5 In-Person Days, Limited Virtual School Planned In Fairfax

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — As Fairfax County Public Schools plans five days of in-person learning for the next school year, a limited virtual option will be available as well.

After transitioning some students to hybrid learning in February and March, FCPS announced it was planning five days of in-person learning per week in the fall. But the question remained about what would happen to families who wish to remain enrolled in virtual learning.

In a letter to families on Wednesday, Superintendent Scott Brabrand announced a plan for a virtual option in the fall.

"While we are busy planning for the fall, we do recognize that some students, in very limited circumstances, may have a documented health or medical need for virtual instruction," Brabrand wrote. "All families with students who are currently participating in virtual instruction will receive a district communication this week, asking if they intend to apply for their child(ren) to remain virtual for the 2021-22 school year due to a documentable health reason related to COVID-19. Additionally, new students (Pre K- 12) who have already registered for the 2021-22 school year will receive the same communication."

The school district will consider eligibility for virtual enrollment through a health or medical certification from a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, psychiatrist, or a licensed clinical psychologist.

Virtual learning will be a semester-long commitment and match in-person school schedules as much as possible, according to FCPS. Classes will be taught by centralized FCPS teachers, but some courses will be taught by teachers through Virtual Virginia.

Families that want to send students to five days of in-person learning in the fall will be automatically enrolled. FCPS expects in-person learning could include outdoor classrooms, hot lunches, full athletic and activity offerings, normal bus routes, and likely continuing health and safety measures.

Since FCPS brought back students for hybrid learning, some students got additional in-person learning days. Four days of in-person learning have been offered to additional students based on available space and staffing capacity at each school. The first groups prioritized were PreK through 12th grade students with the greatest learning challenges. FCPS then offered four days of learning to students whose families indicated an in-person learning preference since fall and are attending two days in school, dependent on capacity and staffing.

Brabrand said approximately 109,000 students and staff have returned to in-person instruction as of April, and COVID-19 mitigation measures have kept classroom community transmission below 1 percent in school buildings.