Summer is officially over for tens of thousands of Northern Virginia students as many are returning to the classroom for the new school year.
From saving on school supplies to the impact of federal cuts, the WTOP team is studying up on hot-button topics in education across the D.C. region. Follow on air and online in our series, “WTOP Goes Back to School” this August and September.
Monday marks the first day of school for both Fairfax and Prince William counties, the state’s two largest school districts.
Middle and high school teachers in Fairfax will be using a new grading policy, as new cellphone rules will be put in place.
Instead of early release Mondays for Fairfax elementary school students, those days will fall on Wednesday this year. There will be eight early release days throughout the school year, allowing teachers sufficient planning time.
The district switched days this year in response to scheduling challenges that resulted from Monday holidays.
Weapons scanners roll out in Fairfax Co.
When middle and high school students arrive on campus each morning in Fairfax County, they’ll have to walk through weapons detectors. The division launched a pilot program last spring, putting the technology at different high school campuses on various days.
Calls for stronger security measures became stronger after a stabbing at West Potomac High School in April. Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid recently told families the software will be in all middle and high schools by this fall.
She said she’s hoping it becomes “another seamless part of our safety and security procedures.”
The district studied different software and tools for weapons detection, Reid said, and found OpenGate to be the product that was most mobile and nimble.
“We had always intended to phase those in over time, over all of our schools,” she told WTOP while at Centreville High School.
Junior Aidan Kownacki said while it’s a measure that aims to keep students safe, “it is going to be a little bit annoying to have to take out binder, computer every morning. But it could definitely help me feel safer at school.”
Senior Daniel Ahn, meanwhile, said “nobody wants to be scared of this type of stuff at school. I just hope that it doesn’t make it really hard to get into the school, like everyone funneling through some of the doors.”
Separately, as part of safety initiatives, Reid said buses have turn-by-turn tablets and there’s going to be a way of carding on and off buses so drivers know who’s on the bus and “who maybe shouldn’t be on the bus.”
Students react to new cellphone policy
Fairfax County high school students aren’t allowed to use their cellphones in between classes this year, as part of a change to the division’s cellphone policy.
Elementary and middle schoolers with phones will have to put them away for the entire school day.
Senior Sienna Lucas said students will “learn more, hopefully, without having cellphones on themselves.”
But Senior Madysan Rich said while phones should be restricted during the school day, “I think we can have phones out in the hallway.”
Meanwhile, senior Brady Conway said while he understands why the new rules are in place, “I can’t agree with it.”
Junior Devyn Greene said she’s “definitely a little upset about it, and I know most students are, but I can see why they did that.”
Few staffing vacancies, superintendent says
Fairfax County has less than 1% of positions to fill, Reid said.
“We’re pretty much fully staffed, and we’re excited about that,” she said. “Everyone benefits when we’re fully staffed.”
Reid cited the work of the district’s HR department and word of mouth as contributing factors to having few vacancies.
“Recruitment and retention is a year-round task anymore,” Reid said. “We start early, and honestly, we’ll continue recruiting throughout the year.”
New career-based programs for Prince William Co. students
As for Prince William County Public Schools, it’s opening the 2025-2026 school year with new technology for middle school students, a new cellphone policy, two medical-based career certification programs, and a focus on providing a positive learning environment for students.
With 100 schools and programs, PWCPS is expecting almost 90,000 students this year, 13,000 full-time employees, and no bus driver vacancies.
Starting this year, all middle schools have new iPads for students. Occoquan Elementary School is on track to become the county’s first net-zero school, opening this winter.
The school system said it’s continuing to prioritize a positive climate and culture in schools. Each middle and high school will have a dean of students to support school leaders in maintaining consistency across all schools.
A division-wide, cellphone-free policy is in place: In elementary school, devices must be off and stored away all day. Dual-purpose watches can be worn, but cellular features must be turned off.
For middle and high schools, devices must be off and away during the bell-to-bell day but can be used before and after school. Exceptions can be made for students with IEPs, 50 plans, or safety plans.
New Pharmacy Technician and EMT programs in Prince William Co.
Starting Monday, as part of its Career and Technical Education curriculum, the school system is offering a pharmacy technician program at Freedom High School and new emergency medical technician programs at Unity Reed and Brentsville District High School.
“Pharmacy techs are in high demand,” said Jessica Doiron, administrative coordinator for specialty programs at Freedom High School. “It’s a medical-based industry, and we have a lot of students who are very interested in medical fields.”
The four-year program of study includes Introduction of Health and Medical Sciences, Medical Terminology, Pharmacy Technician 1 and Pharmacy Technician 2.
“By their senior year, they will have to spend some clinical hours in a pharmacy,” said Doiron. “We have community partners, like CVS, where our students will actually gain hands-on experience.”
Doiron said students who finish the program can earn a certificate that would allow them to work in a pharmacy. If a student wanted to further their education, they could continue into college and ultimately become a Doctor of Pharmacy.
Also new this year, 11th and 12th grade students at Unity Reed and Brentsville District High School can get a hands-on introduction to a career as an EMT.
According to PWCPS, “Students explore and apply the fundamentals of emergency medical services (EMS), anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology while demonstrating skills in assessing and managing patient care, including the understanding of medical emergencies, trauma, shock, and resuscitation.”
“There are opportunities, careers that exist out there that you can actually start, right out of high school,” said Doiron. “And that’s extremely important to a lot of our students.”
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