Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has announced several updates and initiatives for the upcoming 2025-26 school year, including changes to grading policies, immunization requirements, and student rights.
Seventeen students and five teams from FCPS won Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 6 championships or were runners up during the spring sports season. The full list of winning teams and athletes is available on the FCPS website.
For the new academic year, middle and high schools will implement updated grading policies aimed at increasing consistency and clarity in grading practices. Details about these policy changes can be found on the FCPS site.
Parents are reminded to ensure their children have all required immunizations before school starts. Immunization records can be requested online through the Virginia Immunization Information System or obtained from healthcare providers. Students entering seventh grade must receive Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis booster (Tdap), Meningococcal (MenACWY), and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, with specific age requirements for each. Parents may opt out of HPV vaccination without documentation. Twelfth graders are required to have a MenACWY vaccine administered at age 16 or older.
Immunizations are available through family healthcare providers, Fairfax County Health Department clinics—which offer both walk-in hours and appointments—and Inova Cares Back to School Pediatric Health Fairs for eligible patients. Additional resources are listed on the FCPS Immunization Resources webpage.
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid confirmed that limited early release days for elementary schools will continue next year but will shift to Wednesdays based on recommendations from an Early Release Steering Committee made up of parents, staff, and central office personnel. Proposed dates are posted on the FCPS website.
The district encourages families to use its Summer Learning webpage for ideas to keep students engaged during break. The Summer Resource Guide provides activities across various subjects as well as mental health resources.
FCPS continues its Summer Meal Service Program offering free breakfast and lunch to all children aged 18 or younger throughout summer months. More information is available via Food and Nutrition Services or the USDA’s Summer Meals for Kids Site Finder.
In recognition of Disability Awareness Day, a Family Resource Center open house will take place July 14 at Dr. Larry Bussey Community Library featuring guest speakers from local organizations and a parent panel discussing experiences raising children with disabilities.
Community feedback on three draft boundary scenarios remains open until July 18 through the Boundary Explorer Tool survey; input collected will be shared with the Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee.
Applications remain open for Pre-K and Early Head Start programs serving qualifying children ages six weeks to four years old who face economic or educational risk factors in Fairfax County. Space is limited based on need rather than order of application submission.
A historical marker honoring General Colin L. Powell was unveiled at Colin Powell Elementary School in Centreville as part of Fairfax County’s Black/African American Historical Marker Project.
This summer marks the launch of FCPS’ first paid internship program for current students and recent graduates, selected from nearly 950 applicants.
A new login experience will roll out this summer for accessing FCPS applications such as Schoology, aiming to simplify access while maintaining security standards; usernames and passwords remain unchanged.
Several hiring events are scheduled: an educator job fair July 23 at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, along with multiple bus driver job fairs throughout July offering a $2,000 signing bonus for new hires.
Updates have been made to Student Rights & Responsibilities (SR&R) guidelines—including revised cell phone policies restricting high school device use to lunch periods only—alongside other clarifications regarding discipline data, notifications, hate speech procedures, and training integration.
Monday August 18 marks the first day of classes for 2025-26; additional calendar details are available online. Virginia’s sales tax holiday runs August 1–3 covering select school supplies and clothing purchases.
Faith Mekonen has been elected by her peers as student representative to serve a one-year term on the Fairfax County School Board beginning July 1: “Faith Mekonen…has been elected by the countywide Student Advisory Council (SAC) to serve a one-year term as student representative to the Fairfax County School Board, beginning July 1.”
For more information about these announcements—including detailed schedules, eligibility criteria, or registration instructions—visit relevant pages linked throughout FCPS communications.
