Public hearing held on naming of new Western Fairfax County high school; FPAC chair urges board to follow community input
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Summary
At a Dec. 18 public hearing the Fairfax County School Board heard a pre-registered speaker, Katie Herman, chair of FPAC, urge the board to follow community input on naming the new Western Fairfax County high school; the board is scheduled to vote on the name Feb. 12, 2026.
The Fairfax County School Board held a public hearing Dec. 18 on naming the new Western Fairfax County high school. The presiding officer said the board had received a list of naming recommendations and that the board is scheduled to vote on the name at its Feb. 12, 2026 regular meeting. The hearing was broadcast on Channel 99, streamed on YouTube and the division website (fcps.edu).
The clerk called one pre-registered speaker by name (the audio shows the clerk calling 'Kathy Samper' three times). The person who spoke identified herself as Katie Herman and said, 'My name is Katie Herman. I am the chair of FPAC.' Herman urged board members to 'follow the community input that you've received' on the high-school naming and said FPAC monitors facilities planning closely. Her remarks emphasized that community residents should have a voice in naming decisions.
The presiding officer reminded speakers to adhere to the board's community participation rules: two-minute remarks, one person at the podium at a time, and instructions for submitting testimony to communityparticipation@fcps.edu. The public hearing was adjourned at 7:06 p.m., and the board took a five-minute recess before the regular meeting began.
The transcript records that the board will take a formal vote on the school's name at its Feb. 12, 2026 regular meeting; no board vote on the naming occurred at the Dec. 18 hearing.