Falls Church School Board Regular Meeting - May 12, 2026

A big night in Falls Church City — the School Board's May meeting packed more than four hours of consequential decisions, honest conversation, and community celebration into one session.It opened the way the best meetings should: honoring the people who make FCCPS work every day. Four staff members were recognized as Employees of the Year, with tributes that were equal parts heartfelt and hilarious. Brannon McLaughlin of Jessie Thackrey Preschool — dubbed the school's "sticker queen" and "resident life coach" — was named Academic Support Staff of the Year. Roberto Fuentes, the quietly dependable custodian who "was trying to hide out in the back," took Operations Support Staff of the Year. Josh Singer, the IB Diploma Coordinator who keeps Meridian's "IB world spinning on its axis," was named Professional Specialist of the Year. And Kieran Shakeshaft, the Henderson history teacher known for showing up to class in full Black Death regalia, earned the Teacher of the Year award — with one board member's son summing it up simply: "Obviously he won. He's the GOAT."From there, the board dug into its full agenda. Dr. Jennifer Santiago delivered the district's equity and belonging report, including a candid discussion of achievement gaps, the new racial accountability framework, and the power of school-based equity teams. Chief Operating Officer Alicia Prince walked the board through the results of a long-overdue transportation audit — and fielded sharp questions about walk zones, bus safety, propane versus electric buses, and what it actually means to enforce a one-mile standard in a 2.2-square-mile city.Then came the main event: the adoption of the FY2027 budget. After months of community input and a new collaborative process with City Council, the board voted to approve the operating, food services, and community services budgets — with Chair Tysse calling it a budget they could all be proud of.The meeting closed with forward-looking work on AI: a data-rich presentation on where FCCPS teachers actually stand on AI readiness, followed by Dr. Dade sharing what students themselves said in their own research and town halls. Spoiler: they think Turnitin is broken, they see AI as an equity issue, and they unanimously agree that using it on summatives is cheating.Falls Church City Public Schools | fccps.org