November 24 Update from the Superintendent Regarding High School Football

Dear FCPS Community,

I want to congratulate all our student athletes, their families, and our coaches on their hard work during this fall sports season. As promised, I want to update you on our current actions regarding our high school athletic programs. There are some specific matters I want to share, including our continuing discussions with officials at the Virginia High School League (VHSL), and my choice of a key FCPS leader to serve as the designated working point of contact for the comprehensive, external review process and the establishment of an internal working group to evaluate our current practices. 

School Board members and I returned from the Virginia Association of School Boards meeting late last week. While there, I had an opportunity to meet with Dr. John Haun, who is the executive director of the VHSL. We discussed the status of the Hayfield Secondary School recruiting concerns, and the recent court ruling that permitted Hayfield players to compete in this postseason.

I’ve pledged to do everything possible to ensure we are never in this situation again. We must be accountable to everyone involved, and our focus will continue to be on our students while we are having discussions to resolve this situation. Let me be clear that I expect that everyone can come to a school environment or school-based activity feeling safe and respected. 

Last week, I announced a comprehensive external, independent review of FCPS’ student-athlete transfer and eligibility practices across all sports and all high schools in the Division. We will also establish a working group of FCPS coaches, principals, and key staff who are involved in the transfer process. This group will evaluate and review current practices related to transfer requests and verification of student residency. The external review findings will inform and guide the internal review. 

As I shared in last Wednesday’s letter, I have entrusted Tom Horn, FCPS Executive Director, Activities and Student Athletics, to lead these important efforts. Tom has 27 years of experience in Virginia athletic administration, has worked extensively with the VHSL on many of their committees, and is a former VHSL Executive Committee member. I know Tom understands the importance of getting this right and has my full support. He will be providing regular updates on this matter to the community. I will continue to be actively involved in the oversight of the process but will rely on Tom’s knowledge and diligence to guide us through the day-to-day work.

In August of this year, we worked with the VHSL to determine the eligibility of each student who transferred to Hayfield Secondary School. At that time, we deemed nine students ineligible. Subsequently, five of those players gained eligibility through the VHSL appeal process. No ineligible players have participated in any games this season. As described in a letter to the Hayfield administration, the VHSL did decide to ban the Hayfield team from the postseason for recruiting concerns and a violation of the League’s guiding principles, before the Fairfax Circuit Court paused that ban.

Dr. Haun and I agree that the changing landscape of both high school and collegiate athletics will require new standards to be implemented to prevent situations like the one we’ve just encountered. I trust that there will be continuing collaboration with the VHSL as we prepare our programs - and our student athletes - for the future. 

Thank you all for your continued support for our coaches, athletes, and their families; it matters. 

As promised, please see an update on our progress from Mr. Horn below. 

Warmest Regards,

Michelle C. Reid

Dr. Michelle C. Reid
Superintendent

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Dear FCPS Families,

As Executive Director of the Office of Student Activities and Athletics Programs, I take seriously the responsibility given to me by Dr. Reid to lead this important effort. Education-based athletic programs are an integral part of our student’s school journey. Athletically motivated transfers distract from our focus on the long-term growth and development of our students. 

Our work will begin with the first meeting of an internal working group scheduled for December 19. I expect to have members identified and selected soon. This group will include representatives from our directors of student activities, school principals, coaches, and central office staff who are involved in the transfer process. The group will review and revise, where necessary, FCPS protocols and procedures.

Specific details of the comprehensive and external review are still being worked out. We will identify and hire the best firm possible to do this work, which may take some time to finalize. We will keep you updated as pertinent information is available. 

While the internal and external reviews will be conducted concurrently, we share the same goal: ensuring that we provide clarity and actionable steps that will strengthen our programs and the student-athlete experience.

We will also redouble our efforts to ensure that internal and external transfers are not made for athletic purposes. We look forward to future guidance from the Virginia High School League to assist us in these efforts.

Superintendent Reid and I will be holding two Community Conversations, one for our schools in Class 6 Region C and one for our schools in Class 6 Region D, regarding our athletic regulations and practices. We’ll be sharing more information about those meetings soon and hope you will attend.

Again, I’m ready to lead these important initiatives, and my team and I are fully committed to the shared goal of preventing the confusion and disruption of this season from ever happening again.

Tom Horn
Executive Director
Office of Student Activities and Athletics Programs