Fairfax County Public Schools is making staffing adjustments due to lower-than-expected student enrollment, according to FFX Now. Superintendent Michelle Reid told the Fairfax County School Board last week that projections for this school year were “off by several thousand students.”
As of September 30, FCPS’s pre-K through 12 headcount was 171,936. Last year, the division reported 177,249 students. The year prior, that number was 180,559.
Reid told board members that compounding factors contributed to the 5,313-student decrease from last school year.
She pointed to smaller kindergarten cohorts over the past decade as an example. She also said that less students are moving to the school division, particularly from other countries. Previously, that influx helped mitigate enrollment decreases.
FCPS has rebalanced teachers across the school system, according to Reid. The division now aims to curb outside hiring. The goal is to maintain its existing staff, though their positions may be reallocated.
Better forecasting, Reid told the board, is also part of the plan going forward.
