All About Alexandria, Lorton, and Woodbridge Schools...You'll Be Impressed!

Snippets, Quotes, and Facts About Fairfax County Public Schools

The Fairfax County Public School system is located in Northern Virginia with more than 165,000 students in 204 schools, and an operating budget of $1.6 billion. With 22,000 employees, the school system is also the largest employer in Virginia. Fairfax County schools rely heavily on computers for instruction and staff communications. Teachers' computers are often hooked up to a VCR and large television monitor, and are used for classroom presentations. Teachers also use computers to surf the Web to support classwork. (Source Net-Security.org)

The Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) district in Virginia is one of the largest - and most successful - school systems in the United States. In the fall of 2003, the twelfth largest district in the nation welcomed 166,600 students through its doors across 241 elementary, middle, and high schools. Of the district's graduating seniors, 90% will continue to higher education and 95% of special education students will receive further learning or job placement within nine months after graduation. Though FCPS students continually succeed above state and national averages, the school strives for 100% achievement.
Source BusinessObject.com

Three of the schools are magnet schools:

  1. Bailey's Elementary for the Arts and Sciences in Falls Church
  2. Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences in Reston and
  3. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria.

In addition, there are five professional technology academies:

  1. Chantilly High School Academy, specializing in engineering and scientific technology and health and human services
  2. Edison High School Academy in Alexandria, specializing in international studies, business and engineering, and scientific technology
  3. Fairfax High School Academy, specializing in communication arts
  4. Marshall High School Academy in Falls Church, specializing in international studies, business and engineering, and scientific technology
  5. West Potomac High School Academy in Mount Vernon, specializing in communication arts and health and human services.

SEVERAL ELEMENTARY schools focus on specific areas and are designated as focus schools, adopting one of the following approaches: core knowledge, basic school, math and science, modified calendar, French language, block scheduling and arts.

There are seven elementary, one middle and two high schools that follow modified school calendars, more commonly known as year-round schools. They are:

  • Reston: Annandale Terrace Elementary, Dogwood Elementary
  • Alexandria: Franconia Elementary, Parklawn Elementary, Glasgow Middle
  • Falls Church: Glen Forest Elementary, Graham Road Elementary, Timber Lane Elementary, Falls Church High and Stuart High

The 2003-04 school year begins July 28 for the elementary schools and Aug. 18 for the secondary schools.

FCPS HAS 20 Project Excel elementary schools:

  • Mount Vernon: Annandale Terrace, Bucknell, Woodlawn, Woodley Hills
  • Reston: Dogwood, Riverside
  • Mount Vernon: Fort Belvoir, Groveton, Hollin Meadows, Hybla Valley, Mount Vernon Woods
  • Fairfax Station: Halley
  • Herndon: Hutchison
  • Centreville: London Towne
  • Alexandria: Mount Eagle, Cameron
  • Falls Church: Westlawn, Pine Spring, Graham Road, Glen Forest

The program includes a reorganized school day, focused instructional programs and computer-based phonics instruction to supplement new reading textbooks with a strong phonics component. The major components are increased time for learning, enhanced academic programs and school accountability.

THERE ARE FIVE Focus 2004 schools:

  1. Edison High in Alexandria
  2. Falls Church High
  3. Mount Vernon High
  4. Stuart High in Falls Church
  5. Whitman Middle in Mount Vernon

The goal of the program is to prepare students to be successful in the Standards of Learning (SOL) courses and exams required for graduation beginning in 2004.

FCPS funds 21,296.9 positions, including 19,142.9 school-based personnel, of which 13,176.9 are teachers, 1,640.8 nonschool-based personnel and 513.2 grant-funded personnel. For the 2004-05 school year, the school system has an operating budget of $1.668 billion. The average cost per student is $9,961.

THE SCHOOL SYSTEM owns and operates a school-bus fleet consisting of more than 1,470 buses that transport approximately 110,00 students. Bus transportation is provided to elementary-school students who live more than one mile from school, as well as for middle and high school students who live more than one-and-half miles away, for students who would have to walk on hazardous routes and for certain special education children. Information about bus stops and routes is provided by the local school.
Source PotomacAlmanac.com

Among the school system's many achievements are:

  • Ninety percent of high school graduates in 2002 went on to some form of post-secondary education;
  • Expansion Management Magazine named Fairfax County Public Schools system a "gold medal" district.
  • Fairfax schools ranked in the top 3 percent of the more than 1,500 school systems rated;
  • Sixty-eight Fairfax County Public School students received National Merit Scholarship Awards.

Snippets, Quotes, and Facts About Prince William County Public Schools

  • Prince William County is home to the third largest school division in Virginia, with 63,000+ students enrolled in 74 schools and education centers.
  • Of the total student population, 45% are minorities, 10% are gifted, 12% require special education, 7% speak English as a second language and 20% are economically disadvantaged.
  • Fifty percent of Prince William students continue their education at universities, colleges and other schools after graduation.

All schools are accredited by the State Board of Education. Middle and high schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2001, Newsweek named three Prince William high schools among the "Top 500 High Schools in America". Time named Stonewall Jackson High School as "High School of the Year" in 2001. Specialty programs have been created in 24 schools, from elementary through high school, to prepare students for specialization in specific career fields.

Prince William County Schools is a high performance organization, receiving the Medallion of Excellence, U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award, a Gold Medal rating three consecutive years by Expansion Magazine and a host of other distinguished awards. The school division is nationally known for its system of school-based management, which places decision-making and accountability at the school level.

Through their generous contributions of time, talent and resources, members of the business community provide tutors, mentors and classroom speakers; offer internships and job shadowing for students; donate supplies and funds and make a myriad of other contributions to the education of children in Prince William County.
Source PWCSEdFoundation.org

Helpful Links

Need helping finding additional information about any Northern Virginia or Washington DC area school?  Tell us and we'll help!

*First Name

*Last Name
*Email address

Phone Number

Children's ages

 

 

Find Homes | For Buyers | For Sellers | For Investors | Life Stages | Resources | The MTN Team | Site Map | Home

©2007 Tamara Inzunza - All Rights Reserved
no part of this website whether in whole or in part may be reproduced without the express permission of Tamara Inzunza