Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) began its new academic year this week with a significant change to student safety protocols, as school crossing guards have been eliminated from high schools across the county, including those in the Hunter Mill District. This decision stems from FY 2027 budget reductions, which cut $1.89 million and 13 crossing guard positions from the Fairfax County Police Department.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn expressed his opposition to these budget cuts, noting their impact on essential community services. “This reduction was one of the reasons I opposed the nominal reduction in the real estate tax rate in this year’s budget, which also resulted in cuts to other programs and services that support some of our community’s most vulnerable residents, including children,” Alcorn said.
Following concerns from residents and school board members, Supervisor Alcorn co-sponsored a motion with Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity and Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk to re-evaluate the crossing guard program. The motion directs the police and schools to report any immediate safety concerns arising from the absence of high school crossing guards and to provide a comprehensive review of the county’s use of contracted crossing guards later this year. A pilot program for privately contracted guards began last summer, serving 31 elementary and middle schools, including several in the Hunter Mill District. Alcorn assured residents that “crossing guards will remain at elementary and middle schools, and this won’t change, although contractors may be used for some crossings.”
In other county news, the Board of Supervisors approved a Site-Specific Plan Amendment for the Lake Fairfax Business Center, paving the way for a new residential mixed-use option on the 76-acre office park near the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail station. This amendment increases allowable intensity up to 1.0 Floor Area Ratio (FAR), accommodating up to 1,250 residential units and recommending neighborhood-serving retail, public park space, and land for a future elementary school. Concurrently, EYA Development’s rezoning application for approximately 49 acres of the site, proposing 1,017 housing units, has been scheduled for a public hearing in November.
Additionally, the Board endorsed the installation of speed humps on John Milton Drive and Fairway Drive, following community concerns and traffic studies that documented significant speeding. Residents in both neighborhoods voted to approve these traffic-calming measures. The Board also approved prohibiting truck cut-through traffic on Crowell and Browns Mill Roads, with a request for the Virginia Department of Transportation to assess potential impacts on Buleah Road and Hunter Mill Road.