AAP center proposed for Poe Middle School

The Annandale High School pyramid is only one of two pyramids in Fairfax County that doesn’t have an elementary or middle school with an Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) center.

That creates disruptions for students who need to transfer out of their home school for AAP services, notes school board member Ricardy Anderson of Mason District.

Community input

Superintendent Michelle Reid recommends that a new full-time AAP Center be established at Poe Middle School, Anderson announced in an email to families. The school board is scheduled to vote on whether to proceed with that recommendation at its Sept. 25 meeting.  

If that happens, community meetings would likely take place in October.

The superintendent would then develop a final recommendation for the board’s consideration in December. If approved, a new AAP center could be up and running at Poe during the 2026-27 school year.

Anderson asks parents to fill out a survey on this issue before the Sept. 25 board meeting.

According to Anderson, the lack of an AAP center serving the Annandale pyramid means students eligible for AAP services must transfer schools twice and must transfer to a school outside the pyramid to access an AAP center.

Disruptive transitions

For example, students who access the K-5 Local Level 4 full-time AAP program at Annandale Terrace Elementary School, Braddock ES, or North Springfield ES must transition for one year to Canterbury Woods ES for grade 6.

Then they can either transition to Frost Middle School or attend their neighborhood middle school to access advanced courses via enrollment in four middle school Honors-level courses. 

Full-time Local Level 4 advanced academic students at Mason Crest ES must attend the AAP center at Belvedere ES, then transition to Glasgow Middle School for full-time AAP services. Most of those students must then return to Falls Church HS.

In July, the FCPS Office of Facilities Planning Services issued a report with two scenarios that would provide a continuous pathway of services for students eligible for full-time AAP from Annandale Terrace, Braddock, and North Springfield.

That report called for a new AAP center at either Holmes Middle School or Poe Middle School. Based on the facilities analysis, both schools are considered to have sufficient capacity for current programs and future growth.

Anderson urges the board to approve the superintendent’s recommendation for a new AAP center at Poe.

“The benefits to students are exponential,” she said. “Students will have the opportunity to remain in their community with their friends, and parents will not be forced to decide between the pursuit of full-time AAP services for their students or remain connected to their community.”

In addition, Anderson said. FCPS “will more equitably provide access to advanced programming and reduce transportation costs.”