Fairfax School Board Delays First Day Of School By 2 Weeks

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — The Fairfax County School Board approved a delayed start to the 2020-2021 academic year on Thursday as the school district makes adjustments for the pandemic. Instead of students starting on Aug. 25, the first day will be after Labor Day on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

According to a news release from Fairfax County Public Schools, the delay will "provide staff members additional time to plan instruction and schedules, provide professional staff development, and finalize transportation and other operational details."

Staff work schedules will remain unchanged, aside from additional staff development and planning time between Aug. 25 and Sept. 3. The full revised calendar is provided here.

Once FCPS receives return-to-school decisions from families by July 15, it can finalize schedules. The school district gave families two options: full-time virtual learning or a mix of in-person learning and virtual learning. In the second option, students would be in school buildings for at least two days a week due as social distancing guidelines may prompt staggered schedules.

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