Will Fairfax County Schools Close on Primary Day?

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- A brouhaha between Trump supporters and the Virginia Republican Party over a “loyalty pledge” requirement when voters hit the polls for the presidential primary March 1 has some county officials nervous.

Anyone who votes in the Republican party must sign a statement stating: ‘My signature below indicates that I am a Republican.’ GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump, who is gaining support from independents, some Democrats and some people who have never voted before, was livid about the pledge requirement.

Trump reacted in a series of statements on Twitter, including this one: “R.P.Virginia has lost statewide 7 times in a row. Will now not allow desperately needed new voters. Suicidal mistake. RNC MUST ACT NOW!”

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The heated rhetoric worries some county officials.

Fairfax County Supervisors recently voted 9-1 to cancel classes March 1, worried over crowds and possible disruptions by Trump supporters angry over the requirement, since many of the polls are located at schools. The only supervisor who voted “no” was Kathy Smith.

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But Karen Garza, the school superintendent, says a two-hour delay to the start of classes that day is sufficient.

She issued an announcement Tuesday, reiterating that she plans to stick to her original decision:

You may be reading or hearing about a request from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for FCPS to close schools on March 1, primary day in Virginia. As you know, the School Board voted in October to delay the opening of schools on March 1 by two hours at the request of the County Office of Elections to accommodate the anticipated heavy voter turnout. At this time, there are no plans to close schools for the entire day on March 1.

FCPS is obligated by law to have a 180 day calendar, and if FCPS is closed for primary day, another student holiday would need to be used as school day. For many years, schools have been open and serving as polling locations without incident.

The safety of our students, staff, and visitors is always our priority and we work closely with election officials, our security team, and law enforcement to ensure the safety of all. On election day, all school staff and voting officials at each site are asked to remain vigilant and quickly report any suspicious or inappropriate activity. Extra security patrols are added to address any concerns the schools may have and parent volunteers often assist by walking hallways and monitoring public areas.

Today’s suggestion to close schools on March 1 came as a complete surprise to both FCPS staff and the Fairfax County School Board. FCPS will be reaching out to the Elections Office to learn more about the new security concerns that have been raised. FCPS will continue to keep the community informed regarding any new developments.

Thank you for your understanding and support.