Fairfax County Public Schools will no longer bring additional students back into the classroom this week for in-person learning, FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand announced today (Monday).
6,800 kindergarten, preschool, and special education students had been set to resume in-person instruction tomorrow under the timeline that FCPS established with its Return to School plan, which gives students the option to remain virtual or to enter a hybrid model that combines in-person and virtual learning.
However, the Virginia Department of Health reported today that Fairfax County has recorded 211.2 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people within the past 14 days, exceeding the 200-case threshold that FCPS set as a metric for determining whether a new group of students can begin in-person instruction.
At 7.4%, Fairfax County’s current seven-day positivity rate for PCR-RT tests remains below the 8% limit required by FCPS to start in-person instruction.
The students who were scheduled to go back into the classroom on Nov. 17 will now remain all virtual until at least Nov. 30, and all new concurrent learning pilot programs that were supposed to start then have been put on hold.
“We made this decision as soon as new health metrics were released and are communicating it to you immediately as promised,” Brabrand said in a letter to the FCPS community. “We always anticipated the need to potentially adjust our return to school plans as necessary during this ongoing pandemic.”
The 8,000-plus students that have already returned to physical classrooms since students started getting phased in on Oct. 5 will continue with hybrid learning, though that could change in the future if COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the county.
The Fairfax County Federation of Teachers called FCPS’s decision to pause its return-to-school plans “a good step in the right direction” but expressed concern that the school system has moved the possible resumption date to Nov. 30, immediately after the Thanksgiving holidays.
“Experts have said this period will be a hot bed for new cases because of expected small group gatherings,” FCFT President Tina Williams said. “We need real metrics from FCPS. We urge FCPS to transition all students and staff to virtual learning immediately until there is controlled community spread of COVID-19.”
The Fairfax Education Association joined other teachers’ unions in Northern Virginia for a press conference this morning to urge Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to dial the entire Commonwealth back to Phase Two of his reopening strategy and recommend that public schools return to virtual learning.
Northam tightened restrictions on social gatherings, mask-wearing, and alcohol service in restaurants starting Nov. 15, but educational settings were explicitly exempted from the new 25-person limit on gatherings.
FEA President Kimberly Adams says the union was “very happy” to see FCPS pause its return-to-school plans in accordance with its established metrics, but the association will continue pushing for Virginia to issue stronger restrictions and provide additional support for school districts that return to all-virtual learning.
Adams says the FEA is still hearing from staff members who say they have not received the personal protective equipment that they need to work in-person, but district-level administrators have stepped in to address many concerns, including ensuring that face shields are available at a school where the principal had initially declined to provide them.
Of the 214 COVID-19 cases that FCPS has recorded since Sept. 8 based on self-reporting, 177 of the people infected have been employees.
“Educators want to be with their students,” Adams said. “Right now, they’re very torn between wanting to be there for their kids but having to protect their own health and that of their families. This unfortunately is setting us up for a clash between those two feelings.”
Fairfax County recorded a massive jump of 400 COVID-19 cases today (Monday), up from 174 yesterday, due to a backlog in data reporting on the part of the Virginia Department of Health.
The Fairfax Health District added 1,366 cases over the past week for a seven-day average of 195.1 cases, the highest rate since the district saw an average of 197.7 cases over seven days on June 8.
Fairfax County also reported three deaths from COVID-19 over the past week, raising the county’s death toll to 625 people. The county has now reported 27,095 total cases, and 2,440 people have been hospitalized since the Fairfax Health District identified its first presumptive positive case in early March.
The Fairfax Health District currently has a total testing positivity rate of 8.3% out of 392,064 testing encounters, according to the VDH.
Because of the data reporting backlog, the 2,677 cases that the VDH reported today statewide are the most that Virginia has recorded in a single day at any point during the pandemic.
While Virginia’s COVID-19 infection rate remains one of the lowest in the U.S., the clear upward trend in cases that the state has seen over the past 90 days led Gov. Ralph Northam to tighten restrictions on social gatherings and businesses in an effort to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“While cases are not rising in Virginia as rapidly as in some other states, I do not intend to wait until they are,” Northam said when announcing the new measures on Nov. 13. “We are acting now to prevent this health crisis from getting worse.”
Effective as of midnight on Sunday (Nov. 15), the cap on public and private in-person gatherings has dropped from 250 people to 25. The revised executive order defines gatherings as indoor and outdoor parties, celebrations, and other social events, but the limit does not apply to educational settings.
Religious services can also have more than 25 people in attendance if they adhere to health and social distancing protocols, including having at least six feet of separation between individuals and practicing routine cleaning and disinfection of frequently-contacted surfaces.
A mask mandate requiring all individuals 10 and older to wear face coverings in indoor public settings that has been in place since May 29 has been expanded to include all individuals aged 5 and over.
Northam has also prohibited the on-site sale, consumption, and possession of alcohol after 10 p.m. in any restaurant, bar, or other food and beverage service establishment.
Finally, violations of social distancing, mask-wearing, and cleaning guidelines by essential retail businesses, including grocery stores and pharmacies, are now punishable by the state health department as Class One misdemeanors.
Photo via Governor of Virginia/Facebook, Virginia Department of Health
Like many other winter traditions, the Town of Vienna’s annual holiday decorating contest is going to look a little different this year.
Ordinarily, the competition involves local businesses vying to have the most impressive holiday-themed window display, but this year, the town has decided to let residents participate as well.
“I think it’s neat that we’re also doing it for our residents this year,” Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert said. “I think this is a time when everybody needs just some fun things to do that are low-risk activities.”
The town announced on Nov. 13 that the theme for this year’s contest is “Light up Vienna.”
This will be the fourth iteration of the decorating contest since the Vienna Town Business Liaison Committee started organizing them in 2017 as a means of drawing attention to local businesses and encouraging people to do their holiday shopping in the town.
Both businesses and residents must be located within the Town of Vienna’s limits to be eligible for the contest, and decorations have to be visible from the street or sidewalk, though they “may be as simple or elaborate as desired,” according to a town press release.
The contest will kick off on Dec. 1 with a deadline of midnight on Dec. 16 for residents to vote in the “People’s Choice” awards for their favorite displays.
Businesses will receive first, second, and third-place awards, while the awards for residential applicants will be given in separate categories for single-family homes, townhomes, condos, and apartment patios.
Interested residents and businesses can register at viennava.gov/holiday. Participants must finish their decorations and submit photos of their displays to Vienna special events coordinator Lily Widman at [email protected] by Dec. 7.
The Town of Vienna will announce the award winners on social media on Dec. 17.
Like former Mayor Laurie DiRocco did in previous years, Colbert will spend an hour helping the winning business as a guest employee during the holiday season. She will also present gift card prizes from local businesses to the residential winners.
To ensure people get a chance to see all the competing displays, the Town of Vienna will release a “porch parade” route on its website and through social media on Dec. 8 that features all of the participating businesses and residences.
Colbert says the holiday decorating contest has been well-received in the past by businesses that appreciate the support and by residents who enjoy the festive atmosphere that it creates.
“It just really brightens our town, makes it cheerier,” Colbert said. “The businesses go to a lot of effort, and I think it will help them also this holiday season.”
Photo courtesy Town of Vienna
Amidst national calls for transparency and accountability in policing, the Fairfax County Police Department is launching a new interactive data dashboard.
The tool, which is based on Geographic Information System mapping, houses data related to arrests, citations, warnings, and police department training and policies. FCPD will debut the new platform at a series of virtual town halls beginning on Nov. 18.
“We look forward to implementing this additional layer of accountability and leveraging data analytics to continue to strengthen trust and confidence in your police department,” FCPD wrote in a statement.
The department says the tool was designed based on community input.
“Our new GIS-based data dashboards were designed with input from stakeholders and we will continue to. Have healthy discussions with each of you concerning police policies and operations in all communities,” FCPD Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. wrote in a letter to the community on Oct. 16.
A renewed focus on FCPD’s operations is expected in early 2021 when a team of researchers from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is expected to complete an academic analysis of FCPD’s data and its relationship to core operations today.
The review was initiated at the direction of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the county’s Independent Police Auditor.
Researchers at UTSA are studying the department’s culture after a study released in 2017 found that roughly 40 percent of all use-of-force incidents involve a Black individual.
Across the country, similar conversations about transparency in policing have resulted in reform and additional policy directives.
Recent arrest data released by the departments shows some evidence of disproportionate policing in the county. The data indicate that Black individuals make up roughly 39% of all arrests last year. Black residents account for 9.7% of the total population.
FCPD officers arrested 34,330 people in 2019, 57% of whom were white. White residents make up roughly 61% of the total population.
In 2017, a study found that roughly 40% of all use-of-force incidents involve a Black individual.
Roessler Jr. says his department is grateful for “the additional layer of accountability” provided by the data sets and the ongoing academic review.
“Together, we shall continue to leverage data analytics to build trust,” he said.
FCPD plans to host virtual town halls with district station commanders to discuss training and policies related to the data sets. The complete schedule, including links to the meetings, is below:
- Fair Oaks District – Nov. 18 https://bit.ly/3eJt3Uo
- West Springfield District – Nov. 24 https://bit.ly/3khd01i
- Sully District – Dec. 9 https://bit.ly/2JYG8y9
- Mount Vernon District – Dec. 16 https://bit.ly/3peB8Wb
- McLean District – Jan. 6 https://bit.ly/3kk4ZZz
- Mason District – Jan. 20 https://bit.ly/32tXLfi
- Reston District – Feb. 4 https://bit.ly/38vYDUG
- Franconia District – Feb. 17 https://bit.ly/3ncEVBy
All meetings will be recorded and released the public at a later date.
Image via FCPD, Fairfax County Government
Public Can Vote to Name National Zoo’s Giant Panda Cub — “The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is asking the public to help name the male giant panda cub, now 9.2 pounds of adorable, at the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat.” [Smithsonian’s National Zoo]
Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Rules Cash Bond Unconstitutional — “The opinion is not binding and only speaks to the facts of the case in which it was issued, but could be read as a message to lower court judges in Fairfax to reconsider how and when they use bonds.” [Inside Nova/Virginia Mercury]
I-66 Overnight Lane Closures to Continue through Nov. 19 — “Overnight lane closures on I-66 East and West approaching Gallows Road are scheduled to continue next week during the overnight hours Monday, November 16, through Thursday, November 19, for overhead bridge work at the new Gallows Road Bridge over I-66. Work is part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project.” [VDOT]
Vehicle Crash Closes Hunter Mill near Lawyers in Vienna on Nov. 14 — “Two people were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.” [Fairfax County Police Department/Twitter]
GDIT Sells Falls Church Headquarters for $90 Million — “The building is 100% leased ‘on a long-term basis,’ serving as the global headquarters of GDIT, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reston-based federal contracting mammoth General Dynamics Corp.” [Washington Business Journal]
Image via Smithsonian National Zoo
A man from Falls Church was killed in a car crash in the City of Richmond early this morning, Virginia State Police reported on Friday (Nov. 13).
Muhammad Kahn, 22, was struck by a 2005 Volvo S80 traveling north on Interstate 95. He was in the center lane at the 75-mile marker and died at the scene.
Virginia State Police responded to the crash at approximately 12:27 a.m. Identified by police as a 35-year-old man, the Volvo driver was wearing a seatbelt and did not report any injuries.
“Speed is not being considered a factor in the crash,” VSP Richmond public information officer Sgt. Dylan Davenport said in an email.
Fairfax County Public Schools administrators reaffirmed their commitment to bringing more students back for in-person learning during a Fairfax County School Board work session last night (Thursday), despite increasing levels of COVID-19 transmission in Northern Virginia.
After introducing more than 8,000 students to hybrid learning – which consists of two days of in-person instruction and two days of virtual instruction – over the past month, FCPS is preparing to welcome an additional 6,800 students back into classrooms on Nov. 17, Superintendent Scott Brabrand told the school board.
Under a newly revised timeline, another cohort of approximately 13,500 students, including first and second-graders as well as students with disabilities, will start hybrid learning on Dec. 8, a week later than previously proposed.
Students in grades three to six will now be phased in on Jan. 12 instead of Jan. 4. Middle and high school students are still scheduled to return on Jan. 26.
“As we make preparations for additional students and staff to return, we are very mindful of the national, state, and local COVID trends,” Brabrand said. “COVID remains a fluid situation, and I want to emphasize these are my recommendations as of today, this evening.”
For now, FCPS will forge ahead with its Return to School plan even as COVID-19 cases rise in Fairfax County at a rate not seen since early June and the public school system reports its first outbreaks of the pandemic.
According to FCPS, Justice High School in Falls Church and Woodson High School in Fairfax had outbreaks on Nov. 10 that involved staff members, but no students. An outbreak is defined as more than two cases of COVID-19 that are epidemiologically linked.
FCPS sent out letters reporting the outbreaks to the affected school communities and is working with the Fairfax County Health Department to support its contact tracing investigations.
“Those outbreaks are concerning to us, and we take that seriously,” FCPS Department of Special Services Assistant Superintendent Michelle Boyd said. “We’re following up on what may have contributed to the transmission in our schools.”
As of this morning, FCPS has recorded 192 COVID-19 cases since Sept. 8, including 28 cases involving students, though the vast majority of infected individuals have been employees. 40 cases have been reported just this week starting on Nov. 8.
The unions that represent FCPS educators have argued that the school system should halt its plans for bringing in more students. Read More
A private school that specializes in childcare and early childhood education will open in McLean’s Valo Park next year after its owners signed a lease on Tuesday (Nov. 10).
Owned and operated by couple Kate and Brian Mulcahy, Celebree School of McLean will be the first Virginia location for Celebree School, a network of early childhood education centers predominantly based in Maryland and Delaware.
The Mulcahys were drawn to Valo Park (7950 Jones Branch Drive) as a location for their franchise because of the amenities on the business park’s 16-acre campus. They also believe there is a need for quality childcare in the Tysons area, according to a Celebree School press release.
“This location stood out because of its long list of features, especially the ample outdoor space,” Kate Mulcahy said. “Plus, it is ideal given the immediate access to the Capital Beltway, Dulles Toll Road and other major roadways. Valo Park truly is a convenient location for parents living and working in the area who need a high-quality and easily accessible childcare solution.”
Celebree School first announced that it had signed a franchising agreement with the Mulcahys to start a center in either Fairfax or Arlington County on Apr. 21. This is the couple’s first franchising effort, but they have previous experience in business and philanthropy, according to Celebree School.
Kate Mulcahy said at the time that she and her husband were interested in working in early childhood education to help children and families, and the “flexible nature” of Celebree School’s model appealed to them.
Originally founded in 1994 in Lutherville, Md., Celebree School provides full and part-time day care, before and after-school programs, and summer camps to children from 6 weeks to 12 years of age.
Celebree School started franchising in 2019 and now encompasses 44 open or under-development locations. The company says franchise opportunities are available in Maryland, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
“We’re extremely pleased with this location and the added amenities Brian and Kate will be able to offer, like outdoor learning experiences and on-campus field trips for students,” Celebree School Chief Development Officer Jim DiRugeris said. “We believe Valo Park is a prime location for a Celebree School and meeting the childcare needs of area families.”
Staff Photo by Jay Westcott
The City of Falls Church is currently looking at possible projects to submit for a slice of the funds that Virginia has pledged to support affordable housing around Amazon’s planned second headquarters.
Building off a consultant’s report on ways for the city to expand its affordable housing supply, Falls Church City Human Services Director Dana Lewis and City Manager Wyatt Shields laid out some of the options being considered during a city council meeting on Nov. 9.
Proposals include purchasing both owned and rental units that would be sold to city residents and workers at a lower price and buying units at a new development in the city to make them more affordable.
Lewis says Virginia Housing, the state agency that allocates the funds, has shown a particular interest in projects that involve homeownership, as opposed to rental units, because that is a major need throughout Northern Virginia.
“When we’ve talked with Virginia Housing, it seems like they’re really leaning toward innovation and creativity and something that can be duplicated in other jurisdictions,” Lewis said. “They seem to be pretty favorable on the ideas that we’ve shared with them.”
Previously known as the Virginia Housing Development Authority, Virginia Housing committed to investing $75 million in Northern Virginia over five years in response to Amazon’s November 2018 announcement that it will build a second headquarters in a section of Arlington County rebranded as National Landing.
The online retail and tech giant’s anticipated arrival has fueled rising housing prices in Arlington and surrounding jurisdictions, raising concerns that the region’s housing affordability challenges will only worsen in coming years.
The Amazon-related funds come through Virginia Housing’s REACH Virginia (Resources Enabling Affordable Community Housing in Virginia) program, which supports affordable and accessible housing as well as revitalization and preservation efforts.
While the first year of the fund focused on Arlington and Fairfax counties as well as the City of Alexandria, smaller localities like Falls Church City are now eligible to apply for the $15 million that Virginia Housing will allocate in Fiscal Year 2021.
Localities can receive a maximum of $3.75 million, and all of the funds they are awarded must be utilized within a year.
According to Falls Church City staff, proposals will be evaluated based on their proximity to National Landing, affordability, the project timeline, land use incentives, access to public transportation, energy efficiency, and other factors.
If Falls Church decides to look at buying homes that would be owned, Lewis says the city has identified six condominiums and one townhome that can be purchased for less than $700,000. They would be sold to buyers whose income is 60 to 80% of the area’s median income.
If the city decides to purchase a rental property, the units would be rented at a rate below 60% AMI, according to Lewis.
“We’d hold onto the units and then, at some point at a later time, maybe possibly combine them into a larger development plan,” Lewis said.
City Councilmembers Ross Litkenhous and Letty Hardi expressed interest in the idea of Falls Church exploring a homeownership program, noting that the importance of homeownership to people’s ability to accumulate wealth in the U.S. has contributed to racial inequities.
Councilmember Phil Duncan, however, questioned whether a homeownership program would allow Falls Church to produce enough affordable housing.
“Just because property here is so blooming expensive, [homeownership] is going to move the supply needle by handfuls of units, not dozens or hundreds,” Duncan said. “I think we need to find some way to try to move in the dozens or hundreds direction.”
With only four more council meetings scheduled for the rest of the year, Shields says city staff will keep the council updated on their work on the REACH application. He anticipates having another in-depth discussion on the topic at a work session on Dec. 7.
The deadline for localities to submit applications for Amazon REACH funds is Dec. 31.
“This is kind of at the testing-out ideas phase of this grant application, but we are moving quickly,” Shields said.
Vienna Girl Makes Eagle Scout History — “A Vienna eighth-grade student has achieved something few girls have: she’s become one of the nation’s first and youngest female Eagle Scouts.” [WJLA]
Tysons Corner Metro Station Closed for Coronavirus Cleaning — “Video posted to social media shows cleaning crews in full biohazard suits spraying the Tysons Corner station about 4 p.m. Tuesday.” [NBC4]
Vienna Planning Commission Approves New Subdivision — “A proposed six-house subdivision in southwest Vienna received a unanimous recommendation to the Vienna Town Council Nov. 4 from the town’s Planning Commission.” [Inside Nova]
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
