Back to School: Fairfax County Public Schools by the Numbers

An estimated 177,629 Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) students will begin the 2011-12 school year on Tuesday.

Here's a look at the system as the school year begins.

The Basics:

FCPS students will attend  

• 138 elementary schools (grades K-6),
• 19 middle schools (grades 7 and 8), t
• Three middle schools (grades 6-8)
• Four secondary schools (grades 7-12)
• 21 high schools (grades 9-12)
• Seven special education centers
• Two alternative high schools,
• 48 alternative programs. 

Three of these schools are magnet schools

• Bailey’s Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences
• Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences
• Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST).

Fifty-two percent of the county's budget goes to the schools. The school's budget also includes $38 million in state funds.

What's New: Full day kindergarten , including these schools in and near Centreville:

• Greenbriar West
• Union Mill

Fairfax County schools will cost county taxpayers $2.2 billion for the fiscal year that started July 1. (the first in several years) and step increases for employees as part of this year's budget.

The majority of students in county schools are now minorities, a testament to the sweeping changes to the county's population in the past 40 years.

And 70 percent of county residents have no children in the schools.

The Fairfax County School Board's 11 members face election in November. Many incumbents are not seeking re-election, making the school board races perhaps the most exciting race this year. There are also eight candidates gunning for three at-large seats. Kathy Smith, the Sully District's representative to the board, is seeking re-election, and Sheila Ratnam is her opponent.