Weather Decision Made For Dec. 16 Fairfax Virtual Learning

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — With most of its students enrolled in virtual learning, Fairfax County Public Schools announced an operating decision amid inclement weather on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Dec. 16, all FCPS students will participate in teacher-led synchronous virtual learning. School division operations will be open, but school building work spaces will not be available.

Fairfax County is under a winter storm watch on Wednesday with snow and a wintry mix possible. According to the National Weather Service, areas under the watch could get 3 to 7 inches of snow and two-tenths of an inch of ice accumulation. Snow will impact the region Wednesday morning, mixing with sleet and freezing rain during the afternoon and evening, then turn back into snow before ending late Wednesday night.

Fairfax County's emergency blog says different areas of the county could see varied amounts of snow.

"The I-95 corridor seems to be right on the freezing line, which could mean the northwest sections of the county would receive higher amounts than southeast Fairfax County," the blog stated on Tuesday.

Due to the chance of winter weather, FCPS moved meal distribution to Tuesday, covering meals for Tuesday and Wednesday. The grab-and-go locations as well as bus routes offered two days of breakfast and lunch. Meal kits normally distributed on Wednesday were distributed on Tuesday. Any additional updates will be shared on the food distribution web page.

In a newsletter Tuesday, FCPS outlined several scenarios for snow days this school year. These approaches include teacher-led synchronous instruction and independent asynchronous instruction like a regular virtual day. If FCPS determines conditions are warranted, there may be snow days with full closures like in past years.

These are the scenarios outlined by the school:

• All Schools and Central Offices Closed. No In-person or Virtual Learning
• Synchronous (teacher-led) Virtual Learning for All Students. Division Operations are Open, School Building Workspaces May or May Not Be Available
• Asynchronous (independent) Virtual Learning for All Students, Division Operations are Open, School Building Workspaces May or May Not Be Available

FCPS said in a statement factors like poor road conditions affecting bus transportation for in-person learning, staff going to work to prepare meals and distribute meals on bus routes, and power outages can impact the decision. All FCPS students have devices to participate in virtual learning, according to the district.

Notifications for FCPS closures can be found at www.fcps.edu, Twitter, Facebook, email, text messages, and the local media. Patch will update this story if the status of school changes on Wednesday.