Tag: Stephanie Lundquist-Arora
-
On the Table: Deleting Christmas as a Student Holiday in Fairfax Schools
Students in Fairfax County are in the classroom five days a week for less than half the school year. Instead of eliminating the administrative throwaway days that have created this problem, district leaders asked families whether they could eliminate Christmas and other holidays instead. by Stephanie Lundquist-AroraRepublished with permission from IWFeatures This year, fewer than…
-
Fairfax Schools at a Crossroads
Rising budgets, declining outcomes by Stephanie Lundquist-Arora Fairfax County’s school board members are scheduled to vote today on the fiscal year 2027 $4.1 billion budget. Although there will be a $197 million increase in funds from last year, district leaders are still pointing to what they describe as a $28 million “budget gap,” referring to…
-
Thirteen Brave Girls Came Forward…
and Fairfax County Public Schools filed zero Title IX complaints by Stephanie Lundquist-AroraOriginally published in IWFeatures This year, 13 brave girls at Fairfax High School stepped forward to tell administrators that Israel Flores Ortiz, an adult illegal immigrant from El Salvador who was enrolled as a junior at the school, sexually assaulted them during school…
-
Classroom Consequences of the “Equity” Calendar
Due to expanded religious/cultural holidays, Fairfax County Public Schools classrooms are open for full five-day weeks only half the time. Minorities and the poor pay the price. by Stephanie Lundquist-AroraOriginally published in iWFeatures In January 2022, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) adopted a calendar containing fewer five-day school weeks and more early release days with…
-
Fairfax Schools’ Stonewalling of Title IX Data Invites Mistrust
by Stephanie Lundquist-AroraRepublished with permission from IWFeatures Last month, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it is investigating Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to determine whether the district discriminated on the basis of sex by failing to respond to multiple reports that Israel Flores Ortiz, an 18-year-old illegal immigrant enrolled as a junior at Fairfax…
-
FCPS Legal Spending Soars
Fairfax County Schools’ legal bills: $12 million and counting by Stephanie Lundquist-Arora On March 23, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Michelle Reid announced that she is enlisting the services of yet another law firm, McGuireWoods, to “investigate” the district’s latest scandal — allegations that an 18-year-old illegal immigrant fondled the genitals of several female students in Fairfax High…
-
When Schools Overreach
by Stephanie Lundquist-Arora As Virginia’s public schools fail at their core mission—educating children—state legislators are expanding their role in ways that encroach on parental rights. Debra Gardner, a former social worker who was first elected to Virginia’s House of Delegates in 2023, introduced HB 355 in January. Beginning in the 2028–2029 school year, the bill would require Virginia’s public…
-
A Troubling Gap in School Transparency
by Stephanie Lundquist-AroraRepublished with permission from IWFeatures Last week, Fairfax County police confirmed that a public school student reported she was physically attacked at Centreville High School on March 4. Inside sources have told IW Features that the incident occurred during instructional hours and that the alleged assailant is a black male student. One source described…
-
Fairfax’s No-Accountability School Zone
by Stephanie Lundquist-AroraRepublished with permission from IWFeatures Fairfax County Public Schools manages a $4 billion budget, but lacks a thorough audit mechanism. Skepticism has grown as spending has increased while student enrollment has declined. Adding to these concerns, critics point to the school board’s decision to appoint Kyle McDaniel—who has faced embezzlement allegations and remains involved…
-
Fatal Fairfax Stabbing Sparks Questions About Prosecutor Policies and ICE Cooperation
by Stephanie Lundquist-AroraRepublished with permission from IWFeatures On Feb. 23, Abdul Jalloh, a Sierra Leone national in the country illegally, fatally stabbed Stephanie Minter, a 41-year-old mother, at a bus stop in Fairfax County, Virginia, according to law enforcement. Prior to Minter’s murder, Jalloh, 32, had previously been arrested more than 30 times for multiple offenses, including rape,…
-
Losing Trust
Fairfax County Public Schools: more money, fewer students by Stephanie Lundquist-Arora There has been a significant decline in enrollment in Virginia’s largest public school district. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) experienced the largest drop in student enrollment of any district in the state from 2015 to 2025, according to the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper…
-
Administrative Bloat in Fairfax County Schools
by Stephanie Lundquist-AroraRepublished with permission from IWFeatures Julie Perry, a high school history teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), told IW Features that she spends thousands of dollars each year on her students’ school supplies, classroom essentials, and decorations. Perry, who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, argues, “Education…
-
Fairfax Schools Crack Down on Absences — Except When Suspending Politically Inconvenient Students
by Stephanie Lundquist-AroraRepublished with permission from IWFeatures There rightfully has been a lot of attention paid to radical Virginia Democrats’ day-one blitz as soon as they took back control of the state’s governorship this year. But those of us who live in the deep blue havens that control Virginia politics know that, for our part of…
-
School Division’s Legal Bills Continue to Swell
by Stephanie Lundquist-Arora Even Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, Virginia Senate president pro tempore, knows the last thing Fairfax County needs is more money. Earlier this month, Sen. Lucas posted on X, “I’m getting sick and tired of localities in Northern Virginia (especially Fairfax) spreading misinformation about being underfunded by the Commonwealth of Virginia. It’s time to correct…
-
Fairfax County’s Sanctuary Policy Is Costing Lives
by Stephanie Lundquist-AroraRepublished with permission from IWFeatures On Dec. 17, Marvin Fernando Morales-Ortez, 23, allegedly shot and killed a man in Reston, Virginia. Only the day before, Fairfax County officials ignored an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer request and released him from jail. According to case documents from the Fairfax County General District Court, police…