The FCCPS School Board convened a special meeting on May 5, 2025 to discuss the FY27 budget in light of new information from the Falls Church City Council's budget markup the previous evening.

Board Chair Kathleen Tysse opened the meeting with positive news: the city's transfer to FCCPS is expected to increase by approximately $350,000, and the longstanding revenue-sharing agreement between the school district and city government appears likely to hold for this budget cycle.

Superintendent Terry Dade and Chief Financial Officer Alicia Prince presented staff recommendations for allocating the additional funds across two categories:

$180,000 — Maintenance of Effort: Addressing rising costs including health insurance (budgeted at 10%, came in at 13%), escalating fuel costs for school buses, and contractual increases.

$174,000 — Facilities Improvement Contingency Fund: Originally designated for the Capital Improvement Plan, this funding will be held in reserve to respond to findings from an upcoming Facilities Condition Assessment (FCA). The assessment is currently out to bid, with building evaluations planned for this summer and results expected by approximately October 1.

Board members also received an update on the Meridian High School concession stand renovation, which is under contract and set to be completed by November 1.

The Board will hold a public comment period before a final budget vote, currently scheduled for Tuesday, May 12, following the City Council's formal transfer vote on May 11.

Note: Audio distortion affects the first five minutes of this episode. The remainder of the session is clear.

Artificial intelligence took center stage at Tuesday's FCCPS School Board work session — and the community showed up ready for the conversation.

The FCCPS AI Advisory Committee, led by Chair John Black, delivered a months-in-the-making framework for how the district should approach AI governance: not a blanket ban, not uncritical adoption, but a thoughtful policy architecture that governs how AI is used — not just which tools are permitted. The board then heard from five advisory committees, each bringing a distinct community lens.

The Special Education Advisory Committee drew a clear line: AI must never be used to generate IEPs or 504 plans or influence eligibility decisions — while affirming its real potential as an assistive and instructional tool for neurodivergent learners. The Advanced Academics committee raised concerns about cognitive offloading, AI hallucinations, and automated grading. The Business and Education, Health and Wellness, and ESOL committees each weighed in with perspectives that, despite coming from very different places, landed in remarkably similar territory: human-centered learning, AI as supplement not substitute, and teachers who are genuinely prepared to lead the way.

The second half of the session turned to cell phone policy implementation at Meridian High School, with Principal Peter Laub presenting two options for next school year and sharing ground-level observations that suggest the cultural shift is already taking hold.

Key topics from the meeting included the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, the city's revenue-sharing agreement, and the adoption of new policies on student electronic devices and staff evaluations.

Meeting Highlights:

• FY27 Budget Update: The Board discussed concerns regarding the city's potential shift away from the long-standing revenue-sharing agreement and the impact on funding for specialized student needs, such as special education and mental health services.

• Policy Adoptions: The Board officially adopted Policy JTEC, which imposes a bell-to-bell ban on student use of personal electronic devices (effective July 1, 2026), in line with new state law, and Policy GCQA, which addresses non-school employment for staff.

• Math Acceleration Discussion: Board members engaged in a detailed conversation about math pathways, algebra readiness, and ensuring equitable access to advanced coursework for middle and high school students.

• Superintendent’s Report: Dr. Terry Dade shared updates on new state legislation benefiting IB transfer students, ongoing discussions regarding campus parking, and the upcoming AI Town Hall this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at the Falls Church Community Center.

First reading of an amended cell phone policy to comply with Virginia's new bell-to-bell ban (SB 108), effective July 1, 2026. Implementation details coming at the April 28 work session. The Board also adopted the 2026 VSBA Business Honor Roll resolution and previewed spring priorities, including Wellness Equity and Belonging survey results, the equity report, and AI policy development.

Mount Daniel reading specialists Carly Swanson and Casie DeSantis break down what structured literacy looks like in the classroom and how families can support reading skills at home. They walk through the Amplify CKLA curriculum, demonstrate hands-on activities from Danny folders — including phoneme practice, word-building, fluency passages, and tricky words — and share practical tips for read-alouds and comprehension. Resources, including online decodable books and a phoneme video, are linked at Danny's Corner on the Mount Daniel website.

Mount Daniel's math team shares how mathematics instruction comes to life in the classroom. K–5 Math Specialist Kim Morrow-Leong and Mathematics Coordinator Jen Fessenden explain the math workshop model, collaborative teacher planning, and the process goals woven into Virginia's recently revised Standards of Learning. Hear grade-by-grade highlights for kindergarten through second grade, learn about the newly adopted OP curriculum, and find out how tiered supports help every student build a strong math foundation.

Discover how Oak Street Elementary supports multilingual learners in this informative Principal Coffee session. ESOL teachers Courtney Stayer and Christine Miller team up with Director of Equity Dr. Jennifer Santiago to explain the comprehensive services available to students learning English.

Learn about the student identification process, WIDA ACCESS testing, interpretation services in over 300 languages, and how score reports guide instruction. Bilingual family liaison Pilar Leon shares how she facilitates communication between school and home to ensure every child's academic and social success.

Whether you're a parent of a multilingual learner, a community member interested in ESOL programming, or simply curious about how FCCPS supports its diverse student population, this conversation offers valuable insights into the "small but mighty" ESOL program serving 180 active students across the district.

For questions about ESOL services, contact Dr. Jennifer Santiago at [email protected].

Over 200 Henderson Middle School students gave up their MLK Day to pack 20,000 meals for hurricane survivors in Jamaica — and two of them told the school board exactly what it meant. That's where tonight's meeting begins.

From there, Superintendent Dr. Terry Dade and COO Alicia Prince walk through the unanimous approval of the FY 2026-27 advertised budget — a $71.6 million revenue and spending plan built through months of cuts, collaboration, and careful tradeoffs. Dr. Dade reflects candidly on what the district still needs and why this budget, while lean, holds the line on what matters most: people.

Also in this episode: the WEB Survey is now live (students, staff, and parents — your voice counts), winter sports highlights featuring a state championship wrestler and a 19-3 girls basketball team, and an update on the AI Ad Hoc Committee's path toward a district policy by end of year.

Falls Church City Public Schools | One of nine IB continuum districts in the U.S.

With the FY27 budget adoption just two weeks away, the FCCPS School Board gathered for its fourth and final budget work session — and the conversation was both candid and consequential.

In this session, you'll hear Chief Financial Officer Alicia Prince walk through the latest City of Falls Church tax revenue projections and explain what a potential city tax rate reduction could mean for school funding.

The board also digs into its first annual review of the FCCPS Cell Phone Policy, with real classroom data showing how students and teachers have adapted over the past year — and what pending Virginia legislation could mean for any future changes to the policy.

The FY27 budget comes up for adoption at the March 10th School Board meeting. AI Town Halls are scheduled for March 2nd and April 18th.

Full budget documents are available at fccps.org.

Meet Lisa Mueller and Lauren Lauer — Oak Street Elementary's dynamic Advanced Academics team and, as it turns out, two people who have worked side-by-side for 20 years only to discover they have far more in common than they ever realized (including, most recently, the same doctor).

In this episode of the Oak Street Spotlight series, Lisa and Lauren sit down for an honest, parent-friendly conversation about everything advanced academics at Oak Street. They explain why Falls Church City Public Schools uses the term "advanced academics" rather than "gifted," walk through exactly how students are identified in math and language arts, and describe what enrichment actually looks like week to week — from Word Masters vocabulary contests to algebraic thinking in third grade, Shakespeare performances in fourth, and critical thinking deep dives in fifth.

They also tackle the questions families ask most often: What if my child says they're bored? What if their scores are inconsistent? What if they're strong in one area but not the other? Lisa and Lauren bring clarity, candor, and no small amount of humor to each one.

You'll also hear how Math Olympiad, Continental Math League, and Odyssey of the Mind extend learning beyond the classroom — and why, at the end of the day, your child's classroom teacher remains the most important person in their advanced academic journey.

Closing thought from the team: Be curious, not judgmental. (Yes, that's Ted Lasso. Yes, it belongs in an education podcast.)