Fairfax County School Board reviews student rights and responsibilities updates

The Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) School Board convened a work session on April 10, 2025, to continue discussions on the annual update of the Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) document. The meeting began with a motion to certify that the board's previous closed meeting on April 8, 2025, adhered to Virginia's open meeting laws, confirming that only matters exempt from these requirements were discussed. The motion received unanimous approval from the board members present.

Superintendent Dr. Reid introduced the session, emphasizing that this was the second work session focused on the SR&R document for the 2025-2026 school year. He noted that staff had made adjustments based on feedback from the first work session held on March 12, 2025. Dr. Reid welcomed Dr. King and her team to present the current status of the SR&R updates.

Dr. King outlined the goals of the session, which included aligning the SR&R regulations with state guidance, community feedback, and the division's commitment to creating safe and supportive learning environments. She introduced key members of the Chief Equity Office who contributed to the revisions.

The presentation was structured around three main areas: proposed discipline changes, updates to the cell phone policy, and storage recommendations. Dr. King indicated that the final proposed changes were informed by feedback from the March 11 work session and discussions with school principals. Following the presentation, the board was invited to engage in collaborative discussions to finalize the proposed changes.

The session highlighted the board's ongoing commitment to refining policies that support student conduct and equity within the school system. The finalized recommendations are set to be presented as new business at the upcoming April 2025 regular school board meeting.