Winter Forecast Prompts Fairfax Schools To Prepare For Potential Virtual Learning

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — As Fairfax County Public Schools monitors a potential winter storm early next week, it is preparing for the possibility of virtual learning.

The inclement weather policy for FCPS allows the first five inclement weather days to be traditional snow days. Students were off from Jan. 3 to 7 after the Jan. 3 winter storm, which brought between 4 and nearly 12 inches to different parts of Fairfax County. Any additional inclement weather days requiring school building closures will be virtual learning days.

A FCPS spokesperson confirmed virtual learning will be the policy for future inclement weather days this school year.

"After using five snow days due to the storms earlier this month, FCPS will now utilize virtual learning for future weather-related events," reads a statement from FCPS to Patch. "We will always take into consideration the conditions in our area, such as massive power outages, that might impact students’ ability to learn at home and staff’s ability to deliver that instruction."

Factors like power outages and technical issues will be taken into account for inclement weather days.

Ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, FCPS informed families to be prepared if Tuesday, Jan. 18 should be a virtual learning day. The National Weather Service issued a winter weather watch Sunday afternoon through night near and west of Route 15 in Virginia, which is west of Fairfax County. While heavy snow and ice is forecast west of Fairfax County, forecasters say confidence is lower for heavy snow and ice east of Route 15. The current projection for Fairfax County is between 3 and 5 inches of snow.

FCPS told families in a letter students should take their devices home Friday, Jan. 14 and have them charged in time for Tuesday, Jan. 18. For students who are isolating or quarantining, families should contact their school by noon Friday to arrange device pickup. Students can review the FCPS Student Technology Readiness Checklist ahead of potential virtual learning.

A virtual learning day would feature synchronous (teacher-led) instruction. Teachers may also prepare emergency asynchronous lessons if they experience power outages or other issues. On an inclement weather day, elementary schools start at 10:30 a.m., and middle schools and high schools start on a two-hour delay. Teachers would take attendance in SIS. Students who are unable to connect would be marked absent but would have a chance to make up work.