Committee approves postgraduate admission policy; staff to confirm legal references

The Fairfax County Public Schools governance committee approved Policy 2220, Admissions of Postgraduate Students, after discussion at its March 18 governance meeting.

Doctor Reed said the policy saw no substantive changes in the current review and that the policy permits admission of fully graduated students to enroll in specific high-school courses (typically to pursue a credential) on a space-available, tuition-paying basis. The regulation referenced in committee discussion requires principal recommendation and division superintendent approval and specifies that applications are due prior to the start of the school year immediately following graduation.

Board members asked staff to review and either remove or clarify legal references because the cited Code of Virginia sections in the draft did not explicitly address this specific postgraduate scenario. Mr. Foster located related guidance and noted the Code allows enrollment authority broadly (references to enrollment up to certain ages were discussed), but could not find a statute that explicitly authorizes the exact postgraduate enrollment language in the draft. Committee members asked staff to reconcile the policy text and the regulation before the full-board packet is prepared.

A motion to adopt the policy was called and seconded; the roll call in the meeting recorded the affirmative votes of Doctor Anderson, Ms. Sizemore Heizer, Miss Dixon and the chair, and the item was approved by the members present. Staff will confirm and, if necessary, edit the legal references and update forms tied to the regulation before the policy is posted for the full board.