Proposed VA Legislation Challenging TJ Admissions Draws FCPS Criticism

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — As the Virginia General Assembly begins its 2022 session, a new bill is being introduced to prohibit certain practices at governor's schools, which appears to challenge the new admissions policy at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

TJ is an admission-based governor's school run by Fairfax County Public Schools. In December 2020, the Fairfax County School Board voted to change the admissions policy, eliminating the admissions test and $100 application fee and including a holistic evaluation process. Under the policy, the top 1.5 percent of the eighth grade class at each public middle school meeting minimum standards are eligible for admission. FCPS offers 550 spots for each freshman class to the highest-evaluated students. The changes are intended to improve access to underserved students, as Black and Hispanic students have been historically underrepresented.

The proposed legislation from Rep. Glenn Davis, a Republican from Virginia Beach, would prohibit governor's schools from "discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin." The bill also requires information on students' race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin to be withheld from individuals making admissions decisions to the greatest extent possible.

While the legislation does not mention TJ by name, FCPS released a statement indicating the legislation challenges the school's admissions policy. The school district's statement claims TJ's admissions policy is "merit based and is race neutral." The evaluation process includes looking at students' grade point average, a portrait sheet where they will be asked to demonstrate Portrait of a Graduate attributes and 21st century skills, a problem-solving essay, and experience factors. Those experience factors will include students who are economically disadvantaged, English language learners, special education students, or students who are currently attending underrepresented middle schools.

Davis told the Washington Post the bill seeks to make sure governor's schools do not look at race of applicants. He said it would be "wrong" to use race as a key factor in admissions rather than working on the root causes of inequity.

The first freshman class admitted under the new admissions policy (class of 2025) had increases in Black, Hispanic and white students, while the share of admitted Asian students fell. Per FCPS, the number of Black students admitted increased from 1.23 percent in the last school year to 7.09 percent, the number of Hispanic students increased from 3.29 percent to 11.27 percent, and the percentage of white students increased from 17.7 percent to 22.36 percent. Economically disadvantaged students also increased from 0.62 percent to 25.09 percent. Asian students still represent the majority of admitted students, although the percentage fell from 73 percent to 54.36 percent.

The Coalition for TJ, a parent group opposed to the TJ admissions changes, continues to pursue a federal lawsuit against the Fairfax County School Board. In response to the class of 2025 announcement, the coalition called the holistic admissions evaluation a "crusade against Asian students." The group supported the admissions test, which they called race-blend and merit-based.

It is unclear if the bill would pass, as the Virginia House of Delegates now has a Republican majority but the Virginia Senate continues to have a Democratic majority.