Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia

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Fairfax County Public Schools
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Fairfax County, Virginia
District details
Superintendent: Scott Brabrand
# of school board members: 12
Website: Link

Fairfax County Public Schools is a school district in Virginia.

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Superintendent[edit]

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This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

Scott Brabrand is the superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools. Brabrand was appointed superintendent on June 8, 2017. Brabrand's previous career experience includes working as the superintendent of Lynchburg City Public Schools in Virginia.[1][2]

Past superintendents[edit]

  • 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.[1][3]

School board elections[edit]

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.[4]


Office Name Date assumed office
Fairfax County School Board At-large Rachna Heizer December 12, 2019
Fairfax County School Board At-large Karen Keys-Gamarra September 5, 2017
Fairfax County School Board At-large Abrar Omeish December 12, 2019
Fairfax County School Board Braddock District Megan McLaughlin 2012
Fairfax County School Board Dranesville District Elaine Tholen December 12, 2019
Fairfax County School Board Hunter Mill District Melanie Meren December 12, 2019
Fairfax County School Board Lee District Tamara Derenak Kaufax 2012
Fairfax County School Board Mason District Ricardy Anderson December 12, 2019
Fairfax County School Board Mount Vernon District Karen Corbett Sanders 2015
Fairfax County School Board Providence District Karl Frisch December 12, 2019
Fairfax County School Board Springfield District Laura Cohen December 12, 2019
Fairfax County School Board Sully District Stella Pekarsky December 12, 2019


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This officeholder information was last updated on July 30, 2021. Please contact us with any updates.
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Election dates[edit]

See also: Fairfax County Public Schools elections in 2015, 2017, & 2019

Members of Fairfax County Public Schools Board of Education are elected to four-year terms. Elections are held in November.

Twelve seats were up for election on November 5, 2019.

Public participation in board meetings[edit]

The board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[5]

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:

  • 10 slots shall be filled by speakers who choose to address the Board in-person or virtually.
  • 3 of the in-person or virtual slots shall be reserved for current FCPS students
  • 3 slots shall be reserved for video testimony

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.[6]

Budget[edit]

From 1993 to 2013, the Fairfax County school district had an average of $1,744,240,286 in revenue and $1,811,928,857 in expenditures, according to the United States Census Bureau's survey of school system finances. The district had a yearly average of $949,378,571 in outstanding debt. The district retired $64,125,524 of its debt and issued $125,075,952 in new debt each year on average.[7]

Revenue[edit]

The table below separates the district's revenue into the three sources identified by the agency: local, state, and federal.

Revenue by Source
Fiscal
Year
Local State Federal Revenue Total
Total % of Revenue Total % of Revenue Total % of Revenue
2010$1,795,283,00076.37%$411,280,00017.50%$144,249,0006.14%$2,350,812,000
2011$1,775,821,00074.87%$459,742,00019.38%$136,207,0005.74%$2,371,770,000
2012$1,781,755,00074.30%$488,170,00020.36%$128,140,0005.34%$2,398,065,000
2013$1,870,635,00073.55%$562,643,00022.12%$110,231,0004.33%$2,543,509,000
Avg.$1,336,165,19076.96%$338,640,33319.30%$69,434,7623.74%$1,744,240,286

Expenditures[edit]

The table below separates the district's expenditures into five categories identified by the agency:

  • Instruction: operation expenditures, state payments on behalf of the district for instruction and benefits, and retirement system transfers
  • Support Services: support services, food services, and retirement system transfers for support service staff
  • Capital Spending: capital outlay expenditures (i.e., construction, land or facilities purchases, and equipment purchases)
  • Debt & Gov. Payments: payments to state and local governments and interest on school system debt
  • Other: all other non-K-12 programs, except food services
Expenditures by Category
Fiscal
Year
Instruction Support Services Capital Spending Debt & Gov. Payments Other Budget
Total
Total % of Budget Total % of Budget Total % of Budget Total % of Budget Total % of Budget
2010$1,331,848,00055.79%$826,805,00034.63%$144,554,0006.06%$66,702,0002.79%$17,300,0000.72%$2,387,209,000
2011$1,334,626,00054.01%$846,246,00034.25%$205,249,0008.31%$66,871,0002.71%$17,934,0000.73%$2,470,926,000
2012$1,418,386,00055.09%$877,025,00034.07%$192,120,0007.46%$67,839,0002.64%$19,090,0000.74%$2,574,460,000
2013$1,526,811,00055.59%$942,256,00034.31%$186,926,0006.81%$75,401,0002.75%$15,305,0000.56%$2,746,699,000
Avg.$973,776,71453.38%$624,894,52434.49%$151,136,1438.54%$43,924,6192.42%$18,196,8571.16%$1,811,928,857

Debt

The table below shows the amount of debt retired, issued, and outstanding in the district for each year.

Debt
Fiscal
Year
Retired Issued Outstanding
2010$188,478,000$234,958,000$1,337,417,000
2011$115,927,000$135,298,000$1,356,787,000
2012$3,774,000$155,000,000$1,508,013,000
2013$3,776,000$155,000,000$1,659,237,000
Avg.$64,125,524$125,075,952$949,378,571


Teacher salaries[edit]

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
2021-2022[8] $51,000 $106,354

Academic performance[edit]

Proficiency assessments[edit]

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.[9]

Mathematics[edit]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:[10]

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific
Islander (%)
Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native
American (%)
Two or More
Races (%)
White (%)
2018-2019 85 94 76 71 85-89 92 93
2017-2018 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
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

Reading/language arts[edit]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:[10]

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific
Islander (%)
Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native
American (%)
Two or More
Races (%)
White (%)
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

Graduation rates[edit]

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:[10][11]

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific
Islander (%)
Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native
American (%)
Two or More
Races (%)
White (%)
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 N/A N/A 94
2014-2015 87 91 82 69 N/A N/A 95
2013-2014 87 91 81 70 N/A N/A 94
2012-2013 86 90 78 71 N/A N/A 93
2011-2012 86 89 79 67 N/A N/A 93
2010-2011 86 N/A 79 66 N/A N/A 94


Student enrollment[edit]

Year[12] Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2018-2019 187,797 -0.4
2017-2018 188,556 0.6
2016-2017 187,445 0.9
2015-2016 185,807 0.2
2014-2015 185,509 1.2
2013-2014 183,382 1.5
2012-2013 180,587 1.7
2011-2012 177,551 1.8
2010-2011 174,428 1.5
2009-2010 171,901 1.7
2008-2009 168,977 2.0
2007-2008 165,674 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 2.7
2000-2001 156,412 2.3
1999-2000 152,952 2.6
1998-1999 149,029 2.3
1997-1998 145,717 1.7
1996-1997 143,266 1.7
1995-1996 140,820 2.3
1994-1995 137,646 1.6
1993-1994 135,413 1.5
1992-1993 133,414 1.7
1991-1992 131,230 1.9
1990-1991 128,766 1.6
1989-1990 126,713 -0.6
1988-1989 127,518 -0.2
1987-1988 127,752 1.2
1986-1987 126,183 -


About the district[edit]

Fairfax County Public Schools is located in Fairfax County, Virginia.
Fairfax County Public Schools is located in Fairfax County, Virginia. It is classified as a large suburban school district by the National Center for Education Statistics. The district served 187,797 students during the 2018-2019 school year and comprised 222 schools.[13]


During the 2018-2019 school year, 29.4% of the district's students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 19.0% were English language learners, and 14.5% of students had an Individual Education Plan (IEP).[14]

Racial Demographics, 2018-2019
Race Fairfax County Public Schools (%) Virginia K-12 students (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.2 0.3
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 19.7 7.1
Black 10.1 22.2
Hispanic 25.9 16.2
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.1 0.2
Two or More Races 5.5 5.7
White 38.5 48.4

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.

Noteworthy events[edit]

2021 Recall effort[edit]

See also: Laura Cohen and Elaine Tholen recall, Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia (2021)

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.[15][16][17]

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]

The 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.[15]

2018 Recall effort[edit]

See also: Sandra Evans recall, Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia (2018)

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[edit]

Fairfax County Public Schools logo 2.png

Fairfax County Public Schools
8115 Gatehouse Rd.
Falls Church, VA 22042
Phone: 571-423-3000

See also[edit]

Virginia School Board Elections News and Analysis
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External links[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Fairfax County Times, "School board announces new FCPS superintendent," June 15, 2017
  2. Fairfax County Public Schools, "Scott Brabrand," accessed July 30, 2021
  3. Fairfax County Public Schools, "Steven Lockard Named FCPS Interim Superintendent," October 6, 2016
  4. Fairfax County Public Schools, "School Board Members," accessed July 30, 2021
  5. Fairfax County Public Schools, "Community Participation," accessed July 30, 2021
  6. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  7. United States Census Bureau, "Public School System Finances: Historical Data," accessed December 1, 2015
  8. Fairfax County Public Schools, "194-day FY 2022 TEACHER SALARY SCALE," accessed July 30, 2021
  9. 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
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 To protect student privacy, percentages were reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five (5) or fewer students were included in a data set, the data was replaced by "PS."
  11. U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "Four-Year Adjusted-Cohort Graduation Rates - School Year 2017-18 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
  12. National Center for Education Statistics, "ElSi tableGenerator," accessed March 8, 2021
  13. National Center for Education Statistics, "Search for Public School Districts," accessed March 8, 2021
  14. National Center for Education Statistics, "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey," accessed March 8, 2021
  15. 15.0 15.1 Daily Caller, "Parents Group Petitions For Removal Of Northern Virginia School Board Members," October 27, 2020
  16. FCPS Accountability Coalition, "View the Petitions," accessed June 1, 2021
  17. Fairfax County Public Schools, "School Board Members," accessed June 1, 2021
  18. The Washington Post, "Fairfax parents file recall petition against second school board member," December 16, 2021
  19. WTOP News, "Fairfax Co. judge dismisses removal petition against school board member Laura Jane Cohen," February 24, 2022
  20. The Washington Post, "Virginia judge dismisses parents’ recall petition against Fairfax school board member," August 20, 2021
  21. Recall Sandy Evans, "PETITION FILED WITH COUNTY SEEKING REMOVAL OF FAIRFAX SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER SANDRA SUE EVANS," accessed January 2, 2019
  22. Fairfax County Times, "Petition for Sandy Evans' removal withdrawn," January 4, 2019
  23. 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. 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
  25. Fairfax County Times, "'Justice' prevails in Falls Church," November 3, 2017
  26. 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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