A plan set to be voted on by the Fairfax County School Board could reassign some Reston students at South Lakes High School to the new Skyview High School in Herndon as early as fall 2027.
The three-year phase-in plan is headed to the board for a vote on July 16.
Before that vote, the board will hold a public hearing on July 13. Families who want to speak must sign up by Thursday. Board member Ricardy Anderson (Mason) urged Superintendent Michelle Reid at a June meeting to send communications to families, noting that summer timing could mean many parents are unaware of the hearing.
Reid presented the phasing and transportation proposal at that June board meeting. The plan opens Skyview this August with more than 700 ninth and tenth graders who voluntarily opt in, according to the superintendent's presentation. No boundary applies in Year 1.
In Year 2, starting fall 2027, a formal boundary takes effect for incoming ninth graders drawn from five feeder-school areas: Centreville, Chantilly, Oakton, South Lakes and Westfield. Students assigned to Skyview may opt out and return to their former school if the new campus can't meet their educational needs.
"We won't have a senior class yet in year two, so there may be some courses that won't be available until we have a full senior class," Reid told the board.
By Year 3 (fall 2028), Skyview becomes a full 9th-through-12th-grade school with its boundary fully enforced. Incoming ninth graders will no longer have an opt-out, though families can still apply for a transfer under FCPS Regulation 2230, the district's standard school-transfer process.
But which Reston addresses fall in the new boundary? That hasn't been decided. The board votes on the specific boundary lines on July 16, and no draft map has been publicly released. The South Lakes pyramid is listed among the affected "Western Pyramids" in the superintendent's proposal.
Transportation
During Year 1, FCPS will bus opt-in students from depot stops at the five feeder high schools. Students within the eventual Skyview boundary will get standard neighborhood bus service once that boundary is established. Reid told the board the district is also evaluating an afternoon shuttle from Skyview to the feeder schools so students can participate in after-school activities.
Board member Matteo Dunne (Mount Vernon) pressed Reid on whether the district has costed out providing full neighborhood bus service for all Year 1 opt-in students throughout their high school careers. Reid could not provide a specific cost figure but said the numbers "appear to be within budget." She offered to supply more detailed figures later.
Athletics and Facilities
Skyview won't join the Virginia High School League until fall 2027. In Year 1, students may compete on teams at their base school. On-campus athletic fields are scheduled for completion by summer 2028, according to the superintendent's proposal, meaning outdoor teams will practice off-site through at least fall 2027. The school will work with the Fairfax County Park Authority for field access.
What Reston Families Should Do
- Sign up to speak at the Monday, July 13 public hearing by Thursday, July 9.
- Watch the board vote on Thursday, July 16, when the boundary lines and phasing plan will be finalized.
- Hunter Mill representative Melanie K. Meren, who represents Reston on the school board, has not publicly commented on the Skyview-specific phasing plan.
- Details are available on the FCPS boundary adjustments page.
