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Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia
| Fairfax County Public Schools |
|---|
 |
| Fairfax County, Virginia |
| District details |
| Superintendent: Michelle C. Reid |
| # of school board members: 12 |
| Website: Link |
Fairfax County Public Schools is a school district in Virginia.
Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...
- Superintendent
- School board
- Elections
- Budget
- Teacher salaries
- Academic performance
- Students
- Staff
- Schools
- Contact information
Superintendent
 |
This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates. |
Michelle C. Reid is the superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools. Reid was appointed on April 14, 2022 and started serving on July 1, 2022. C. Reid's previous career experience includes serving as superintendent of the Northshore School District from 2016 until 2022.[1]
Past superintendents
- Scott Brabrand was the superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools from his appointment as superintendent on June 8, 2017 until his retirement on June 30, 2022.[2] Brabrand's previous career experience includes working as the superintendent of Lynchburg City Public Schools in Virginia.[3][4]
- Steve Lockard was the interim superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools from 2016 to 2017. Lockard's previous career experience included working as the district's deputy superintendent.[3][5]
School board
The Fairfax County Public Schools Board of Education consists of 12 members elected to four-year terms. Three members are elected at large and nine members are elected by district.[6]
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County Public Schools, At-large | Kyle McDaniel | January 1, 2024 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools, At-large | Ryan McElveen | January 1, 2024 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools, At-large | Ilryong Moon | January 1, 2024 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools, Braddock District | Rachna Heizer | January 1, 2024 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools, Dranesville District | Robyn Lady | January 1, 2024 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools, Franconia District | Marcia St. John-Cunning | January 1, 2024 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools, Hunter Mill District | Melanie Meren | December 12, 2019 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools, Mason District | Ricardy Anderson | December 12, 2019 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools, Mount Vernon District | Mateo Dunne | January 1, 2024 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools, Providence District | Karl Frisch | December 12, 2019 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools, Springfield District | Sandra Buck Anderson | January 1, 2024 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools, Sully District | Seema Dixit | January 1, 2024 |
Elections
Members of Fairfax County Public Schools Board of Education are elected to four-year terms. Elections are held in November.
Twelve seats on the board were up for general election on November 7, 2023.
Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.
Join the conversation about school board politics
Public participation in board meetings
The board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[7]
| “ | Community Participation at Regular School Board Meetings
Fairfax County and city residents, FCPS staff, FCPS students, FCPS guardians who are non-Fairfax County residents, and FCPS business partners who want to address the Board may register to speak by submitting a request online at 6 a.m. starting on the fourth business day before the next regular business meeting. At the time of registration, speakers must identify whether they wish to testify in-person, virtually, or submit a prerecorded video testimony. Once an option is selected, this choice cannot be changed. Registration will close 48 hours before the meeting. There will be a total of 16 speaker slots per regular meeting:
After the first 13 in-person or virtual speakers are determined through a random/lottery process, the next ten names as determined by the same random/lottery will be chosen as the waitlist and notified that they are on the waitlist to speak. Waitlist speakers must be present at the meeting to speak at the event of a no show. Speaker substitutions are not permitted. A speaker may not yield their time to another individual before or during their remarks.[8] |
” |
District map
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[9]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $353,099,000 | $1,978 | 10% |
| Local: | $2,333,806,000 | $13,076 | 67% |
| State: | $814,910,000 | $4,566 | 23% |
| Total: | $3,501,815,000 | $19,620 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $3,536,666,000 | $19,815 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $3,208,442,000 | $17,976 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $1,990,725,000 | $11,153 | 56% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $434,277,000 | $2,433 | 12% |
| Administration: | $232,398,000 | $1,302 | 7% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $551,042,000 | $3,087 | 16% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $238,307,000 | $1,335 | |
| Construction: | $213,359,000 | $1,195 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $12,306,000 | $68 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $76,575,000 | $429 |
Teacher salaries
The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.
| Year | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025[10] | $58,251 | $123,918 |
| 2022-2023[11] | $53,313 | $112,290 |
| 2021-2022[12] | $51,000 | $106,354 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[13]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 61 | 80 | 46 | 33 | 60-64 | 73 | 74 |
| 2018-2019 | 85 | 94 | 76 | 71 | 85-89 | 92 | 93 |
| 2016-2017 | 77 | 87 | 65 | 62 | 70-74 | 83 | 84 |
| 2015-2016 | 83 | 93 | 70 | 67 | 75-79 | 88 | 90 |
| 2014-2015 | 83 | 93 | 70 | 66 | 75-79 | 88 | 90 |
| 2013-2014 | 80 | 91 | 65 | 62 | 70-74 | 85 | 88 |
| 2012-2013 | 78 | 89 | 62 | 60 | 65-69 | 83 | 86 |
| 2011-2012 | 77 | 88 | 60 | 59 | 70-74 | 82 | 85 |
| 2010-2011 | 92 | 96 | 82 | 84 | 85-89 | 94 | 96 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 73 | 86 | 66 | 48 | 70-74 | 85 | 86 |
| 2018-2019 | 81 | 89 | 72 | 61 | 80-84 | 90 | 90 |
| 2017-2018 | 82 | 91 | 74 | 64 | 80-84 | 90 | 91 |
| 2016-2017 | 84 | 92 | 73 | 69 | 80-84 | 90 | 92 |
| 2015-2016 | 85 | 92 | 73 | 70 | 80-84 | 91 | 92 |
| 2014-2015 | 85 | 91 | 73 | 69 | 80-84 | 90 | 92 |
| 2013-2014 | 81 | 88 | 67 | 64 | 70-74 | 87 | 89 |
| 2012-2013 | 82 | 88 | 67 | 65 | 70-74 | 86 | 90 |
| 2011-2012 | 94 | 96 | 87 | 87 | 90-94 | 96 | 97 |
| 2010-2011 | 93 | 95 | 86 | 86 | 90-94 | 96 | 97 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 88 | 96 | 91 | 69 | 80-89 | 96 | 96 |
| 2018-2019 | 86 | 94 | 88 | 65 | 60-79 | 94 | 96 |
| 2017-2018 | 86 | 94 | 86 | 64 | 90-94 | 94 | 95 |
| 2016-2017 | 86 | 94 | 86 | 64 | >=80 | 96 | 95 |
| 2015-2016 | 87 | 93 | 86 | 66 | 94 | ||
| 2014-2015 | 87 | 91 | 82 | 69 | 95 | ||
| 2013-2014 | 87 | 91 | 81 | 70 | 94 | ||
| 2012-2013 | 86 | 90 | 78 | 71 | 93 | ||
| 2011-2012 | 86 | 89 | 79 | 67 | 93 | ||
| 2010-2011 | 86 | 79 | 66 | 94 |
Students
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 180,714 | 0.5 |
| 2022-2023 | 179,858 | 0.8 |
| 2021-2022 | 178,479 | -0.9 |
| 2020-2021 | 180,028 | -4.9 |
| 2019-2020 | 188,887 | 0.6 |
| 2018-2019 | 187,797 | -0.4 |
| 2017-2018 | 188,556 | 0.6 |
| 2016-2017 | 187,467 | 0.9 |
| 2015-2016 | 185,828 | 0.2 |
| 2014-2015 | 185,541 | 1.1 |
| 2013-2014 | 183,417 | 1.5 |
| 2012-2013 | 180,616 | 1.7 |
| 2011-2012 | 177,606 | 1.8 |
| 2010-2011 | 174,479 | 1.4 |
| 2009-2010 | 171,956 | 1.7 |
| 2008-2009 | 169,030 | 2.0 |
| 2007-2008 | 165,722 | 1.1 |
| 2006-2007 | 163,952 | 0.1 |
| 2005-2006 | 163,753 | -0.6 |
| 2004-2005 | 164,765 | 0.3 |
| 2003-2004 | 164,235 | 1.0 |
| 2002-2003 | 162,585 | 1.2 |
| 2001-2002 | 160,584 | 2.6 |
| 2000-2001 | 156,412 | 2.2 |
| 1999-2000 | 152,952 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Fairfax County Public Schools (%) | Virginia K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 18.7 | 7.7 |
| Black | 9.8 | 21.5 |
| Hispanic | 28.7 | 19.4 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Two or More Races | 6.3 | 6.9 |
| White | 36.1 | 44.2 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
As of the 2023-2024 school year, Fairfax County Public Schools had 13,166.37 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 13.73.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 395.50 |
| Kindergarten: | 509.00 |
| Elementary: | 5,698.59 |
| Secondary: | 6,563.28 |
| Total: | 13,166.37 |
Fairfax County Public Schools employed 857.64 district administrators and 653.00 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 857.64 |
| District Administrative Support: | 793.00 |
| School Administrators: | 653.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 842.06 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 4,116.78 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 1,877.78 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 586.80 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 233.30 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 353.50 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 233.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 23.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 174.00 |
| Other Support Services: | 0.00 |
Schools
Noteworthy events
2024 recall effort
An effort to recall Karl Frisch from his position as the Providence District representative on the Fairfax County Public Schools school board in Virginia did not go to court in 2024. The effort began in January 2024.[14] At the time the recall began, Frisch was serving as chair of the board.[15]
The recall effort started after Frisch was sworn into his second term on the board in December 2023 using five books with LGBTQ themes. All five books had been banned in other school districts.[14][16]
Frisch first won election to the board on November 5, 2019, with 62.4% of the vote against one opponent for the open Providence District seat. He won re-election on November 7, 2023, with 66.9% of the vote against one opponent.
2021-2022 recall effort
An effort to recall three of the 12 members of the Fairfax County Public Schools school board in Virginia began in October 2020. Dranesville District representative Elaine Tholen, Springfield District representative Laura Cohen, and at-large representative Abrar Omeish were named in the recall petitions.[14][17][15] None of the petitions resulted in the removal of a school board member.
Recall supporters filed petitions against Cohen with the Fairfax County Circuit Court on December 15, 2021.[18] A circuit court judge dismissed the petition on February 23, 2022, saying the petition was "not based on facts sufficient to show probable cause for removal.” The dismissal ended the recall effort.[19]
Petitions were filed against Tholen in 2021. Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Richard Gardiner granted a motion from Tholen's attorney to dismiss the case on August 20, 2021. The judge said he dismissed the case “upon the Commonwealth’s position that the petition is not based on facts establishing probable cause for removal.”[20]
Recall supporters did not file petitions against Omeish in 2021 or 2022. The recall effort started in response to the district's concurrent instruction program, which allowed students to choose between learning fully online or a hybrid option that included both online and in-person instruction. The program was started due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]
2018 recall effort
An effort to recall Sandra Evans from her position as the Mason District representative on the Fairfax County Public Schools school board in Virginia did not go to court in 2018. Recall supporters submitted petitions to the Fairfax County Circuit Court on December 20, 2018, but they requested the petitions be withdrawn on December 26, 2018, after Evans filed a motion seeking to void the petitions based on a separate ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court.[21][22]
The recall effort began after the board voted 7-4 to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School to Justice High School on October 26, 2017. J.E.B. Stuart was a general in the Confederate States Army, and proponents of the change said his name alienated ethnically diverse students. Evans represented the geographical area where the high school was located. She suggested the name Justice High School and authored the motion to change it. The vote ended a two-year debate that started when students at the school campaigned for a name change.[23][24][25]
Recall supporters said Evans ignored community input when she voted to change the high school's name as well as when she voted for the name Justice High School over Stuart High School, which received the most votes in a community survey. Evans said she spent an extensive amount of time reading through the survey responses on the name change issue and believed that the name Stuart High School would have continued to divide the community.[23][24] On December 19, 2018, Evans announced she would not seek re-election to the board in 2019.[26]
Contact information
Fairfax County Public Schools
8115 Gatehouse Rd.
Falls Church, VA 22042
Phone: 571-423-3000
About school boards
Education legislation in Virginia
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| Virginia | School Board Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
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External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Fairfax County Public Schools
- Virginia School Boards Association
- Virginia Department of Education
Footnotes
- ↑ ABC7, "Who is Dr. Michelle Reid? Fairfax County's next superintendent of schools.," accessed October 12, 2023
- ↑ ABC7, "Outgoing FCPS superintendent on lessons learned, what's next, and advice for his successor," accessed October 12, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Fairfax County Times, "School board announces new FCPS superintendent," June 15, 2017
- ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, "Scott Brabrand," accessed July 30, 2021
- ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, "Steven Lockard Named FCPS Interim Superintendent," October 6, 2016
- ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, "School Board Members," accessed July 30, 2021
- ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, "Community Participation," accessed July 30, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, "194-day FY 2025 TEACHER SALARY SCALE," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, "194-day FY 2023 TEACHER SALARY SCALE," accessed February 3, 2024
- ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, "194-day FY 2022 TEACHER SALARY SCALE," accessed July 30, 2021
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 The Gazette, "Fairfax parents announce petition for county school board chairman’s recall," January 12, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "began" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 15.0 15.1 Fairfax County Public Schools, "School Board Members," accessed January 24, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "board" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ karlfrischcom, "Frisch Sworn-In on Banned Books, Takes Oath for Second Term," December 14, 2023
- ↑ FCPS Accountability Coalition, "View the Petitions," accessed June 1, 2021
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Fairfax parents file recall petition against second school board member," December 16, 2021
- ↑ WTOP News, "Fairfax Co. judge dismisses removal petition against school board member Laura Jane Cohen," February 24, 2022
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Virginia judge dismisses parents’ recall petition against Fairfax school board member," August 20, 2021
- ↑ Recall Sandy Evans, "PETITION FILED WITH COUNTY SEEKING REMOVAL OF FAIRFAX SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER SANDRA SUE EVANS," accessed January 2, 2019
- ↑ Fairfax County Times, "Petition for Sandy Evans' removal withdrawn," January 4, 2019
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Recall Sandy Evans, "Petition under Virginia Code § 24.2-233 for Removal of Sandra Sue Evans from the Fairfax County School Board," accessed November 22, 2017
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Falls Church News-Press, "School Board Decides on ‘Justice High’ as J.E.B. Stuart’s New Name," November 1, 2017
- ↑ Fairfax County Times, "'Justice' prevails in Falls Church," November 3, 2017
- ↑ Fairfax County Times, "Sandy Evans announces retirement from school board one day before petition filed to remove her," December 28, 2018
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