FCPS staff propose non‑discretionary suspensions and uniform intervention review for weapon incidents

Fairfax County School Board staff presented final proposed revisions to the division's Student Rights and Responsibilities regulation during a work session, including a requirement that certain weapon offenses trigger both a suspension (up to 10 days) and a referral to the school‑based risk prevention team.

The change would make suspension and risk‑prevention referral mandatory for any possession or use of statutory weapons, possession or use of switchblades, machetes and certain other knives, and the use of other weapons. Staff said the revisions remove administrator discretion about whether to suspend for those offenses and consolidate oversight of intervention use into regular discipline audits.

The revisions are intended to create more consistent, equitable discipline across the division and to reduce disproportionality in disciplinary outcomes for students with disabilities, Black and Hispanic students, multilingual learners, economically disadvantaged students and male students. "The final proposed change now mandates ... a suspension for up to 10 days, and a referral to the school‑based risk prevention team," staff said during the presentation.

Staff proposed simplifying a previously larger monitoring provision: rather than formally auditing the discretionary factors administrators considered before suspending, the chief equity office in collaboration with the chief of schools will conduct a semester review of discipline cases involving weapons, assault and assault and battery to determine use of required interventions. Staff said standard discipline audit and reporting processes already in place across the division can address compliance with suspension practices now that discretion for these weapon offenses has been removed.

Presenters also noted related revisions across the SR&R: updates to the discipline matrix (including a K–6 icon and narrative references), a proposed new SBAR code for group assault and battery (BESO1B), separation of hazing into its own narrative section, a proposed revision to BESO6 to require use of FCPS overdose protocol signs and symptoms before concluding a student is under the influence, and changes to definitions (for example, altering the term stealing to "theft"). Staff said these items received no new board feedback during the session and would be redlined into Regulation 26.01 for the board's April posting.

Staff warned the board that other state changes will affect the SR&R: the governor signed Senate Bill 980 (cyberbullying), which requires local boards to adopt policies aligned with model VDOE guidance. Staff said FCPS will revise the SR&R to incorporate the VDOE model policy once it is released.

Board members pressed staff on implementation details and on protecting students who require accommodations. Several board members said they feared removing administrative discretion could produce unintended harsh outcomes for atypical situations (for example, a young student who fashioned a utensil into a weapon). Staff responded that required referrals to risk‑prevention teams are intended to create structured interventions alongside suspension.

Separately, the board unanimously certified compliance with Virginia's closed‑meeting requirements for an April 8, 2025 closed session. The motion read in part: "...to the best of each board member's knowledge only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements and only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed, or considered by the board during the closed meeting." The motion was moved by Miss Anderson, seconded by Miss St. John Cunning and approved by those present.

Staff said the redline of Regulation 26.01 will be posted as new business for the board's April meeting so the board can consider formal adoption or further amendment.