Update from the City of Fairfax Schools
On June 18, 2020 the City of Fairfax School Board voted to open public engagement on the naming of Lanier Middle School due to numerous inquiries from the community ( watch the meeting here). On Monday the City of Fairfax School Board approved the Lanier Middle School Public Engagement timeline to gather community input about the name of Lanier Middle School.


Background:
 
Lanier MS was named by Fairfax County Public Schools in 1959 after poet  Sidney Lanier , who served in the Confederate Army from 1861-1865. When the City of Fairfax acquired the land and building from Fairfax County when it incorporated into a city in 1961, the name did not change (then Sidney Lanier Intermediate School).
 
The City of Fairfax Schools owns the four school buildings in Fairfax City: Fairfax High School, Lanier Middle School, Providence Elementary School and Daniels Run Elementary School and are responsible for all naming of the buildings. 
 
On Monday, July 6, 2020 the City of Fairfax School Board voted to approve the Lanier Public Engagement Plan as presented by City Superintendent Dr. Phyllis Pajardo. Also on Monday, the Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam wrote a letter to all the School Boards in Virginia in regards to school names after members of the Confederacy. To read the letter, please see the below. 
 
Timeline for Public Engagement:
 
July 7 - September 10 - Public comments accepted through:

 
August 3 - Public Hearing #1
Community members are welcome to speak at our virtual meeting on August 3, 2020 at 5:00. Students will be allowed to speak first. You do not need to be a city resident to speak. To sign up to speak, please email PublicHearingSB@FairfaxVa.gov
 
September 3 (new date) - Public Hearing #2
This meeting is tentatively scheduled as an in-person meeting at City Hall in the City of Fairfax (address at bottom of page). If there are more sign ups than social distancing allows, we will move this to a virtual meeting. To sign up to speak, please email PublicHearingSB@FairfaxVa.gov
 
September 11 - Public Comments posted on website
 
September 14 - School Board Votes on Renaming of Lanier Middle School
City School Board Meeting, 7:30 City Hall

Please note - you do not need to be a City of Fairfax Resident to provide comments. We are looking for input from all our school communities including students, staff, families, alumni and community members.

Letter from Governor Northam to School Board Chairs of Virginia
Thank you to FHS Principal Dr. Erin Lenart and LMS Principal Dr. Tammy Hanna for their virtual town hall on Thursday, July 9. If you did not have a chance to participate, you can see watch online here.
FCPS UPDATES

  • FCPS School Board voted on Thursday, July 9 to change the start of the school year from August 25 to September 8, 2020. Calendar available here.
  • Rebecca Baenig, Assistant Superintendent for FCPS Region 5, spoke at our school board meeting on Monday to give an update on reopening schools. To see her speaking to the City School Board, please watch our meeting here.
  • Parents are asked to return the SY 2020-2021 enrollment form by Wednesday, July 15. If parents do not return the form, they will be enrolled in the two day, in school option. For Frequently Asked Questions in regards to returning to school, please check the FCPS website. To see the Town Hall with FCPS Superintendent on Monday, please watch the video. To watch the Spanish town hall from Wednesday, please see this video.
  • FCPS School Board will have a work session on Monday, July 13 starting at 1:30 with more discussion on Reopening Schools. To watch, please go to the FCPS website or Channel 99.
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