School Services Agreement
In 1962, the City of Fairfax Schools entered into a four-way School Services Agreement (SSA) with the City of Fairfax, Fairfax County, and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). This agreement was revised in 1978 and continues to guide the partnership. Under the SSA, FCPS manages and operates city schools, hires staff, and develops the curriculum, while the City School Board oversees the contract and the maintenance of the four city-owned school buildings.Key Elements of the SSA
- Welcoming Students: The City of Fairfax schools welcome county students, enabling city schools to provide a wide variety of academic and extracurricular opportunities.
- Oversight: The City Superintendent is responsible for overseeing and managing the SSA.
- City Education: City students attend city schools.
- Advisory Participation: The City School Board appoints citizen representatives to serve on FCPS advisory committees.
- Collaboration: The City and County Superintendents consult on topics including boundary changes, school closings, principal selection, citizen participation, special community needs, non-school activities, and complaints.
- Capital Improvements: The City is responsible for major capital improvements to its school buildings.
- Board Collaboration: Members of the City School Board engage in ongoing communication with their County counterparts, participate in regional and state School Board meetings and conferences, and hold an annual City/County Board meeting.
City students and parents have access to all services provided by Fairfax County Public Schools.
Parents with questions or concerns about school policies or practices are encouraged to work with school staff to address issues. If unresolved, concerns may be referred to the Region 5 Office in FCPS, where the Region 5 Superintendent collaborates with the City Superintendent to support and supervise the four City-owned schools.
A Note from City of Fairfax School Board Chair Carolyn Pitches:
“The SSA benefits both city and county students. By welcoming county students into our city schools, we can offer a range of academic, athletic, and extracurricular opportunities that we could not achieve independently. We also thrive as a stronger community thanks to our culturally rich and diverse student body. We are proud to be part of one of the top school districts in the country and value all students attending our schools.”
“The SSA benefits both city and county students. By welcoming county students into our city schools, we can offer a range of academic, athletic, and extracurricular opportunities that we could not achieve independently. We also thrive as a stronger community thanks to our culturally rich and diverse student body. We are proud to be part of one of the top school districts in the country and value all students attending our schools.”
If you’re new to Fairfax and unsure of your school boundaries, visit FCPS’ boundary map calculator to find your assigned school.
Please watch our School Board Chairman talking about this partnership.