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Fairfax County Schools superintendent presents plan for school boundary changes
A late-night school board meeting is still going on at this hour. The school superintendent is unveiling her recommended school boundary changes, which would affect thousands of students. FOX 5's Shirin Rajaee joins us live outside tonight's school board meeting.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - A late night school board meeting in Fairfax County went well into the evening as parents expressed concern over the school superintendent’s recommended school boundary changes, which would affect thousands of students.
The discussion centered around a plan to change the district's school boundaries and there were many ready to speak out.
What we know:
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid did not start speaking until close to 10 p.m., laying out her recommended boundary changes, which was a point of frustration for some families who say there's been a lack of communication.
One of the changes being proposed is reducing split feeder schools but the PTA president Michelle Sinclair at Beechtree Elementary says she's hoping their school is left alone.
"The students are constantly leaving people that they’ve gotten to know to change to a completely different pyramid every few years and that really fractures the ability to make those deep friendships and B St. itself is a community that’s very tight knit," said Michelle Sinclair.
Reid took questions from the board regarding her recommendations. This is the first comprehensive boundary review for Fairfax County Public Schools in nearly 40 years, aimed at fixing issues like overcrowding and attendance.
The superintendent’s final recommendation builds on several earlier scenarios and community feedback and would affect about 2,200 students, including elementary, middle and high schoolers at more than 50 schools.
Big picture view:
District leaders say the goal is equity — balancing enrollment, school capacity, and long-term growth but for many parents, questions remain about how these changes would be implemented and what they mean for daily commutes and bus transportation.
The school system may be opting to bus less of its students due to how expensive it is, raising transportation concerns.
"I know another parent is very concerned about transportation to the high schools. They don’t have a car, lots of families don’t have the ability to get a second car being able to drive their students it becomes a major equity issue across the board," said Sinclair.
"My kids would be redistricted so I would be impacted directly but I think it’s less about the changes and more about the lack of transparency surrounding the changes," parent Penny Wiannarakis said.
What's next:
Thursday’s presentation was just the first step. A public hearing is scheduled for Saturday morning and the school board is expected to vote on these proposed boundary changes later this month.
Again, all the recommendations are outlined on the FCPS website.