Superintendent Scott Brabrand announced a plan for the majority of Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) students to return to in-person five day learning this fall. FCPS aims to safely transition it’s 180,000 students to in-person instruction, preparing to maintain three feet between students and staff. 

Freshman Esha Jain looks forward to in-person interactions, but will miss some aspects of virtual learning. 

“It makes me happy to be going back to school, but at the same time I like the asynchronous Mondays. We’ve gotten used to the virtual environment, so returning to in-person learning full time will be a big adjustment,” Jain said. 

Despite the many challenges it will bring, Braband is determined to operate at almost full capacity in the fall. He emphasizes that low-income students, non-native English speakers and disabled students have been the most affected by online learning

“We have an equity imperative to have all of our students back in person in the ’21-’22 school year,” Brabrand said. “It’s time to return normal to Fairfax County Public Schools, or as near normal as we can.”

Brabrand has three main focuses for the return to school.

“We will continue to focus on student and staff social-emotional wellness; attendance and engagement, and essential academic standards, as we begin to plan to return strong in the fall,” Brabrand said.