Virginia’s Largest School District Touts Mediocrity

On Nov. 4, leaders of Fairfax County Public Schools emailed parents to brag that district students outperformed their peers across Virginia on the SAT.

The class of 2026 averaged 1,184, which is 71 points above the Virginia average of 1,113 and 139 points above the global average of 1,045. The letter linked in the email claimed that the scores “show the power and promise of public education” by surpassing state and global averages on the SAT.

Let us start with the score itself. A score of 1,184 leaves much to be desired. Fewer colleges are test-optional each year, and Virginia’s top public universities enroll students who score far higher. Even at test-optional schools, those who submit scores land well above 1,184.

At the University of Virginia, the middle 50% of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores fell between roughly 1,410 and 1,540. At Virginia Tech, the range was roughly 1,280 to 1,450.

District leaders also forget their guiding light, “equity,” when it suits them. They credit themselves and the power of public education for their students’ higher averages while ignoring the resource gap between Fairfax County and the rest of Virginia.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, median household income in Fairfax County is $153,637. That is 65% higher than Virginia’s median of $93,170 and 90% higher than the national median of $80,734.

More Fairfax families can afford SAT tutors and specialized classes than families elsewhere in Virginia or the nation. Given that head start, the gap between Fairfax students and the rest of the state looks smaller than one would expect.

At the University of Virginia, the middle 50% of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores fell between roughly 1,410 and 1,540. At Virginia Tech, the range was roughly 1,280 to 1,450.

District leaders also forget their guiding light, “equity,” when it suits them. They credit themselves and the power of public education for their students’ higher averages while ignoring the resource gap between Fairfax County and the rest of Virginia.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, median household income in Fairfax County is $153,637. That is 65% higher than Virginia’s median of $93,170 and 90% higher than the national median of $80,734.

More Fairfax families can afford SAT tutors and specialized classes than families elsewhere in Virginia or the nation. Given that head start, the gap between Fairfax students and the rest of the state looks smaller than one would expect.

This commentary was made available to WMAL via The Washington Times .

Virginia’s Largest School District Touts Mediocrity

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