Screenshot, Boarddocs, Boundary Policy Review June 25, 2024 “Good boundary adjustment decisions may be linked to better student achievement,” according to Boundary Policy Review, Fairfax County Public Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools’ Policy 8130 governs the school division’s boundaries, program assignments, and school closings. Policy 8130 determines a student's school assignment based on their residence address. Boundary lines and policies can change over time through review and adoption by the school board.
Thirty-eight years have passed without a comprehensive review of Policy 8130. In 2018, the Facilities Planning Advisory Council (FPAC) presented recommendations to the school board, and the board began reviewing them. This link provides historical information about the Fairfax County School Board review: https://www.fcps.edu/facilities-planning-future/school-boundary-adjustments/boundary-policy.
As part of the process, on Dec. 9, 2021, MGT Consulting, hired by Fairfax County Public Schools, submitted its “Boundary Policy Best Practices Review Final Report.” In it, MGT stated, "School districts should use enrollment projections (meaning capacity) as a primary consideration when governing school boundaries.”
MGT added in 2021 that three overriding principles must always take precedence in determining the priorities of boundary policies: equity, stability, and efficacy. The One Fairfax Policy, adopted in 2017, commits the county and schools to intentionally consider equity when delivering policies, programs, and services.
According to MGT, the current Policy 8130 indicates that appropriate program staff members should review school and program capacity as part of the first step in a boundary adjustment process. This process allows for an accurate assessment of school and program capacity while incorporating other critical factors that may impact capacity, such as planned renovations or staffing adjustments.
As of early 2024, the Fairfax County School Board had referred Policy 8130 to its Governance Committee for review and directed the superintendent to assist with committee work. Four school board members serve on the committee: Rachna Sizemore Heizer, chair; Sandy Anderson; Kyle McDaniel; and Ilryong Moon. The staff liaisons are Dr. Michelle Reid, superintendent, and Christina K. Setlow, clerk of the school board.
In an emailed News From School Board Member Marcia St. John-Cunning (Franconia) received May 25, St. John-Cunning wrote that the committee has been reviewing Policy 8130 and “updating to address a range of community concerns, including instructional program locations, overcrowding, temporary classrooms (trailers), and transportation.”
The 2023-2024 School Year Fairfax County School Board Annual Meeting Calendar lists Policy 8130 as an agenda item for the board's work session on Tuesday, June 25, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. According to the agenda item, “On Feb. 13, 2024, the School Board held a forum on the possibility of reviewing Policy 8130, Local School Boundaries, Program Assignments, and School Closings and referred the review of this policy to the Governance Committee. Since February, the Governance Committee has been reviewing potential changes to the policy, and on June 18, 2024, the Governance Committee voted to send the attached draft to the full School Board for a Work Session.” Christina Setlow, the School Board Clerk, is the staff contact.
The full board will discuss the five-page, 6-18-24 - Policy 8130 - FINAL Governance Committee - UPDATED is available online. A Final Draft Boundary Policy PowerPoint 6_25_24 Work Session.pdf is also available online.
“For the policy to be adopted, a motion will need to be listed on new business at a future regular meeting and then voted on at a subsequent meeting,” said Karl Frisch, school board chair, in an email to this reporter on Friday, June 21. Public engagement and public hearings are part of the normal process. The School Board Annual Meeting Calendar does not indicate a date as of yet.
According to St. John-Cunning, if the board passes the policy with a majority of votes, “the board hands the baton to the superintendent, who will use the updated policy to review and propose any future changes to school boundaries... The superintendent will then return to the board with her recommendations.“
Even small policy changes at hyperlocal levels are pivotal adjustments that significantly affect parents, students, and their community in shaping student access to opportunity. The One Fairfax Policy, adopted in 2017, commits the county and schools to intentionally consider equity when delivering policies, programs, and services. As of Tuesday, June 25, the Fairfax County School Board is not considering any school’s boundary changes.