Fairfax Co. School Board appoints new superintendent

Fairfax Board appoints new superintendent

Fairfax Co. School Board announced Dr. Michelle Reid -- from the Northshore school district in Washington State as the school system's next leader.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - The Fairfax County Public School Board announced its next superintendent Thursday night.

The board voted to appoint Dr. Michelle Reid, superintendent of the Northshore School District in Washington state as FCPS' next leader.

The move was met with pushback from some students, parents, and community members.

Fairfax County School Board challenges state’s student mask law

There is a renewed debate over masks in Virginia as a local school board looks to once again require its students to wear masks while in the classroom.

There were several student walkouts across the school district throughout the day and a rally ahead of Thursday night’s school board meeting.

Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather

Some students said during the rally they should’ve been more involved in the superintendent search process, and some felt community input from marginalized communities was not considered in the decision.

Some school board members had concerns about Dr. Reid coming from a smaller school district.

Fairfax County Public Schools has approximately 180,000 students while the Northshore District has around 20,000 students.

SUBSCRIBE TO FOX 5 DC ON YOUTUBE

Current superintendent Dr. Scott Brabrand announced last July the 2021-2022 school year would be his last as superintendent for FCPS.

After the announcement, the school board was tasked with searching for a new superintendent and hired a human resources firm to conduct a nationwide search.

The search firm conducted surveys and held multiple community stakeholder meetings.

Several school board members voting in favor of Dr. Reid said there was an extensive and rigorous hiring process before a decision was made.