School board addresses fentanyl crisis

The Fairfax County School Board adopted a proposal calling for FCPS to address the threat of fentanyl among students.

The measure, approved on May 11, calls for a comprehensive review of regulations, policies, practices, and curriculum on drug abuse. The review would also determine whether schools are meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of students in recovery from substance use disorder.

As part of this review, the school board asks Superintendent Michelle Reid to consider the following initiatives:

• Establishing a recovery high school.
• Providing students and staff with access to fentanyl testing strips.
• Placing naloxone in all classrooms with appropriately trained classroom-based staff.
• Offering naloxone training to high school students.
• Partnering with local hospitals and health agencies to increase residential and outpatient treatment options for minors.
• And helping families learn how to live with and support their students in recovery.

There are nearly 100 recovery high schools across the nation, including the Chesterfield Recovery Academy that opened last year in Chesterfield County, Va. By integrating counseling and other support into the school day, these programs aim to prevent students from relapsing, making it more likely they will graduate.

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Data from Fairfax County’s Opioid Dashboard indicates four local young people age 17 and younger suffered fatal overdoses in 2022.

Between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2023, there were 17 non-fatal overdoses among youths 17 and younger. That compares to 27 nonfatal overdoses during the entire previous year.

“Our schools must provide students and families with the knowledge and resources to make healthy, informed decisions,” said school board member Karl Frisch (Providence), co-sponsor of the proposal. “Every student in recovery has the potential to create a future of hope and possibility. The right support can make all the difference.”

“We cannot afford to lose one more child to substance use disorder,” said co-sponsor Laura Jane Cohen (Springfield). “Our family was shattered when we lost my sister five years ago. I’m proud that our school system is stepping up to educate and support our students, staff, and families.”