Fairfax County Public Schools is rewriting the agreement that governs how police officers work inside McLean High School, Langley High School and Cooper Middle School, and families have until Monday, Sept. 7, to weigh in.

FCPS and the Fairfax County Police Department are developing a new School Resource Officer Memorandum of Understanding to replace the current pact. SROs are full-time county police officers stationed at most middle and high schools. The MOU establishes the framework for how FCPS and FCPD work together to provide a safe learning environment for the entire school community.

The district is asking community members to review both the existing MOU and Virginia's state model agreement, then submit comments through the FCPS SRO MOU webpage.

The feedback window was announced in the Aug. 5 FCPS This Week newsletter, which also listed several back-to-school updates ahead of the Monday, Aug. 24, first day of school.

New discipline handbook charts

The School Board approved an updated Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook on May 7, according to a district newsletter that month. The changes add Universal Grade Matrices, found in Appendix D, that break behavior expectations and school responses into three grade bands: K–3, 4–8 and 9–12. They cover standardized procedures for harassment, hate speech, discriminatory behavior and Title IX reporting, plus guidance on suspensions and supports for students with disabilities and multilingual learners.

The matrices give parents an at-a-glance view of how a school will respond to a specific behavior concern at their child's grade level.

Back-to-school checklist for McLean families

Three weeks remain. With the Aug. 24 start approaching, the district flagged several action items:

  • Tax-free weekend (Aug. 7–9): Virginia's sales tax holiday covers school supplies and clothing.
  • ParentVUE activation: Families can use activation codes from registration to access grades, attendance and assignments, and update immunization records and emergency contacts.
  • Immunizations: Required for all students. FCPS and Inspire Health Alliance will provide school-required shots at no out-of-pocket cost. Families with appointments after Aug. 24 should submit an Immunization Action Plan.
  • Bus ID cards: All 130,000 FCPS bus riders will tap on and tap off with new student ID cards this fall. A companion app will let parents track bus progress in real time.
  • MealViewer: The district's new menu platform shows daily menus, allergen alerts and nutritional information, with notifications for favorite meals.
  • Early release Wednesdays: Elementary schools will have four early-release days starting in late September; lunch will be provided.