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After-school and VIP summer camps urged to be preserved in FCPS FY2027 budget hearing
Summary
An after-school administrator told the Fairfax County School Board public hearing that after-school programs and VIP summer camps are critical for supervision, academic support and community stability and should be prioritized in the FY2027 budget.
Mark Emmie, who identified himself as the administrator of a middle school after-school program, urged the Fairfax County School Board at its May 12 public hearing to preserve funding for the district's after-school programs and VIP summer camps as the board finalizes the FY2027 approved budget. "These programs are not mere extracurricular activities," Emmie said, arguing they provide tutoring, homework help, and supervision that support working families.
Emmie described the programs as long-standing and staff-driven, saying their success is "driven by 26 true professionals, the after school specialists who built these programs from scratch." He told the board that 53 percent of middle school parents reported their children would be home alone without the after-school program, and asked the board to "prioritize their funding in this upcoming budget and in future years' budgets."
Nut graf: The public hearing served as a forum for residents to press the board to shield student supports from cuts as the board moves toward a formal vote on May 21. Emmie framed after-school programs as a safety and equity issue for working families as well as a tool for academic support.
Board response and next steps: Board staff thanked Emmie for speaking. No formal motion or vote was taken at the hearing; the board scheduled a work session on May 14 to discuss the FY2027 approved budget and a vote at the May 21 regular meeting.
