely new ones elsewhere.^[15][38]

In a 6–5 vote, the school board voted in May 1976 to re-institute textbook rental fees, hoping to raise an additional $1.3 million to close a projected budget shortfall.^[39] The plan was scrapped two months later, in July, when the board was able to find a $1.4 million surplus.^[40]

In 1978, Fairfax County began countywide enforcement of its 15-year-old standardized six-point letter grading scale, with a ten-point spread at the bottom of the grading range.^[41] The grading scale, initially set in 1963, provided that a score of 100–94% was an A, 93–87% a B, 86–80% a C, and 70–79% a D, with any score below 70% an F.^[41]

The county school board adopted a $279 million budget in February 1979, which included a 5.15% cost of living raise for the system's teachers and other employees.^[42] However, this increase was only slightly more than half of the inflation rate, which was at an annual rate of 9.9% that month, and far short of the 9.4% increase FCPS employees had sought. In April 1979, the Fairfax Education Association, the professional association representing teachers in the county, adopted a work-to-the-rule action, which meant that teachers would not do any work outside of the 7.5 hours per day they were contracted for.^[43] Additionally, the FEA gave a vote of no confidence to Superintendent Davis.^[44][45]

The vote of no confidence was considered the main factor in Davis' decision to resign from Fairfax County Public Schools on May 18, 1979, and accept an appointment as Virginia Superintendent of Public Education from Governor John N. Dalton, despite having to take a $5,000 per year pay cut.^[46]

After Davis resigned, the Fairfax County School Board appointed Associate School Superintendent William J. Burkholder interim superintendent.^[47]

In November 1979, the school board named Orange County, Florida superintendent L. Linton Deck Jr. as superintendent following a four-month search.^[48] Deck had been a divisive figure during his 6 1/2 years in Orange County, with some residents glad to see him go, while others praised him as a strong and professional leader.^[49]

Deck inherited the problem of needing to close underutilized schools that had first plagued Superintendent Davis.^[50] 29 elementary schools, mostly in the eastern part of the county, were studied for possible closure, but Deck's recommendation in April 1980 was for eight schools to be closed, five more than the review panel had suggested.^[50][51] The following month, the school board voted to close seven of the eight schools at its May 22, 1980 meeting, a move which was met with angry hisses and boos from parents in attendance.^[52][53]

Fairfax County teachers' work to the rule action, which had begun in April 1979, was finally ended in May 1980.^[54]

Superintendent Linton Deck accepted a new four-year contract as Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools in January 1981.^[55] Shortly before accepting his new contract, Deck proposed making up a $2.75 million portion of his proposed $395 million 1982 school budget by instituting textbook rental fees for students.^[56] Although permitted by Virginia law, the plan, which included charging textbook fees from $22 for elementary school students up to $30 per year for high school students, was scrapped in the face of strong criticism.^[57]

Controversy over Deck's handling of an investigation of recruiting violations by the Mount Vernon High School athletic department, his censure by the Fairfax Education Association for a mishandled school closing, unhappiness with his leadership style, which was characterized as "aggressive" and "abrasive", and pressure from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors angry at Deck's proposed budget led to the school board forcing Deck to resign on June 24, 1982, only 1+1⁄2 years into his four-year contract.^[58][59] The board appointed William J. Burkholder as acting superintendent.

At its April 25, 1991 meeting, the school board approved a plan where several intermediate schools in areas of the county with declining enrollments that had for the previous 31 years only served seventh and eighth grades would add sixth graders and become middle schools.^[60] Three intermediate schools, Glasgow, Holmes, and Poe, added sixth-grade classes.

In 1993, the four-year-old teacher merit pay was suspended due to budget cuts, and the school board voted to phase the program out completely over the next four years at its March 11 meeting.^[61]

From 1965 to 2006, the county school system was headquartered at 10700 Page Avenue in an unincorporated area of the county surrounded by the City of Fairfax.^[62][63] In 2006, FCPS moved all of its operations from the Burkholder Center and several other school-owned and leased offices to the office building on Gatehouse Road.^[64]

The school system has expanded to include over 196 schools and centers, including 22 high schools, 3 secondary schools, 23 middle schools, and 141 elementary schools. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) also operates a fleet of over 1520 school buses, which transport 110,000 students daily. They operate on an operating budget of $2.5 billion through numerous funding sources. Today, FCPS is the largest school system in Virginia and the 10th largest in the United States. It also boasts an average on-time graduation rate of 91.5% and an average SAT score of 1213.^[2] The school district utilizes an electronic visitor management system to control visitors' access at its schools.^[65]

Special education

FCPS took over the education of students with mental disabilities from a parent-organized cooperative in 1953. The parents had begun the program in 1950, using whatever space could be found to educate their children, but eventually asked FCPS to take control of the program.^[66]

Special education classes for mentally disabled students were expanded in 1955 to four classes for "educable" (those with a mental age above 7) children at Groveton, Lincolnia, Oakton, and Luther Jackson schools, and a class for "trainable" (those with a mental age of less than 6+1⁄2) children at Groveton.^[66]

Debate over grading policy

 

Fairfax Villa Elementary School – 2016

Fairfax County Public Schools was known for using a 6-point grading scale. Before May 7, 2009, 94–100% received an A, 90–93% was a B+, 84–89% was a B, and so on.

In 2008, a parent group raised concerns about whether the FCPS method of computing grades and applying weights for advanced courses adversely affected FCPS applicants for college admissions, honors program placements, and merit-based scholarship awards.

On January 2, 2009, Superintendent Jack D. Dale announced his decision on the issue, recommending changing the weights of advanced courses but maintaining the six-point grading scale.^[67][68] Dale stated there was no conclusive evidence the six-point grading scale is disadvantageous for the students of FCPS.

Fairfax County Public Schools worked with the parent group to conduct a joint investigation into the issue. On January 22, 2009, the FCPS School Board directed Superintendent Dale to report to it with a new version of the grading scale by March 2009.^[69] The board also approved changing the weighting for Honors to 0.5 effective with the 2009–2010 school year and for AP and IB courses to 1.0 retroactively.^[69]

After investigation, the Fairfax County School Board approved a modified ten-point scale with pluses and minuses. The new scale went into effect at the beginning of the 2009–10 school year. 93–100% is an A, 90–92% is an A−, 87–89% is a B+, and so on.^[70]

Controversy over disciplinary policies

Fairfax County Public Schools' disciplinary policies for drug offenses came under community scrutiny in 2009 after two students committed suicide after being subject to school disciplinary proceedings.^[71] Both 17-year-old Josh Anderson of South Lakes High School, who died in 2009, and 15-year-old Nick Stuban of W.T. Woodson High School, who died in 2011, had been suspended from their schools for marijuana-related offenses.^[71][72] The school district also suspended at least one student for possession of her prescription medication.^[73]

Although then-Superintendent Jack D. Dale maintained that the disciplinary policy did not constitute "zero tolerance,"^[74] the suicides nevertheless prompted the school board and the state legislature to revisit school disciplinary policies.^[75][76] After a year-long study, the school board voted to relax punishments for marijuana possession and add parental notification requirements for students facing serious disciplinary sanctions.^[77]

Organization

Fairfax County School Board
Type
Type	School Board
Term limits	none
Leadership
Chair	Rachna Sizemore Heizer
Vice Chair	Tamara Derenak Kaufax
Structure
Seats	12 - 9 elected by district, 3 "at-large"
Political groups	Majority   Democratic (12) Minority   Republican (0)
Length of term	4 years, renewable
Salary	$32,000 per annum
Elections
Last election	November 5, 2019
Next election	November 7, 2023

FCPS is led by a superintendent and is overseen by a school board. The current superintendent is Dr. Michelle C. Reid, who began her term on July 1, 2022.^[78] Alongside Dr. Reid, FCPS is served by a Deputy Superintendent and Chief Operating Officer.^[79]

For FCPS administrative and governance purposes, Fairfax County is organized into five geographically-based regions (1 through 5). Each region is led by an assistant superintendent, who oversees operations at schools within the region. All five regional offices are directed by the Deputy Superintendent Dr. Frances Ivey.^[80]

School Board

Virginia statutes and the Virginia Board of Education charge the Fairfax County School Board with setting general school policy and establishing guidelines that ensure proper administration and operation of FCPS.

The Fairfax County School Board comprises 12 elected members and one student representative. Nine elected members are chosen from each magisterial district (Braddock, Dranesville, Franconia, Hunter Mill, Mason, Mount Vernon, Providence, Springfield, and Sully). Three additional elected members are chosen "at-large". Members are elected for four-year terms. A student representative, selected for a one-year term by the Student Advisory Council, sits with the board at all public meetings and participates in discussions but does not vote. The board chair is elected to serve for a one-year term, and the current chair Rachna Sizemore Heizer (At-Large), has been serving since July 14, 2022.^[81]

The current members of the school board are Megan O. McLaughlin (Braddock), Elaine Tholen (Dranesville), Tamara Derenak Kaufax (Franconia), Melanie K. Meren (Hunter Mill), Ricardy J. Anderson (Mason), Karen Corbett Sanders (Mount Vernon), Karl Frisch (Providence), Laura Jane Cohen (Springfield), Stella Pekarsky (Sully). The other three members, Rachna Sizemore Heizer, Karen Keys-Gamarra, and Abrar Omeish, serve as "at-large" members.^[82] Michele Togbe from South County High School serves as the non-voting student representative.^[83]

Schools

High schools

• Annandale High School (Atoms) – Annandale
• Centreville High School (Wildcats) – Clifton
• Chantilly High School (Chargers) – Chantilly
• Thomas Alva Edison High School (Eagles) – Alexandria
• Fairfax High School (Lions) (formerly the Rebels) – Fairfax
• Falls Church High School (Jaguars) – Falls Church
• Herndon High School (Hornets) – Herndon
• Justice High School (Wolves) – Falls Church (formerly J.E.B. Stuart High School)
• Langley High School (Saxons) – McLean
• John R. Lewis High School (Lancers) – Springfield [formerly Robert E. Lee High School]
• James Madison High School (Warhawks) – Vienna
• George C. Marshall High School (Statesmen) – Falls Church
• McLean High School (Highlanders) – McLean
• Mount Vernon High School (Majors) – Alexandria
• Oakton High School (Cougars) – Vienna
• South County High School (Stallions) – Lorton
• South Lakes High School (Seahawks) – Reston
• Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (Colonials) – Alexandria
• West Potomac High School (Wolverines) – Alexandria
• West Springfield High School (Spartans) – Springfield
• Westfield High School (Bulldogs) – Chantilly
• W.T. Woodson High School (Cavaliers) – Fairfax

Secondary schools

• Hayfield Secondary School (Hawks) – Alexandria
• Lake Braddock Secondary School (Bruins) – Burke
• Robinson Secondary School (Rams) – Fairfax

Alternative high schools

• Bryant Alternative High School – Alexandria
• Fairfax County Adult High School – Fairfax
• Mountain View Alternative High School – Centreville

Middle schools

Main article: List of Fairfax County Public Schools middle schools

• Carl Sandburg Middle School – Alexandria
• Edgar Allan Poe Middle School – Annandale
• Ellen Glasgow Middle School – Lincolnia
• Francis Scott Key Middle School – Springfield
• Franklin Middle School – Chantilly
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Middle School – Falls Church
• Herndon Middle School – Herndon
• James Fenimore Cooper Middle School – McLean
• Joyce Kilmer Middle School – Vienna
• Katherine Johnson Middle School (formerly Sidney Lanier Middle School) – Fairfax
• Langston Hughes Middle School – Reston
• Liberty Middle School – Clifton
• Luther Jackson Middle School – Falls Church
• Mark Twain Middle School – Alexandria
• Oliver Wendell Holmes Middle School – Alexandria
• Ormond Stone Middle School – Centreville
• Rachel Carson Middle School – Herndon
• Robert Frost Middle School – Fairfax
• Rocky Run Middle School – Chantilly
• South County Middle School – Lorton
• Thoreau Middle School – Vienna
• Walt Whitman Middle School – Alexandria
• Washington Irving Middle School – Springfield

Elementary schools

There are 141 elementary schools in Fairfax County:

 

Bonnie Brae Elementary School

 

Oak View Elementary School

 

Groveton Elementary School

 

Willow Springs Elementary School

• Buzz Aldrin Elementary School – Reston
• Annandale Terrace Elementary School
• Louise Archer Elementary School – Vienna
• Armstrong Elementary School – Reston
• Bailey's Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences – Bailey's Crossroads
• Bailey's Upper Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences – Falls Church
• Beech Tree Elementary School – Falls Church
• Belle View Elementary School – Alexandria
• Belvedere Elementary School – Falls Church
• Bonnie Brae Elementary School – Fairfax
• Braddock Elementary School – Annandale
• Bren Mar Park Elementary School – Alexandria
• Brookfield Elementary School – Chantilly
• Bucknell Elementary School – Alexandria
• Bull Run Elementary School – Centreville
• Bush Hill Elementary School – Alexandria
• Camelot Elementary School – Annandale
• Cameron Elementary School – Alexandria
• Canterbury Woods Elementary School – Annandale
• Cardinal Forest Elementary School – West Springfield
• Centre Ridge Elementary School – Centreville
• Centreville Elementary School – Centreville
• Cherry Run Elementary School – Burke
• Chesterbrook Elementary School – McLean
• Churchill Road Elementary School – McLean
• Clearview Elementary School – Herndon
• Clermont Elementary School – Alexandria
• Coates Elementary School – Herndon
• Colin Powell Elementary School – Centreville
• Columbia Elementary School – Annandale
• Colvin Run Elementary School – Vienna
• Crestwood Elementary School – Springfield
• A. Scott Crossfield Elementary School – Herndon
• Cub Run Elementary School – Centreville
• Cunningham Park Elementary School – Vienna
• Daniels Run Elementary School – Fairfax
• Deer Park Elementary School – Centreville
• Dogwood Elementary School – Reston
• Dranesville Elementary School – Herndon
• Eagle View Elementary School – Fairfax
• Fairfax Villa Elementary School – Fairfax
• Fairhill Elementary School – Fairfax
• Fairview Elementary School – Fairfax Station
• Flint Hill Elementary School – Vienna
• Floris Elementary School – Herndon
• Forest Edge Elementary School – Reston
• Forestdale Elementary School – Springfield
• Forestville Elementary School – Great Falls
• Fort Belvoir Elementary School – Fort Belvoir
• Fort Hunt Elementary School – Alexandria
• Fox Mill Elementary School – Herndon
• Franconia Elementary School – Alexandria
• Franklin Sherman Elementary School – McLean
• Freedom Hill Elementary School – Vienna
• Garfield Elementary School – Springfield
• Glen Forest Elementary School – Falls Church
• Graham Road Elementary School – Falls Church
• Great Falls Elementary School – Great Falls
• Greenbriar East Elementary School – Chantilly
• Greenbriar West Elementary School – Chantilly
• Groveton Elementary School – Alexandria
• Gunston Elementary School – Lorton
• William Halley Elementary School – Fairfax Station
• Haycock Elementary School – Falls Church
• Hayfield Elementary School – Alexandria
• Herndon Elementary School – Herndon
• Hollin Meadows Elementary School – Alexandria
• Hunt Valley Elementary School – Springfield
• Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences – Reston
• Hutchison Elementary School – Herndon
• Hybla Valley Elementary School – Alexandria
• Island Creek Elementary School – Alexandria
• Keene Mill Elementary School – West Springfield
• Kent Gardens Elementary School – McLean
• Kings Glen Elementary School – Springfield
• Kings Park Elementary School – Springfield
• Lake Anne Elementary School – Reston
• Anthony T. Lane Elementary School – Alexandria
• Laurel Hill Elementary School – Lorton
• Laurel Ridge Elementary School – Fairfax
• Lees Corner Elementary School – Fairfax
• Lemon Road Elementary School – Falls Church
• Little Run Elementary School – Fairfax
• London Towne Elementary School – Centreville
• Lorton Station Elementary School – Lorton
• Lynbrook Elementary School – Springfield
• Mantua Elementary School – Fairfax
• Marshall Road Elementary School – Vienna
• Mason Crest Elementary School – Annandale
• McNair Elementary School – Herndon
• Mosaic Elementary School – Fairfax (formerly Mosby Woods)
• Mount Eagle Elementary School – Alexandria
• Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School – Alexandria
• Navy Elementary School – Fairfax
• Newington Forest Elementary School – Springfield
• North Springfield Elementary School – North Springfield
• Oak Hill Elementary School – Herndon
• Oak View Elementary School – Fairfax
• Oakton Elementary School – Oakton
• Olde Creek Elementary School – Fairfax
• Orange Hunt Elementary School – Springfield
• Parklawn Elementary School – Alexandria
• Pine Spring Elementary School – Falls Church
• Poplar Tree Elementary School – Chantilly
• Providence Elementary School – Fairfax
• Ravensworth Elementary School – Springfield
• Riverside Elementary School – Alexandria
• Rolling Valley Elementary School – West Springfield
• Rose Hill Elementary School – Alexandria
• Sangster Elementary School – Springfield
• Saratoga Elementary School – Springfield
• Shrevewood Elementary School – Falls Church
• Silverbrook Elementary School – Fairfax Station
• Sleepy Hollow Elementary School – Falls Church
• Spring Hill Elementary School – McLean
• Springfield Estates Elementary School – Springfield
• Stenwood Elementary School – Vienna
• Stratford Landing Elementary School – Fort Hunt
• Sunrise Valley Elementary School – Reston
• Terra Centre Elementary School – Burke
• Terraset Elementary School – Reston
• Timber Lane Elementary School – Falls Church
• Union Mill Elementary School – Clifton
• Vienna Elementary School – Vienna
• Virginia Run Elementary School – Centreville
• Wakefield Forest Elementary School – Annandale
• Waples Mill Elementary School – Oakton
• Washington Mill Elementary School – Alexandria
• Waynewood Elementary School – Alexandria
• West Springfield Elementary School
• Westbriar Elementary School – Vienna
• Westgate Elementary School – Falls Church
• Westlawn Elementary School – Falls Church
• Weyanoke Elementary School – Alexandria
• White Oaks Elementary School – Burke
• Willow Springs Elementary School – Fairfax
• Wolftrap Elementary School – Vienna
• Woodburn Elementary School – Falls Church
• Woodlawn Elementary School – Alexandria
• Woodley Hills Elementary School – Alexandria

Special education centers

• Burke School
• Camelot Center
• Cedar Lane School
• Davis Career Center
• Key Center
• Kilmer Center
• Mount Vernon Center
• Pulley Career Center
• Quander Road School

Interagency alternative schools

• Adult Detention Center
• Boys Probation House
• Foundations (formerly Girls Probation House)^[84]
• GRANTS (GED Readiness and New Technology Skills)
• Gunston School at South County
• Hillwood School at East County
• Independent Study Program
• Merrifield Day
• Nontraditional Career Readiness Academy (NCRA): West Potomac, Edison, Spring Village, and Falls Church
• Sager School
• Shelter Care II (formerly Less Secure Shelter)^[84]
• Transition Support Resource Center (TSRC): Annandale, Bryant, Fairfax, Marshall HS, South County HS, South Lakes HS, Robinson SS, Westfield HS

Former schools

 

Crouch School House

• Cedar Lane Elementary School
• Clifton High School
• Clifton Elementary School
• Crouch School House
• Dunn Loring Elementary School
• Green Acres Elementary School (now owned by the City of Fairfax Parks & Recreation)
• James Lee Elementary School (now the James Lee Community Center)
• Lewinsville Elementary School
• Pine Ridge Elementary School
• Walnut Hill Elementary School (now the Leis Center)
• Westmore Elementary School

Schools for black children:

• Luther Jackson High School
• Cub Run Colored School
• Eleven Oaks Colored School (torn down, now the site of Eleven Oaks housing development)^[85]
• Fort Hunt High School

Transportation

FCPS operates a fleet of over 1,800 school buses. The fleet consists of buses that date from 2001 to 2018. FCPS operates the following bus models:

• 2001 AmTran RE
• 2001 Thomas Saf-T-Liner MVP EF
• 2002 International RE
• 2002 International FE
• 2003 IC RE
• 2003 IC FE
• 2004 IC RE
• 2004 IC FE
• 2006 IC RE
• 2006 IC FE
• 2007 IC RE
• 2007 IC FE
• 2008 IC RE
• 2008 IC FE
• 2008 IC CE
• 2009 IC CE
• 2009 IC RE
• 2010 IC CE
• 2010 IC RE
• 2011 IC CE
• 2012 IC CE
• 2013 IC CE
• 2013 IC RE
• 2015 IC CE
• 2015 IC RE
• 2016 IC CE
• 2017 IC CE
• 2018 IC CE
• 2020 to 2030 Thomas Built Buses Unknown collaboration with Dominion Energy

Transportation is divided into several different offices. Area 1, Area 2, Area 3, and Area 4 are regional offices servicing different regions of the county. Area 1 serves the farthest south, Area 2 serves the central south, Area 3 serves the central north, and Area 4 serves the farthest northern region. A central office oversees all lower offices and a training center. The final office is Routing and Planning, which creates bus routes. Routing and Planning, also known as Area 7, maintains a fleet of vehicles. The white vans and cars from Area 7 transport special needs students to special public and private schools throughout the county.

Three garages service the buses: Alban, Newington, and West Ox.^[86]

See also

•  Virginia portal
•  Schools portal

• List of Fairfax County Public Schools middle schools
• List of school divisions in Virginia

References

• Russell-Porte, Evelyn Darnell. "A HISTORY OF EDUCATION FOR BLACK STUDENTS IN FAIRFAX COUNTY PRIOR TO 1954" (). Ph.D. Dissertation. Virginia Tech. July 19, 2000.

Notes

1. "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Fairfax Co Pblc Schs". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
2. "About FCPS". Fairfax County Public Schools. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
3. "Fairfax County Public Schools Quality Profile". Virginia Department of Education. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
4. "Fairfax County Public Schools FY 2023 Approved Budget" (PDF). Fairfax County Public Schools. Fairfax County Public Schools. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
5. "Fairfax County Public School Board Members". Fairfax County Public Schools. Fairfax County Public Schools. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
6. "2010 Census Block Maps Merrifield, Virginia." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on November 28, 2012.
7. Contact Us. Fairfax County Public Schools. Retrieved on November 28, 2012. "Gatehouse Administration Center 8115 Gatehouse Road Falls Church, VA 22042"
8. Natanson, Hannah; Mueller, Kim; Burkholder, Steven (October 12, 2021). "Across America, students are back in school. It's working — but it's weird". Washington Post. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
9. Kleinman, Avery. . DCist. Archived from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
10. "Dr. Michelle Reid Sworn in as Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent (Video Included) | Fairfax County Public Schools". www.fcps.edu. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
11. Gott, John K.; Hogan, Katherine S. (January 1976). (PDF). In Wrenn, Tony P.; Peters, Virginia B.; Sprouse, Edith Moore (eds.). Legato School: A Centennial Souvenir. pp. 15–36. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 19, 2015.
12. Wrenn, Tony P. (1976). Legato School: A Centennial Souvenir. Fairfax County History Commission. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
13. "Civil Rights U.S.A.: Public Schools of Southern States, 1962" (PDF). Retrieved January 12, 2018.
14. "A history of Luther P. Jackson high school : a report of a case study on the development of a black high school" (abstract). Virginia Tech. Retrieved on June 4, 2016.
15. Duke, Daniel Linden (2005). Education Empire. Albany: State University of New York Press. ISBN 9780791464939.
16. Guinn, Muriel (February 16, 1958). "'Happy School' Is Aim of Principal At Only All-Negro High in Fairfax". The Washington Post. ProQuest 148960380.
17. . City of Fairfax Schools. September 1, 2013. Archived from the original on September 1, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2022. - The City of Fairfax Schools is linked from this Fairfax City page.
18. Schulte, Brigid (September 1, 2005). "Lessons From Past Echoing In Schools". Retrieved January 12, 2018 – via www.washingtonpost.com.
19. "FCPS school board minutes – Sept 20th 1955" (PDF). fcps.edu. Fairfax County Public School Board. September 20, 1955. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
20. Duke, Daniel L. (January 12, 2018). Education Empire: The Evolution of an Excellent Suburban School System. State University of New York Press. ISBN 9780791482988. Retrieved January 12, 2018 – via Project MUSE.
21. Duke, Daniel L. (July 2005). Education Empire: The Evolution of an Excellent Suburban School System. Suny Series, Educational Leadership. p. 18. ISBN 0-7914-6493-8. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
22. "BLAKENEY v. FAIRFAX COUNT - 226 F.Supp. 713 (1964) - supp7131796 - Leagle.com". Retrieved January 12, 2018.
23. Mays, David John (January 12, 2018). Race, Reason, and Massive Resistance: The Diary of David J. Mays, 1954–1959. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 9780820330259. Retrieved January 12, 2018 – via Google Books.
24. Grundman, Adolph H. (January 1, 1972). "Public School Desegregation in Virginia from 1954 to the Present". digitalcommons.wayne.edu. Wayne State University. pp. 328–320. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
25. Washington Post archives Feb 19, 1956." Bill would ban US Aides from School Boards"
26. Bowie, Carole H. (August 29, 1960). "Opening of 8 Schools Tests Ambitious Plan". The Washington Post. ProQuest 141070397.
27. Chapman, William (September 2, 1960). "1st Negroes Join Classes In Fairfax". The Washington Post. ProQuest 141057047.
28. Bowie, Carole H. (November 2, 1960). "W. T. Woodson to Resign Fairfax School Position". The Washington Post. ProQuest 141155017.
29. "Fairfax Names Head of Schools". The Washington Post. April 5, 1961. ProQuest 141324002.
30. "School Chiefs Are Chosen In Fairfax". The Washington Post. December 5, 1967. ProQuest 143065580.
31. Jacoby, Susan (September 19, 1968). "Fairfax Schools Go Streamlined". The Washington Post. ProQuest 143312479.
32. Klose, Kevin (May 2, 1969). "New York Educator Appointed To Head Fairfax School System". The Washington Post. ProQuest 147680430.
33. Klose, Kevin (January 10, 1969). "Funderburk to Quit Fairfax School Post". The Washington Post. ProQuest 147742722.
34. Curry, William N. (May 29, 1970). "Negro to Head Fairfax High School". The Washington Post. ProQuest 147844795.
35. "Fairfax Schools Chief Lawrence Watts, 44, Dies". The Washington Post. June 16, 1970. ProQuest 147849742.
36. Bredemeier, Kenneth (June 20, 1970). "Fairfax Names Morris Acting Chief of Schools". The Washington Post. ProQuest 147838305.
37. "System Gets Local Man, Spear Davis". The Washington Post. September 24, 1970. ProQuest 147821456.
38. Grubisich, Thomas (May 12, 1977). "Fairfax school bond: Uncertain fate". The Washington Post. ProQuest 146732916.
39. Rosenfeld, Megan (May 14, 1976). "Fairfax Schools Vote Textbook Rental Fee". The Washington Post. ProQuest 146393713.
40. Hansard, Sara E. (July 23, 1976). "Fairfax Kills Rental Fee on Textbooks". The Washington Post. ProQuest 146606733.
41. Locke, Maggie (October 19, 1978). "Fairfax County Schools Enforce Standardized Grading Scale". The Washington Post. ProQuest 146846579.
42. Locke, Maggie; Selden, Ina Lee (February 9, 1979). "Fairfax Schools Adopt $279 Million Budget". The Washington Post. ProQuest 147048503.
43. Knight, Athelia (April 25, 1979). "Teachers in Fairfax Adopt Work-to-the-Rule Stance". The Washington Post. ProQuest 146937153.
44. Knight, Athelia; Selden, Ina Lee (April 27, 1979). "Va. Teachers Slow After-School Activity". The Washington Post. ProQuest 147024263.
45. Knight, Athelia (May 7, 1979). "A Superintendent Under Fire". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
46. Frankel, Glenn; Selden, Ina Lee (May 19, 1979). "Davis Gets High Va. Post: Fairfax Superintendent Named To Top State Education Job". The Washington Post. ProQuest 147016124.
47. Selden, Ina Lee (May 25, 1979). "Fairfax Replaces Superintendent". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
48. Dougherty, Kerry (November 20, 1979). "Florida Educator Named by Fairfax To Head Schools". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
49. Dougherty, Kerry (January 17, 1980). "Fla. City Delighted As Fairfax Takes Its School Chief". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
50. Dougherty, Kerry (April 10, 1980). "Grappling With School Closings". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
51. Dougherty, Kerry (April 24, 1980). "Eight Fairfax Schools May Close". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
52. Dougherty, Kerry (May 23, 1980). "Fairfax Board Votes to Close 7 Schools as Angry Crowd Boos". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
53. Dougherty, Kerry (May 29, 1980). "School Closings Get Low Marks in Fairfax". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
54. Dougherty, Kerry (June 12, 1980). "Fairfax: Something for Everyone In Fairfax School Year". The Washington Post. ProQuest 147312625.
55. Dougherty, Kerry (January 9, 1981). "Fairfax School Superintendent Accepts 4-Year Contract". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
56. Dougherty, Kerry (January 6, 1981). "Textbook Fee Proposed for Fairfax Schools". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
57. Dougherty, Kerry (January 27, 1981). "Textbook Rental Plan Is Scrapped". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
58. Moore, Molly (June 25, 1982). "Fairfax School Superintendent Quits After Fight With Board". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
59. Moore, Molly (June 26, 1982). "Board Ousted Fairfax School Chief". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
60. Baker, Peter (April 26, 1991). "Fairfax Approves Restructured Middle Schools". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
61. Brown, DeNeen L. (March 12, 1993). "Fairfax County School Board Abandons Merit Pay System". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
62. . Fairfax County Public Schools. February 24, 2001. Retrieved on April 3, 2009.
63. "Fairfax city, Virginia December 18, 2005, at the Wayback Machine." United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on April 3, 2009.
64. Glod, Maria (March 16, 2006). "Schools Offices Under One Roof; Consolidation Aimed at Uniting Staff, Bringing Multimillion-Dollar Savings". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
65. Kelley R. Taylor (March 20, 2018). . District Administration. Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
66. Smith, Marie (August 19, 1955). "Fairfax Will Increase Classes for Retarded". The Washington Post. ProQuest 148636220.
67. Chandler, Michael Alison; Birnbaum, Michael (January 3, 2009). "Fairfax Schools Chief Wants to Keep Grading System". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
68. Dale, Jack (January 8, 2009). "Review of Grading Regulations". Fairfax County Public Schools School Board eGovernance System. Retrieved January 24, 2009.
69. Sabo, Linda (January 23, 2009). "School Board Action 1–22–09". Fairfax County Public Schools School Board eGovernance System. Retrieved January 24, 2009.^{[dead link]}
70. "FCPS – Instructional Services Department". fcps.edu. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
71. St. George, Donna (February 20, 2011). "Suicide turns attention to Fairfax discipline procedures". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
72. Fisher, Marc (April 5, 2009). "Unbending Rules on Drugs in Schools Drive One Teen to the Breaking Point". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
73. "Colbert's War On Birth Control". Huffington Post. September 3, 2009. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
74. St. George, Donna (February 11, 2011). "School Superintendent Jack D. Dale defended Fairfax County's discipline policies". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
75. Carey, Julie (April 9, 2013). "Tempers Flare Over Fairfax County Public Schools Discipline Policy". NBC 4. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
76. Carey, Julie (January 23, 2012). "Teen's Suicide Leads to School Discipline Legislation". NBC 4. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
77. Shapiro, T. Rees. "Fairfax School Board changes discipline process". The Washington Post. No. 7 June 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
78. "Dr. Michelle C. Reid | Fairfax County Public Schools".
79. "Leadership Team | Fairfax County Public Schools".
80. "Deputy Superintendent's Office | Fairfax County Public Schools".
81. "Rachna Sizemore Heizer Elected Fairfax County School Board Chair; Tamara Derenak Kaufax Elected Vice Chair | Fairfax County Public Schools".
82. "School Board Members | Fairfax County Public Schools".
83. "Michele Togbe to Serve as 2022-23 Student School Board Representative | Fairfax County Public Schools". www.fcps.edu. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
84. "Court Programs and Services". fairfaxcounty.gov. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
85. Russell-Porte, p. xii.
86. "Department or Agency Detail". Fairfax County. County of Fairfax. Retrieved January 27, 2018.

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