Fairfax Co. approves update to school boundary policy despite criticism from some families

Fairfax County Public Schools will be able to review school boundaries every five years, as part of an update to the Virginia school district’s policy approved Thursday night.

School district leaders say the change, the first to Policy 8130 in decades, will allow them to address overcrowding and long-standing transportation and safety issues. But some parents and students are worried that it’ll mean they’ll have to switch schools in the coming years, leaving extracurriculars and friends behind.

During Thursday’s board meeting, many in the crowd engaged with and reacted to speakers and board members, prompting Board Chair Karl Frisch to tell attendees that if they can’t “remain quiet, security will ask you to leave the room and you can observe the meeting from the overflow.”

While the controversial policy allows the division to review school boundaries every few years, there aren’t any boundary adjustments currently being considered. The policy update passed with a 9-2 vote. Board members Ricardy Anderson and Melanie Meren voted against it.

“With the approval of this update, FCPS will have the tools to solve significant, long-standing problems that have long been raised by the community,” Board member Rachna Sizemore Heizer said, “including overcrowded classrooms in schools, transportation issues, safety concerns from the use of trailers, staffing problems, split feeders and much, much more.”

Routine boundary reviews, according to the county’s website describing the changes to the policy, can have a positive impact on the budget, prevent overcrowding and make sure teacher-to-student ratios are appropriate. Board member Mary Anderson said the division has 44 schools that are either over capacity already or will be by 2029. The county, she said, already reviews boundaries and capacity every year and “our statistics last year were 99.9% accurate.”

“We all understand that this is a sensitive topic,” Anderson said.

Students react: ‘I’m afraid’

In the public comment portion of Thursday’s meeting, several students said they’re worried about having to switch schools as a result of a future review.

“Not only would I have to leave the school that I have dreamed about attending since moving from New Jersey to Virginia, but I’m afraid that I’ll also have to leave behind friends,” one student said.

A Cooper Middle School student, meanwhile, told the school board that if they “care about our emotional well-being and the bond of our community, and our academic performance, it would be best to give a careful consideration and get feedback from the community.”

The policy update, according to Sizemore Heizer, includes “a much more robust public engagement process before, during and after decisions are made,” she said.

Teacher Emily VanDerhoff said the county can’t keep adjusting boundaries on a school-by-school basis as they become overcrowded.

“This does not mean that every school will change boundaries every five years,” she said. “But hopefully a regular review will help the district stay responsive to the new developments and population shifts.”