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  • Fairfax Co. students say mental health is getting better, though concerns remain – WTOP News

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    Fewer Fairfax County students have reported mental health concerns since the peak of the pandemic, but there are still lingering worries about student wellness and bullying.

    Fewer Fairfax County students in Virginia have reported mental health concerns since the peak of the pandemic — but there are still lingering worries about student wellness and bullying.

    At last week’s school board meeting, Superintendent Michelle Reid detailed the findings of the 2024 Fairfax County Youth Survey.

    For one, mental health indicators, such as levels of stress, prolonged feelings of sadness or hopelessness and suicidal ideation and attempts improved among eighth, 10th and 12th graders last year. Those factors have continued to improve since 2021, Reid said, and reached their lowest levels in the last decade.

    Seventeen percent of eighth, 10th and 12th graders reported constant stress, according to survey data, and 22% reported feeling sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row, which is down from 25% in 2023, 29% in 2022 and 38% in 2021.

    “This is full of very, very good news,” Board member Robyn Lady said. “It’s post-COVID. Our kids are, I’m hoping, learning to live in discomfort a little better and understand that … we don’t get up every morning and we’re jazzed about everything that’s going to happen in that day.”

    However, Reid said, female students, nonbinary students, LGBTQ students and those who are from food-insecure homes reported higher rates of depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts compared to other students.

    “We still have work to do in providing that safe space for many of our students,” Reid said.

    Counseling staff and school leaders are working on making sure school environments are safe, supportive and welcoming, Reid said, but “there’s a great deal of external rhetoric right now around topics that create feelings of a lack of safety, particularly for our transgender and nonbinary students.”

    Because mental health concerns are often reported in middle school, Reid said the district has tried to be proactive, by offering things like new middle school sports teams. Staff members also get trained in recognizing the signs of suicidal ideation and risky behavior.

    Reported rates of students using alcohol and substances was the lowest since 2018, Reid said, including for use of alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and vaping.

    One out of 10 eighth, 10th and 12th graders reported getting bullied on a school campus in the last year, similar to the rate reported in 2023, Reid said. Younger students were more likely to report being bullied than older kids.

    “We have work to do in this area,” Reid said.

    The youth survey is voluntary and given to eighth, 10th and 12th graders. Last year, almost 30,000 students took it. A different version that’s also optional is given to sixth grade students.

    “This is always a bittersweet report to read, because there’s positive movement in many directions,” Board member Kyle McDaniel said. “But until we get to zero, it’s not enough.”

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Scott Gelman

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  • Downtown DC holiday market returns, as does separate Dupont Circle variation – WTOP News

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    The beloved DowntownDC Holiday Market returns this winter with 100+ local vendors near Capital One Arena. Meanwhile, Dupont Circle is bringing back its own holiday market along New Hampshire Ave — giving shoppers even more ways to celebrate the season.

    The popular Downtown D.C. holiday market is scheduled to make its annual return in less than a month, and a separate market is planning to open in a different part of the city again this winter.

    The DowntownD.C. Holiday Market is scheduled to open daily starting Nov. 21. It’ll open in its usual location — on F Street NW, between 7th and 9th streets, near Capital One Arena.

    It will have different hours for weekdays and weekends and remain open for holiday shopping until Dec. 23.

    Speaking to a full room of city leaders and market supporters at Carmine’s Restaurant on Monday afternoon, Mayor Muriel Bowser said last year’s Downtown market averaged almost 11,000 people every day.

    “What we know is how resilient our economy has proven, even given all of the different things that have come at us,” Bowser said.

    This year, there will be 119 total vendors at the Downtown market, including 23 new ones. One booth in particular will display products that are made and manufactured in D.C., and another will celebrate businesses east of the Anacostia River.

    There will be 15 food and drink vendors, including the S’mores N’ More’s hot chocolate, which received notable attention on social media last year, according to Gerren Price, president and CEO of the DowntownD.C. Business Improvement District.

    It’s free to walk through the market, and it will feature live music Thursdays through Sundays.

    “This market is incredibly diverse,” Price said. “The vast majority of the vendors that are represented in our market are locally owned, women owned, BIPOC owned and/or LGBTQIA+ owned.”

    Police Chief Pamela Smith said D.C. police will have an even greater presence near the DowntownD.C. Holiday Market than last year. The agency will again redeploy recruit officers currently assigned at the D.C. police academy to “bolster our visibility in our city and certainly in the commercial corridor areas.”

    The DowntownD.C. Business Improvement District, which includes the stretch where the market sets up, has reported a 21% drop in violent crime, Smith said.

    The competitor up the street

    While this year will be the DowntownD.C. Holiday Market 21st anniversary, a separate market is being planned for Dupont Circle.

    Bill McLeod, executive director of the Dupont Circle Business Improvement District, said while the group hasn’t received the permit yet, it’s planning a holiday market along New Hampshire Avenue.

    Last year’s D.C. Holiday Market in Dupont Circle was run by Diverse Markets Management, which used to run the Penn Quarter market.

    Now, Makers Show runs the DowntownD.C. Holiday Market. Price said Monday that the new group “brought a new infrastructure, a brand new look and aesthetic, new social media channels and a website, and a renewed commitment to secure an even more diverse group of vendors.”

    The D.C. Holiday Market in Dupont Circle rose as a competitor to the iconic Penn Quarter market, boasting its tables of vendors and exhibits as another option for the city’s residents.

    Its website says the market is set to open from Nov. 14 to Dec. 23.

    The National Mistletoe at Anthem Row is also returning, with the goal of setting a Guinness World Record for most kisses under the mistletoe.

    The Winter Skate Spectacular is also back at the National Building Museum, with themed skate nights and opportunities for D.C. Public School kids to skate for free daily.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Scott Gelman

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  • ‘Very frustrating’: DC leaders urge council to adopt stricter curfew after rise in ‘juvenile activity’ – WTOP News

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    In response to a surge in juvenile-related incidents, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Pamela Smith are urging the D.C. Council to reinstate and strengthen the juvenile curfew.

    D.C.’s mayor and police chief are urging the city’s council to again adopt a stricter juvenile curfew, in response to a spike in what’s being described as “juvenile activity.”

    At an unrelated event Monday, Police Chief Pamela Smith said the uptick has been reported over the last few weekends.

    Since it expired, Mayor Muriel Bowser has called for lawmakers to adopt a curfew similar to the one implemented over the summer. That curfew started at 11 p.m. and came in response to large gatherings that Bowser and Smith said sometimes resulted in crime.

    A recent proposal described plans for an even stricter version of the city’s existing juvenile curfew. It would apply to everyone under 18 and allow Smith to create designated zones in which an 8 p.m. curfew for large groups could be implemented. But the measure was delayed during a council meeting earlier this month.

    Bowser’s and Smith’s concerns came after reports of shootings and carjackings in the nation’s capital. Twelve people were shot in seven separate incidents, a police spokesman said, and there were several carjackings. Three people have been arrested and charged with having a gun, though nobody has officially been charged in any of the weekend’s shootings.

    “Right now, they don’t feel like there’s any accountability,” Smith said. “So they’re starting to do the same thing all over again, and it is very frustrating.”

    Smith said police have been reviewing crime trends ever since the council delayed taking action on the stricter curfew. The emergency legislation, which Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto introduced, would allow the curfew plan to remain in place until the end of the year.

    Days after the proposed legislation stalled, Smith said, “The young people came out. They started putting flyers out, and really began to participate in that same behavior that they had before. It’s a challenge for us because we’re short resources.”

    While Smith said the agency has “federal partners helping in this space,” police are returning to many places they’ve been before, ensuring the proper help is in place.

    Though President Donald Trump’s crime emergency in D.C. has expired, federal officers and agents have remained. Bowser said Monday the number of federal police in D.C. has not gone down “precipitously.”

    Juvenile crime becoming increasingly ‘predictable’

    In some cases, kids are putting flyers on social media with a call to action. They’re usually organizing meetups to fight, Smith said, “and that has to stop, and so we’ll continue to monitor social media pages.”

    In one recent instance near Rhode Island Avenue, Smith said a large group of kids stopped a man’s car. He got out and tried to move them out of the way, Smith said, “and then they ended up assaulting him.” As the man left the car, two kids jumped into it, Smith said. There are 10 to 12 young people that police are investigating in connection with the incident.

    Meanwhile, Smith said one shooting Friday started with a fight at Kelly Miller Middle School between two groups of girls. The school de-escalated the situation, but the groups then met in front of a different school and fought again. One person tried to break up the fight, and Smith said a young person pulled out a gun, “discharging the firearm.”

    Each of the 12 people shot last weekend is expected to survive, a D.C. police spokesman said.

    “What we saw over the weekend was unacceptable,” Bowser said. “But sadly, it was predictable with young people wiling out, because they got the message that they could, and they are.”

    The juvenile curfew, Bowser said, has been “effective in deterring these large groups of young people congregating, who may have guns and who may use guns.”

    Under the summer variation of the curfew, groups of nine or more kids weren’t allowed to congregate in an area designated as a special curfew zone between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.

    A roundtable on the proposal to extend the more strict juvenile curfew and curfew zones is scheduled for Thursday morning.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Scott Gelman

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  • Program aims to eliminate this ‘significant barrier’ for women battling breast cancer – WTOP News

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    Andrea Sweetney, of D.C., is one of the thousands of women who have benefited from the Wheels for Women initiative, which through Lyft, offers free rides to and from breast cancer screenings.

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    Program aims to eliminate this ‘significant barrier’ for women battling breast cancer

    Almost a year ago, Andrea Sweetney, of D.C., was frozen with fear. Who would give her rides to and from her appointments for breast cancer treatments?

    Sweetney, who lives in Southeast, was diagnosed with breast cancer last October. She was nervous and started looking for things to give away, and she worried about the impact of the diagnosis on her family and friends.

    Then someone pointed her to the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention, a partner of the Wheels for Women program. Some of her stress was alleviated when she learned she wouldn’t have to rely on her family for rides to and from appointments.

    With a quick phone call, Sweetney has been able to arrange to be picked up from her home and taken to MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Another call when the appointment is finished arranges her transportation home.

    Sweetney is one of the thousands of women who have benefited from the Wheels for Women initiative, which through Lyft, offers free rides to and from breast cancer screenings or other related appointments. And now, the Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer has partnered with D.C.’s Department of Health, expanding its reach.

    “I just hope and pray that everybody can get the help that I was able to get, and get the transportation back and forth,” Sweetney said.

    For Sweetney, the free rides meant her daughter didn’t have to rearrange her schedule or take time off from work. It also meant her other daughter, who lives in Atlanta, didn’t have to fly to D.C. to get her to appointments.

    Since 2019, the Brem Foundation has provided more than 4,800 free rides to patients, according to CEO Clare Dougherty. So far this year, it’s provided almost 1,400, surpassing the organization’s goal for the year.

    “Transportation, unfortunately for many women, is a significant barrier to accessing their breast cancer screening,” Dougherty said.

    The group has 18 partners in the D.C. region and in Baltimore, and it works with health care providers “that have skilled patient navigators who can help us identify the women most at risk in their practices for potentially missing a screening appointment due to transportation limitations,” Dougherty said.

    The Brem Foundation provides grants to cover the rides and collects data on who is taking them. Dougherty said 70% of riders are “Latina women who often just are struggling with limited insurance and limited health care.”

    Ride costs have fluctuated, and Dougherty said it’s $27 on average one way, and $35 roundtrip.

    “But if you have to go for several appointments, for some women, that truly can be the difference between, ‘am I going to get groceries this week or cover the cost of dinner tonight for my family, or go for my screening appointment?’” Dougherty said. “We feel very strongly that women should not have to make such tradeoffs.”

    The new partnership with D.C. Health enables the organization to cover the cost of the rides for patients using them, so the local health agency doesn’t have to pay, Dougherty said,

    D.C. Health has seen a rising need for transit services to screening appointments, she said.

    Sweetney, meanwhile, is hoping to pay it forward.

    “There are some women scared to go to the hospital, scared to reach out, because they have nobody there for them,” Sweetney said. “I’m willing to help you. I really am because it was a scary situation for me.”

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Scott Gelman

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  • Fairfax County concerned about impact of proposed cuts to homeland security funding – WTOP News

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    Leaders in Fairfax County are seeking more information about the impact of proposed homeland security grant cuts that could leave the D.C. region without millions of dollars

    Leaders in Fairfax County, Virginia, are seeking more information about the impact of proposed homeland security grant cuts that could leave the D.C. region without the tens of millions of dollars it considers vital to keep the area safe.

    Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay said President Donald Trump’s administration notified local leaders over the summer that there would a 40% cut to the grants. But recently, they learned the cuts amount to 90% of total homeland security grant funding.

    The Washington Post first reported news of the proposed cuts, which could result in a loss of more than $40 million.

    WTOP has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

    “This is really critical, obviously, in a region like the DMV, where very sensitive incidents can occur very quickly,” McKay said.

    The grant funding, McKay said, helped reimburse the D.C.-area jurisdictions that sent law enforcement and first responders to help after the deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport earlier this year. It helps the localities either pay overtime for responders that help with major incidents or backfill positions while personnel are responding to a major emergency.

    “If nothing changes here, and this 90% cut goes into place, it’ll have an effect of having every local government look at whether or not they say yes or no to requests for assistance,” McKay said. “What that does is put all of us at risk. It puts our first responders at risk. It puts victims in some of these instances at risk.”

    D.C. and 11 other states filed a lawsuit in response to the proposed cuts, and a federal judge in Rhode Island ruled that the cuts couldn’t be made while the lawsuit proceeds. McKay called it alarming that Virginia was not one of the states that joined the lawsuit.

    In addition to reimbursement for first responders, McKay said the grants help pay for terrorist response training, camera networks, integrated radio systems, hazardous material detection and emergency alert systems.

    “Over time, what we’ll find out is if those funds go away, you’re going to have local governments not investing in some of those systems, which puts everybody at risk,” McKay said. “And you’re going to have local governments, when called upon in a critical incident, potentially say, ‘We’re going to have to pass on this one.’”

    Clint Osborn, director of D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, said the cuts are part of Urban Area Security Initiative funding, which helps prepare for, prevent and respond to terrorism and other threats across the region.

    “These funds are vital to the overall emergency preparedness and response capabilities where our threat level remains high, and where events designated as National Special Security Events occur frequently,” Osborn said in a statement. “The District will be requesting to the Trump Administration a full restoration of these potential devastating cuts.”

    In Fairfax, McKay and the board asked County Executive Bryan Hill to report how much in reimbursements could potentially be lost and what programs, training and equipment may no longer be available if they can’t be paid for with local funding.

    Mutual aid agreements, which allow jurisdictions such as Fairfax to send first responders to an incident that may be just outside of their borders, won’t be affected by the proposed cuts, McKay said.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Scott Gelman

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  • Furloughed IRS worker describes consequences of government shutdown – WTOP News

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    Emily Gross, a furloughed worker at the Internal Revenue Service, said many of her colleagues are concerned about how long the government shutdown could last.

    Young federal government employees who are just starting their careers are concerned about their ability to pay for necessities such as rent if they miss a paycheck because of the government shutdown, a furloughed worker told WTOP.

    Emily Gross, who’s a furloughed government employee who works at the Internal Revenue Service, said many of her colleagues are concerned about how long the shutdown could last.

    “A lot of the employees are young,” Gross said, before casting an early ballot at the Fairfax County Government Center last week. “They can’t pay rent if they don’t get one paycheck. They just don’t have that much money in savings; they’re at the beginning of their careers. I just don’t think it’s right.”

    The shutdown entered its 14th day on Tuesday, and House Speaker Mike Johnson said earlier this week that it could become the longest shutdown in history. While the Senate returned from holiday break, Johnson hasn’t yet called House lawmakers back to D.C. Democrats are hoping to prevent Affordable Care Act subsidies from expiring.

    Last weekend, Vice President JD Vance warned there could be more cuts to the federal workforce the longer the government is shut down. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been furloughed during the shutdown, and the situation has also resulted in closed Smithsonian museums and delays at airports across the country.

    The IRS, meanwhile, furloughed almost half its workforce last week. Most of the agency’s operations are closed during the shutdown.

    “Fortunately, I’m safe right now financially, just because my children are grown and my husband has a good job,” Gross said. “But a lot of the people I work with are not, and they’re really, really worried.”

    Gross said the circumstances surrounding the current shutdown are frustrating because, “Congress is being paid, and they had no say in this. I don’t think it’s fair. It’s been hard to be a federal employee this entire year.”

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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  • On the Move: Why the DC region is getting more diverse – WTOP News

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    Immigration and intermarriage are helping the D.C. region become more diverse, experts said.

    This story is Part 1 of WTOP’s three-part series “On the Move: The D.C. region’s population trends.”

    Immigration and intermarriage are helping the D.C. region become more diverse, experts said.

    According to a WTOP analysis of recent census data, neighborhoods across D.C., Maryland and Virginia are all reporting increases in their Hispanic and Asian populations.

    In D.C. and Maryland specifically, immigration is the only factor preventing a population decline, according to Michael Bader, director of the 21st Century Cities Initiative at Johns Hopkins University.

    From July 1, 2023 to July 1, 2024, D.C. reported an additional 3,475 people who identify as Asian and 4,514 more people who identify as Hispanic.

    Over that same period in Montgomery County, Maryland, there were 1,746 more people who identify as Asian and 1,723 more people who identify as Hispanic. Nearby Prince George’s County added 1,235 people who identify as Asian and almost 10,000 people identifying as Hispanic.

    In Fairfax County, Virginia, there were 4,757 more people who identify as Hispanic and 6,851 more people who identify as Asian. Prince William and Loudoun counties both reported increases as well.

    “Immigration is really fascinating,” said Hamilton Lombard, a demographer at the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center. “The level of immigration we had, it’s hard to say that’s going to continue its influence. When you look at some of the race ethnicity data, immigrants were heavily coming in from Latin America, some are from Asia. That’s really where you see growth.”

    There’s been a “large influx of Latinos” into Maryland, especially from Central America, Bader said. People coming from Central America tend to be younger, and they’re at the time of their lives when they’re more likely to have kids.

    “The region is likely to continue to become increasingly more racially diverse,” Bader said.

    “I do have concerns and curiosity about how the population will change with the current federal administration policies, both related to immigration, but also changes to the federal workforce.”

    It’s going to take several years, Bader said, before the impact can be understood, especially because the 2024 data is from before President Donald Trump’s administration took office.

    Meanwhile, intermarriage is contributing to diversity too.

    About two in five kids born in the U.S. have a parent who has a different racial, ethnic identity than the other parent, Lombard said. So when the population of the D.C. region is diversifying, “most of that’s happening organically. Immigration is a factor, but it’s actually most simply happening through intermarriage.”

    “When you look at race data for the D.C. area, you look at race data nationally, you notice this sort of incredible gradient where the older population tends to identify as one race or ethnicity,” Lombard said. “When you look at the younger population, increasingly, they’re checking multiple boxes, and that’s something we’ll probably see continue happening in the next couple decades.”

    A lot of the D.C. region’s population growth is tied to “the record level of immigration we had in the last couple years of the Biden administration,” Lombard said.

    “If you didn’t have immigration, the region’s population would be declining,” he said.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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  • DC region could be doing more to attract, retain teachers for most vulnerable students, report finds – WTOP News

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    The D.C. region could be doing more to attract and retain special education and English language learner teachers, according to a new analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality.

    The D.C. region could be doing more to attract and retain special education and English language teachers, according to a new analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality.

    The report found that Hawaii is the only state that pays special education teachers enough to “make a meaningful difference” in attracting new educators into the classroom.

    In the D.C. area, Heather Peske, the council’s president, said incentives are critical, because D.C. and Maryland are in the top 10 jurisdictions with the highest proportion of English language learning students.

    Broadly, “the stakes are really high right now,” Peske said.

    “We see chronic shortages of special education and English learner teachers, and this means that students miss out on the effective instruction they need,” she said. “What we see in the data is that students with disabilities and English learners face persistent and troubling academic disparities, because we’re not giving them enough access to effective teachers.”

    The report considered different factors — including compensation, financial incentives such as loan forgiveness and licensure tests — to determine how districts could attract and retain teachers.

    D.C. is offering strong professional learning to English learner and special education teachers, Peske said. However, the city “could be doing much more when it comes to offering financial incentives.”

    Maryland, she said, does a good job of providing specific standards for teacher and principal preparation programs, but similarly falls short for providing financial incentives. Virginia, according to Peske, does well in providing standards and expectations for teacher and principal preparation.

    “D.C., Maryland and Virginia all could be doing much more when it comes to offering financial incentives, differentiated pay, for example, for teachers of English learners and teachers who teach special education,” Peske said.

    Offering more money or a loan forgiveness program helps to boost the number of teachers that can be drawn to a district or state, Peske said.

    Stronger preparation programs, compensation and other financial incentives can help states “really tackle persistent special ed and English language teacher vacancies,” Peske said.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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  • Loudoun Co. students’ suspension on hold while legal action over locker room incident proceeds – WTOP News

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    A Loudoun County student’s suspension is on hold while litigation over whether the punishment was warranted moves forward, a federal judge ruled Friday.

    A Loudoun County student’s suspension is on hold while litigation over whether the punishment was warranted moves forward, a federal judge ruled Friday.

    The ruling comes after two students’ families filed a lawsuit against the Northern Virginia school district, alleging the kids were wrongfully punished for speaking out about an incident in a school locker room. During the encounter, they said a transgender student identifying as male recorded them in a locker room at Stone Bridge High School.

    The students had been suspended for 10 days for harassment. And in a new court filing this week, the school system described incidents in which the two students harassed the other student before the incident in the locker room.

    The Washington Post was first to report on the filing.

    “These boys never directly spoke with the complainant, and so our boys were merely complaining that there was a biological girl in their locker room,” said Victoria Cobb, president of the Founding Freedoms Law Center. “The school has decided to make them political pawns in a battle over ideology.”

    In court documents, the school system said witnesses describe threatening incidents or behavior in gym class and school hallways.

    In an 11-second video, a speaker is heard saying “girl boy” several times. The student who filed the complaint said the two boys said to “get out” of the locker room and was referred to as “it” during P.E. class.

    According to the court files, investigators spoke to Loudoun County Public School staff members and a variety of student witnesses.

    The locker room incident prompted some community members to speak out, and resulted in a federal Department of Education investigation. The agency found Loudoun County violated Title IX and retaliated against the boys, who expressed concern about being recorded by a transgender boy in the boys’ locker room.

    The incident has also been referenced as the Education Department found bathroom policies at five Northern Virginia school districts violate Title IX. The agency said policies that allow students to use facilities based on their gender identity rather than biological sex violate the law. The families’ lawsuit seeks to end that school system policy in Loudoun County.

    A recording of the locker room incident, documents said, reveals a series of comments the two boys made, including things such as “there’s a girl,” “why is there a girl?”

    Reviewers described in documents as “independent decision makers” ruled that the two boys had sexually harassed the student.

    “Our clients never spoke to the female student,” Cobb, the boys’ attorney, said. “They only expressed confusion and discomfort about having a girl in the boys locker room.”

    After Friday’s ruling, Cobb said one of the two students can remain in school while the case progresses. The other moved away from the area, but Cobb said it’s “about their student record more than a suspension.”

    In a statement on Friday, a spokesman for Loudoun County schools said the division acknowledges “the court’s decision today and will prepare for the next steps in this matter. We remain committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment for all students.”

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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  • The DC region is becoming more diverse. Where are Latinos moving? – WTOP News

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    The D.C. region is becoming increasingly diverse, and it’s drawing a large number of Latinos because of the opportunities available, experts said.

    WTOP celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month this Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, with stories spotlighting the contributions, culture and accomplishments of Hispanic communities across the D.C. region.

    The D.C. region is becoming increasingly diverse, and it’s drawing a large number of Latinos in because of the opportunities available, experts said.

    According to a WTOP analysis of 2024 census data released this summer, every D.C.-area suburb added to its Hispanic population. In Virginia, Fairfax County reported the largest increase of people who identify as Hispanic. In Maryland, Prince George’s County saw the biggest hike.

    Gabriel Moreno, chief executive officer of the Maryland-based immigration nonprofit Luminus Network, said census data revealed that in many cases, children are being born to at least one of two parents who identify as Hispanic.

    Part of the growth, Moreno said, can be attributed to people telling family members and friends that there’s a large Latino population in the D.C. region.

    In-state college tuition after graduating from high school is also an attractive perk, and because of the large existing population, it’s “a lot easier for folks that are trying to learn English in a space where they’re also comfortable with their native language,” Moreno said.

    Takoma Park and Silver Spring in Maryland stand out as areas with concentrated Latino growth, Moreno said. In Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, there are more politicians who identify as Hispanic or Latino, which means “if they have an issue in their community, in their neighborhoods, they feel more comfortable, likely reaching out to someone that looks like them,” he said.

    Frederick County, Maryland, added about 1,700 people to its Hispanic population last year, according to census data. Montgomery County added more than 6,500 people, and Prince George’s County added almost 10,000.

    In Virginia, Arlington added 1,323 people who identified as Hispanic. Fairfax County added more than 4,700, Loudoun County added 1,388 and Prince William County added 3,363, according to the 2024 census data.

    Terry Clower, director at George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis, said the region is an attractive place to settle down because of opportunity.

    The D.C. region is largely wealthy, despite the challenges it’s been experiencing, Clower said. That means many residents spend money in restaurants, for landscaping and repairing homes, “which are those occupations that are most easily accessible for recent immigrants,” he said.

    While Clower said some may consider that a downside, “in the reality, it’s a part of what we need to grow. You want to grow your economy. You want to grow things.”

    In the years after the pandemic, Clower said there was a “real surge” of international migration. It was dominated by people coming to the region from Central or South America, he said, a trend that’s been true “for a long time.”

    Most migrants are “not coming in to purchase homes,” Clower said; and therefore they’re not directly impacting the demand of houses for sale.

    Moreno, meanwhile, said many families are returning to the multifamily home model. There could be two or three generations living in a home, largely because of housing costs.

    “You’re starting to see a lot of family units kind of stay together, and it actually gives them a better position as far as, for example, buying a house,” Moreno said.

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  • The DC region is becoming more diverse. Where are Latinos moving? – WTOP News

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    The D.C. region is becoming increasingly diverse, and it’s drawing a large number of Latinos because of the opportunities available, experts said.

    WTOP celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month this Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, with stories spotlighting the contributions, culture and accomplishments of Hispanic communities across the D.C. region.

    The D.C. region is becoming increasingly diverse, and it’s drawing a large number of Latinos in because of the opportunities available, experts said.

    According to a WTOP analysis of 2024 census data released this summer, every D.C.-area suburb added to its Hispanic population. In Virginia, Fairfax County reported the largest increase of people who identify as Hispanic. In Maryland, Prince George’s County saw the biggest hike.

    Gabriel Moreno, chief executive officer of the Maryland-based immigration nonprofit Luminus Network, said census data revealed that in many cases, children are being born to at least one of two parents who identify as Hispanic.

    Part of the growth, Moreno said, can be attributed to people telling family members and friends that there’s a large Latino population in the D.C. region.

    In-state college tuition after graduating from high school is also an attractive perk, and because of the large existing population, it’s “a lot easier for folks that are trying to learn English in a space where they’re also comfortable with their native language,” Moreno said.

    Takoma Park and Silver Spring in Maryland stand out as areas with concentrated Latino growth, Moreno said. In Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, there are more politicians who identify as Hispanic or Latino, which means “if they have an issue in their community, in their neighborhoods, they feel more comfortable, likely reaching out to someone that looks like them,” he said.

    Frederick County, Maryland, added about 1,700 people to its Hispanic population last year, according to census data. Montgomery County added more than 6,500 people, and Prince George’s County added almost 10,000.

    In Virginia, Arlington added 1,323 people who identified as Hispanic. Fairfax County added more than 4,700, Loudoun County added 1,388 and Prince William County added 3,363, according to the 2024 census data.

    Terry Clower, director at George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis, said the region is an attractive place to settle down because of opportunity.

    The D.C. region is largely wealthy, despite the challenges it’s been experiencing, Clower said. That means many residents spend money in restaurants, for landscaping and repairing homes, “which are those occupations that are most easily accessible for recent immigrants,” he said.

    While Clower said some may consider that a downside, “in the reality, it’s a part of what we need to grow. You want to grow your economy. You want to grow things.”

    In the years after the pandemic, Clower said there was a “real surge” of international migration. It was dominated by people coming to the region from Central or South America, he said, a trend that’s been true “for a long time.”

    Most migrants are “not coming in to purchase homes,” Clower said; and therefore they’re not directly impacting the demand of houses for sale.

    Moreno, meanwhile, said many families are returning to the multifamily home model. There could be two or three generations living in a home, largely because of housing costs.

    “You’re starting to see a lot of family units kind of stay together, and it actually gives them a better position as far as, for example, buying a house,” Moreno said.

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  • DC National Guard director responds to criticism about troops picking up trash during community meeting – WTOP News

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    During a D.C. neighborhood meeting on Thursday, the director of the D.C. National Guard emphasized steps troops are taking to engage with the community and mentor young people, in addition to helping beautify the city.

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    DC National Guard director responds to criticism about troops picking up trash

    The director of the D.C. government Operations for D.C. National Guard emphasized the steps that troops are taking to engage with the community and mentor young people, in addition to helping beautify the city, during a neighborhood meeting in Northeast D.C. on Thursday night.

    Marcus Hunt spoke at the monthly Advisory Neighborhood Commission 7C meeting. He said President Donald Trump enacted the current mission Aug. 11, but it’s separated into two parts — one about safety and one about D.C. beautification.

    Hunt told the crowd at the Deanwood Community Center that he couldn’t speak about the safety part of the mission, but he described the Guard’s monthslong effort to beautify the city.

    Troops are in neighborhoods picking up trash and laying down mulch, specifically in neighborhoods in which Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners have highlighted where they can use the assistance, Hunt said. They also attend events they’re invited to, and have established partnerships to be visible at school events to mentor young people.

    The Guard has done several events in Ward 8, where commissioners invited troops, Hunt said. They’re planning to attend an upcoming event in Ward 4 at Fort Stevens, and they also have a few coming up in Ward 5, he said.

    Separately, Hunt defended the Guard’s current day-to-day responsibilities, suggesting troops are required to execute missions they’re part of.

    It’s “a big waste of our time and tax dollars and of your service,” Commissioner Anthony Lorenzo Green told Hunt. “There’s other ways you can be effective at your job than picking up trash. This is how we feel as a community.”

    Asked to respond to community concerns about whether beautification is the best use of the Guard’s time, Hunt told WTOP, “That’s an opinion-based question.”

    Hunt also faced criticism that the Guard wasn’t responsive to community requests for assistance. About a month ago, Hunt sent a message to ANCs asking how Guard members could best help their neighborhoods.

    After his remarks at the meeting, Hunt said Guard members don’t “go out every day, it’s based off of mission priorities.”

    He said community feedback has been positive, and that “it’s important to know that we live here. We serve here. This is our community, as well. And while I do value the opinions of folks, it’s understandable, but it’s our D.C. National Guard. We are a part of the community.”

    The mission is ongoing during the government shutdown, Hunt said, and he referred a question about whether troops are currently getting paid to the White House.

    Current orders extend through the end of November, Hunt said, but “the president has the authorization to either curtail those orders earlier or extend it.”

    Gerald Hines, who attended Thursday’s meeting, said the First Baptist Church of Deanwood is hoping to get the Guard’s help to clean up its garden area.

    “It’s kind of overgrown right now, and we’re in a need for beautification, which is what I just heard, that Officer Hunt has a program with the National Guard that does that,” Hines said.

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  • Why hundreds of Fairfax Co. elementary schoolers are taking high school math this year – WTOP News

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    Hundreds of sixth graders are enrolled in an Algebra I class, a high school course Fairfax County Public Schools is expanding access to through a pilot program this year.

    After students eagerly entered Amanda Blevins’ classroom at Mosaic Elementary on Thursday afternoon, she returned a graded assignment and then shifted their attention to a series of warmup problems projected in the front of the room.

    The sequence tested students’ knowledge of exponents and order of operations. Blevins called on several students to walk her through how to approach each step and determine a final result.

    Then, Blevins tasked students with roaming the room, solving problems on neon sheets of printer paper attached to the classroom walls. At the same time, she worked with small groups using white boards and erasable markers.

    Blevins has 23 sixth graders enrolled in her Algebra I class, a high school course Fairfax County Public Schools is expanding access to through a pilot program this year. Across the county, there are over 700 sixth graders enrolled.

    “They’re taking several years ahead, which is great, because a lot of them have expressed interest in STEM careers later down the line,” Blevins said. “Getting a head start on some of these higher level math concepts sets them on a path to advanced math as they get into middle school and high school.”

    The pilot program is available for students who took the sixth grade Virginia Standards of Learning math test while in fifth grade and earned a “Pass Advanced” score, while also earning certain scores on other math tests.

    In other school years, about 30 students across all 142 elementary campuses took Algebra I in the sixth grade. It was rare, largely because county middle school campuses largely include only seventh and eighth graders.

    Now, over one-third of the district’s elementary schools are a part of the pilot program.

    “I was really excited and I was kind of worried,” student Mason Lee said. “Because it’s like a high school program, but I’m only in elementary school. I was worried that maybe I wouldn’t do so well as I’d done before, but I’ve been able to keep up pretty well so far.”

    The class, Lee said, “could help me get into maybe a good college.”

    Blevins said the biggest obstacle is helping students fill in gaps that could be caused by skipping two levels of math.

    “We’ve been front-loading a lot of the seventh and eighth grade concepts, and we’re trying to sprinkle that in as we get into the Algebra units too,” Blevins said.

    Yesaswini Perneti Mohan, meanwhile, expressed interest in the class because she found previous math courses to be “really easy.” She said she wants to become a neurosurgeon, and described the class as “what I expected. It’s not that easy or hard. It’s in the middle range.”

    Gavin Wang is an aspiring mathematician, and said whenever he can, “I try to do something that involves harder math.”

    Offering the course was a “heavy lift,” Principal Mahri Aste said, and some parents were nervous about their kids taking a high school course in sixth grade.

    But, Aste said, “it’s been very, very positive. The kids are excited about math. They love it.”

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  • Are Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones’ old texts having an impact on voters’ decisions? – WTOP News

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    Days after Virginia Attorney General Candidate Jay Jones apologized for violent text messages he sent in 2022, some Fairfax County voters said they’re standing by him, while others maintain it’s influenced their choice.

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    Are Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones’ old texts having an impact on voters’ decisions?

    Days after Virginia Attorney General Candidate Jay Jones apologized for violent text messages he sent in 2022, some Fairfax County voters said they’re standing by him, while others say it has influenced their choice.

    In the messages, which recently resurfaced, Jones described a hypothetical scenario in which he would kill then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert. They were sent to Republican House of Delegates candidate Carrie Coyner in 2022.

    Jones recently issued an apology, but Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have called for him to exit the race. Jones is facing Republican incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares on the ballot.

    “Extremely disappointing,” Debbie Lansford said before voting Wednesday at the Fairfax County Government Center. “What people will say in private indicates a lot about who they are. So unfortunate for Jay Jones.”

    Lansford said she’s an independent voter, and thought news of the old messages would impact her vote.

    Donelle Sawyer, meanwhile, said, “I need to know more about it. That’s what I feel like I need to do.”

    In many cases, voters said Wednesday that news of the violent texts didn’t change their approach at the ballot box.

    “It gave me pause when I came here to vote today,” Emily Gross said, though she ultimately said the messages didn’t impact her vote.

    Peter Anderson said the messages are private, and “it is a factor in my decision, but not the determinative factor.” Instead, he said he focused on the policies each candidate supports.

    Early voting in Fairfax County started last month and ends Nov. 1.

    On social media, Trump called Jones a “radical left lunatic” and called for him to drop out of the race “immediately.”

    Jeffrey Switzer, who said he wasn’t going to vote for Jones before the messages resurfaced, said he “can’t believe the guy that wants to be the top cop in Virginia wants to kill his opponents and his opponents’ children. It was a crazy, crazy statement.”

    Christine Watson said she voted for Democrats “straight down the line” because “there have been so many horrible things that has happened, that the Republicans have said. What he said was terrible, but our country is heading in a very bad direction. I’m overlooking it for this time.”

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  • Fairfax Co. extends car tax payment deadline, considers other ways to support federal workers – WTOP News

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    Citing a struggle for many families who call Fairfax County, Virginia, home, the Board of Supervisors considered ways to help support federal workers during the current government shutdown.

    Fairfax County leaders approved a plan on Tuesday to delay the car tax payment deadline by a month and briefly considered additional ways to support federal workers during the current government shutdown.

    While the payment was originally due on Monday, the Board of Supervisors approved a plan to delay the deadline 30 days to Nov. 5. The move came during a special meeting as the shutdown is in its second week.

    “The timing of when taxes became due and the shutdown of the federal government running almost parallel makes this an unprecedented moment, and obviously a struggle for many of our families in Fairfax County,” Chairman Jeff McKay said.

    Virginia’s largest county is home to about 80,000 federal workers, according to its estimates. The move means fines won’t accrue until after the new date, McKay said, but it doesn’t relieve car tax payments for anyone.

    Local governments have the authority to extend the deadline for the car tax payments up to 90 days, and McKay said if the federal government closure continues, “We could consider adding additional days to this. But as we sit here today, we have no idea how long that’s going to last.”

    While the board approved the plan unanimously, Supervisor Pat Herrity said he supported it “with a little bit of heartburn, because I always worry about the people who made the decision to pay our taxes because it was the right thing to do instead of not pay it. But I think we need to do everything we can to help our federal workers.”

    Over 82% of residents paid the car tax by the due date at this time last year, according to Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration Director Jay Doshi.

    Separately, Herrity wondered whether the county could launch a program similar to one used in Maryland to support federal workers. In June, Gov. Wes Moore announced a program that offered former federal workers a $700 interest-free loan that has to be paid 180 days after a loan agreement is signed. Recipients have an option to seek a 90-day extension if there’s still financial hardship, according to a news release.

    “I don’t know if it’s legal for us to do that in Virginia or not (or) what the fiscal impact of that would look like,” Herrity said.

    Citing the Department of Government Efficiency cuts to federal agencies, Supervisor Dan Storck said the board can “make it a little bit easier and help people along the way to balance their budgets or personal budgets.”

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  • Increasing needs of Arlington rehab center creating traffic safety concerns, neighbors say – WTOP News

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    Cherrydale Health and Rehabilitation Center has ramped up its services to residents, meaning more deliveries, causing safety concerns, neighbors say.

    Drivers back large tractor trailers into the parking lot marked “truck exit” at Cherrydale Health and Rehabilitation Center. They often struggle to work around cars parked on the street, and one neighbor said they sometimes hit those vehicles.(WTOP/Scott Gelman)

    Camille Galdes watched on as a truck driver became frustrated at his inability to access the trash bins at the Cherrydale Health and Rehabilitation Center, because a delivery driver had parked and blocked it.

    The driver used an iPad to take a picture of the situation, returned to his truck and left, Galdes said. She suspected he likely had to report to his manager that he couldn’t service the facility.

    The circumstances, though, weren’t a one-off, the community leader said. Drivers back large tractor trailers into the parking lot marked “truck exit.” They often struggle to work around cars parked on the street, and she said they sometimes hit those vehicles. The process takes a while, and could be dangerous for drivers who might not expect large trucks to be there.

    Trucks don’t have a designated delivery area to go to, Galdes said, and sometimes block ambulances from being able to exit.

    When it was built decades ago, Galdes said the rehab center was designed to be a quiet, nursing-home-type residential facility. But since then, she said, it’s evolved to handle more and more medical needs — which means more deliveries.

    “Locally, in the neighborhood, we call it a small hospital,” she said Tuesday.

    It sits at the end of a residential block, lined with single-family homes and cars parked on both sides of the street. The circumstances, Galdes said, are creating safety issues.

    “We hope the best for the residents, but we’re not here to talk about the care that they’re given, whether it’s good, bad or indifferent,” said Cynthia Hilton, vice president of the Cherrydale Citizens Association. “We’re here to talk about the impacts of that facility on the community, which, given the responsibility of the county board to care for this property, is a disappointment, to say the least.”

    WTOP has contacted the center for comment on the community concerns.

    In a statement, an Arlington spokesman said the county takes the quality-of-life issues seriously, and has been working with the center and neighborhood to address complaints.

    “The County remains committed to maintaining an ongoing partnership with the Cherrydale neighborhood,” the statement said.

    But Hilton and Galdes said the response has been inadequate.

    A county document said Arlington is responsible for property management, while the facility is responsible for handling the nursing home. And the facility is continuing to evolve, getting approval to offer inpatient dialysis services, Hilton said. The county board agreed this year to extend the facility’s lease for about 30 years.

    The center “changed the facility in very categorical, basic ways, without consulting anybody, without redesigning the site, without mitigating any of those impacts. And now we’re here nearly 50 years later, with a very out-of-sync property that is disturbing the residential nature of this place,” Galdes said.

    Beyond the consistent noise from the loud trucks, Galdes said tractor trailers drive up on the sidewalks within inches of cars. She said her car has even been hit.

    They also block the road over what Galdes characterized as a “blind hill.”

    “They really cannot fit,” Galdes said. “It’s dangerous to anyone on the sidewalk, but it’s also extremely loud, because they have ear-piercing backup beepers. And to have to 12-point turns that are going inch by inch, do you know how long that takes?”

    The large trucks sit idle “spewing exhaust” that’s disturbing to pedestrians and residents who want to sit on their porches, Galdes said. Sometimes, cars park along yellow curbs designated as fire lanes.

    The trash enclosure is also misused as a delivery zone, Galdes said. When she approaches code enforcement about the issues, Galdes said she’s often told the delivery drivers are exempted from code requirements.

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  • In a reversal vote, Loudoun Co. school board will allow charter schools to ask for funding to cover facility upgrades – WTOP News

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    Charter schools in Loudoun County will be able to keep asking for funding for infrastructure improvements, as part of an updated policy the school board approved.

    Charter schools in Loudoun County, Virginia, will be able to keep asking for funding for classroom upgrades and other infrastructure improvements as part of an updated policy the school board approved last week.

    The policy pertains to the establishment of charter schools. As part of an amendment to the proposed policy, charter schools are eligible to ask for funding for infrastructure needs, and those needs could be included in the Capital Improvement Program if the school board deems it necessary.

    The Capital Improvement Program is the school division’s long-term plan for acquiring property and renovating and maintaining existing public school facilities. The proposed update passed, 7-2.

    The approved policy update put an end to community fears that Loudoun County’s two charter schools would be ineligible for funding to improve their campuses. The original proposal said charter school facilities wouldn’t be included in the Capital Improvement Program for current or future improvements.

    “It is a positive step, but I also feel like we’re still going to have continuing conversations on how much funding we can get,” parent Robert Carey said. “Can we really improve the school? How much funds will we be able to receive? That will be a work in progress, but at least it’s a very, very good, positive first step.”

    Joe Luppino-Esposito, vice president of Hillsboro Charter Academy’s board of directors, said the newly approved policy takes out the “worst part,” which he described as the section restricting funding for charter schools. Their campus, he said, doesn’t have a music room or a teacher’s lounge, and it has a small lab that doubles as the lunch room.

    The campus includes what he calls the “art cottage,” a portable trailer that was supposed to be temporary, “but it’s been there since at least 1996. These are all the type of things that would really not stand anywhere else in the district, except for the fact that it’s been the charter school,” Luppino-Esposito said.

    As part of the approved amendment, introduced by Loudoun County School Board member Lauren Shernoff, the school board will defer to current charter agreements for existing charter schools.

    At the Sept. 30 meeting, Chief Operations Officer Kevin Lewis told the board allowing charter schools to be considered for capital improvements could be costly, suggesting expansion plans could leave the district responsible for spending millions on enhancements for existing infrastructure in addition to new spaces.

    The school board last reviewed its policy for establishing charter schools in 2020.

    The new updates, Carey said, allow for capital improvements that are “critical for us to be able to operate and continue to operate in a safe environment for these students.”

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  • Is federal immigration policy contributing to drop in Fairfax Co. schools enrollment? – WTOP News

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    Federal immigration policies may be contributing to a drop in Fairfax County Public Schools’ enrollment, Superintendent Michelle Reid said at a recent school board meeting.

    Federal immigration policies may be contributing to a drop in Fairfax County Public Schools’ enrollment, Superintendent Michelle Reid said at a recent school board meeting.

    During a report on this year’s opening of schools, Reid said the Northern Virginia district is the ninth-largest in the U.S., with 199 schools and centers. But according to school division data, there were 177,007 students enrolled as of Sept. 22. That’s down from the 181,153 who were enrolled in June.

    The September count is uncertified, and certified enrollment data is scheduled to be released this month. Reid told board members the school division traditionally sees an increase in students over the first few months of the school year. But Fairfax County School Board member Rachna Sizemore Heizer called the dip one that was a “decrease from what was inspected.”

    “We are slightly, obviously lower enrolled this fall than we had predicted,” Reid said during her presentation. “But again, we’re continuing to grow, perhaps not as quickly as other years. We do have some students for whom they’re a bit reluctant to be in school at this time.”

    For those students, Reid said, the school system is working on creating an online alternative. They’ll count as Fairfax County students once they’re enrolled in that program.

    President Donald Trump’s administration changed a long-standing policy and now allows federal immigration agents to make arrests at schools. In late January, Reid said she fielded questions from concerned families about whether it’s safe to attend athletic events and concerts, or whether it’s safe to send kids to school altogether.

    At the Sept. 25 board meeting, meanwhile, Reid said, “I do think clearly some of the immigration policies have impacted families and choices.”

    Local news site FFX Now first reported Reid’s comments.

    Asked whether there’s a trend of students missing school because of a fear of an interaction with immigration agents, Reid said because it’s so early in the year, it’s “hard to establish absenteeism rates.”

    “I think, just something to watch,” Sizemore Heizer said. “Because if that’s the fear, how can we engage our families to make them try to feel safe in this environment to send their kids to school.”

    Sizemore Heizer said she’s worried about students “missing out on education because of fear.”

    Fewer students could also mean slightly less state funding, which school board member Ilryong Moon called “upsetting.”

    Separately, as part of the same presentation, Reid said all classroom positions have been filled, and 99.7% of positions critical to opening schools were filled, the highest mark in three years. Similarly, 96% of bus routes were on time for the first day of school, and there was a 48% dip in bus driver vacancies.

    The district also gave out 28,000 new laptops to fifth and sixth graders and upgraded 50,000 existing laptops for elementary schoolers.

    School board member Ricardy Anderson said staff openings have “always been a high concern, and it is very exciting, and not to mention comforting to parents to know that their students, their children, are starting the school year with a teacher and not with the long-term sub.”

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  • Fairfax County student launches group to warn about dangers of vaping – WTOP News

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    Fairfax County, Virginia, student Rujvi Thakkar launched an organization dedicated to spreading warning messages about vaping and nicotine trends.

    Rujvi Thakkar giving a presentation about the dangers of vaping.
    (Courtesy Rujvi Thakkar)

    Courtesy Rujvi Thakkar

    Rujvi Thakkar
    Rujvi Thakkar launched ClearLungs, an organization dedicated to spreading warning messages about vaping and nicotine trends, in April.
    (Courtesy Rujvi Thakkar)

    Courtesy Rujvi Thakkar

    Rujvi Thakkar speaking to kids
    On one occasion, a middle schooler raised his hand and expressed concern about his sister vaping.
    (Courtesy Rujvi Thakkar)

    Courtesy Rujvi Thakkar

    As an older sister herself, Rujvi Thakkar was struck by a question she was asked during a presentation she gave about the dangers of vaping.

    When the Langley High School senior goes into schools to sound the alarm about how dangerous the trend can be, attendees often raise their hands and share personal stories, or talk one-on-one when the presentation concludes. On one occasion, a middle schooler raised his hand and expressed concern about his sister vaping.

    He tried to ask Thakkar about how to get someone to stop. She immediately became sad, and reinforced a point she made during the event — addiction is a mental disorder, and worried friends and family members can rarely force someone to quit. The person has to want it, Thakkar said, and they have to approach it with the right mindset.

    Thakkar launched ClearLungs, a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading awareness about the dangerous vaping and nicotine trends, in April. It came in response to the amount of vaping she saw in the community and school, specifically where many students encountered their peers vaping in bathrooms.

    “Vaping and nicotine addiction is very harmful,” Thakkar said. “It can really drive you into this cycle that will affect you for a very, very long time.”

    Thakkar told WTOP that she spent last summer spreading that message. Because school was out, she focused on talking in gyms and at athletic programs. More recently, she spoke to hundreds of Caroline County students and worked with free clinics there.

    The project started on social media, and the approach has proven to be beneficial. Her TikTok account now has over 20,000 followers, and a recent video about the impact vaping has on digestion has been viewed over 400,000 times.

    As part of her social media presence, Thakkar launched a campaign called “Share your Story.” Many of the responses are from adults who are attempting to quit.

    “Vaping comes in fun colors and fun flavors,” Thakkar said. “And a lot of people forget that you’re still inhaling this chemical into your lungs that’s going to damage your lungs.”

    But, she said, nicotine immediately starts to change your brain chemistry and “addiction is a brain disorder. It is so dangerous to come out of, and it affects you not just in your high school, maybe your college life or work life in the future, but years down the road when you’re facing health issues.”

    Thakkar spent hours over the summer preparing brochures and other materials, and she’s hoping to continue the project after she graduates.

    “Because vaping is so new, a lot of young people don’t know how damaging it could be to your body,” Thakkar said. “Therefore, they kind of see it as something to do for fun.”

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  • Northern Virginia business owner honored for creating jobs for people with disabilities – WTOP News

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    Earlier this month, Rinearson was recognized with a humanitarian award for her work employing people with disabilities at Jake’s Ice Cream and Jake’s Gourmet Popcorn shops in Falls Church, Virginia.

    A customer orders at Jake’s Gourmet Popcorn in Falls Church, Virginia. (WTOP/Scott Gelman)

    Robin Rinearson spent decades as a pediatric eye doctor, but became frustrated when her nephew was sent home from work during the pandemic.

    He has cerebral palsy and had been working for a company in Lorton, Virginia, for eight years. It wasn’t able to make accommodations for the adults with disabilities that had been working there.

    So, Jake became unemployed and bored. He didn’t have a big group of friends, and work was a major part of his social life.

    The experience prompted Rinearson, who worked with special needs adults in her Northern Virginia practice, to open Jake’s Ice Cream in 2021. The shop provided job opportunities for people with disabilities, and she expanded that vision in 2023 when she opened Jake’s Gourmet Popcorn in Seven Corners Center in Falls Church, Virginia.

    Earlier this month, Rinearson was recognized with the humanitarian award from her alma mater, the Illinois College of Optometry. The honor is typically given to graduates who have done charitable acts, usually vision care, in poorer countries, Rinearson said. But this year, she was selected.

    “In my retirement, I have spent my own money to open up both of these shops,” Rinearson said. “I am an unpaid employee in both shops. I am dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities.”

    The ice cream shop opened during the pandemic, and while business wasn’t booming, Rinearson said it picked up enough in the second year that she considered a second location.

    She found the storefront for Jake’s Gourmet Popcorn with double the space for the same cost in rent. But a non-compete in her original lease prevented her from opening another nearby without an increase in rent.

    While in Chicago for a meeting, Rinearson wandered downtown. She remembered there’s a popcorn shop every three blocks, but there aren’t many in the D.C. region. That inspired her to launch her own, with the same vision of creating jobs for staff members with disabilities.

    It all started with 120 gallons of popcorn

    What started with a catering order of 120 gallons of popcorn for an event at the National Museum for the American Indian has evolved into a shop that now caters for corporate events. It only gets about 10 to 15 walk-in customers each day, she said. But they make hundreds of bags of popcorn for large companies.

    The shop offers over 30 flavors of popcorn and makes two kinds. One is butterfly popcorn, similar to the type made in home microwaves. The other is mushroom popcorn, named for its larger shape and density.

    Staff members carefully follow recipes and checklists, making sure the shop remains sensitive to customers with allergies or other restrictions.

    “My piece of this is making sure that everybody in the community around us understands that they’re just regular people,” Rinearson said. “They want the same things you and I do.”

    Mesha O’Dell, who was working at the popcorn shop Tuesday, said the space “provides a place for me to work. Me being an adult that has vision impairment, because it can oftentimes be difficult for someone with a disability to find jobs.”

    Debbie Garrett, meanwhile, said she enjoys working at the store, “and I like the popcorn and I like working with Robin.”

    A steep learning curve that pays off

    At both stores, Rinearson said the employees are excited to be at work and don’t make excuses to avoid a shift. There could be a steep learning curve, she said, but they’re dependable once they learn a new skill.

    And both shops are evolving. At Jake’s Ice Cream, employees have started making cookies and ice cream cakes and pies. The flavors are premium, made with ingredients from Baltimore.

    Ice cream and popcorn flavors change seasonally, and to support community fundraisers, the shops offer events where the winner can create their own ice cream or popcorn flavor.

    Some people are curious to visit once they learn the shops primarily employ people with disabilities, “but they’re expecting things to be less than wonderful. You get the pity vote or the curiosity visit. If your product isn’t premium, those people aren’t coming back,” Rinearson said.

    Many of the store employees are taking college classes and earning their driver’s licenses, she added.

    “They might be a little bit more difficult to understand when they speak,” Rinearson said. “They might walk a little bit more slowly, but there’s no family that will not be touched by disability at some point, whether you’re born with it, whether it’s a function of an injury or a surgical procedure, whether you’re elderly and starting to fall apart at some point — every single family is touched with somebody in their family with a disability. When it’s your own family, you don’t tend to walk away from those people.”

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    Scott Gelman

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