Parents split as Fairfax County board hears public comment on proposed Annandale Advanced Academic Center

ANNANDALE, Va. — Dozens of parents and residents told the Fairfax County School Board on Monday that a proposal to create an Annandale Advanced Academic Center raises equity and capacity questions and that the district has not adequately engaged affected families.

At a public hearing that featured seven preregistered speakers, supporters said a local AAP center would give Region 6 students access closer to home, while opponents warned the proposal could force children to leave established schools and leave unanswered questions about facility capacity and academic readiness at the proposed host school, Poe Middle School.

"This proposal rests on a false premise that students from feeder schools like North Springfield only attend Canterbury Woods for sixth grade," said parent Thomas Zenert, who told the board many families were "blindsided" by the plan and urged the board to delay the decision, consider a phased approach beginning with Glasgow, and allow case-by-case exceptions to let students remain with their cohorts. Zenert also cited capacity projections, saying that "by 2028, Poe is projected to be over capacity at a 109% where Holmes sits at 84%."

Other parents pressed for grandfathering for students already enrolled in AAP programs. Paula Abate, speaking on behalf of Braddock District families, asked the board to "grandfather" Braddock District students through Frost Middle School until an elementary school in the Annandale portion of the pyramid is established and a "credible and detailed academic plan for Poe" is articulated. She also asked whether Poe, described in the testimony as a project-momentum school in need of improvement, could both host an AAP cohort and manage accreditation distinctions.

Supporters framed the proposal as a correction to long-standing inequities. "This vote is about fairness," said Poe District resident Joanna Eddy, urging the board to approve a center that would provide Region 6 students "the same opportunities close to home" that other regions have. Greg Martin, a parent of Holmes students, said the plan would spare children early-morning bus trips and long commutes to other pyramids and "help many kids and many families. I urge you to approve this."

Several speakers raised academic-performance concerns tied to the proposed site. Jennifer Wiedeman, a parent at Canterbury Woods, said she had reviewed SOL scores and questioned whether "in three years Poe will be able to provide the same academic level that Frost is currently providing through the SOL performance scores," and warned that Poe is projected to exceed its maximum occupancy when the center would begin.

Ariana Ariza, whose child attends Canterbury Woods' AAP program, said families were informed directly about the proposal only after an Oct. 22 meeting and described a lack of formal surveys or substantive engagement. She urged the district to prioritize strengthening existing programs at candidate host schools before adding AAP programs there.

Speakers who emphasized equity and access urged a yes vote; speakers concerned about transitions, crowding and unclear planning urged delay or a phased approach. Several parents asked for individual exceptions so students already in AAP programs could remain on their chosen trajectories rather than be required to change schools.

The hearing concluded with board chair Dr. Anderson thanking speakers and adjourning the public hearing at 7:52 p.m.; no vote was taken during the hearing.

What happens next: The public hearing was part of the boundary and program review process; the board did not take a formal action at the meeting. Parents in favor and opposed both asked the board to consider additional engagement, clearer academic plans for Poe, and explicit grandfathering language for currently enrolled AAP students.