What Fairfax High School does

Fairfax High School is a public secondary school operated by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), serving approximately 2,500 students in grades 9-12 within a geographic attendance boundary in Fairfax, Virginia. Founded in 1927 and located at its current 3501 Lion Run campus since 1972, the school is supported by a staff of approximately 298 employees and operates under the governance of the Fairfax County School Board. It is publicly funded through Fairfax County, Virginia state, and federal education sources, and does not charge tuition to in-district students. Student demographics reflect representation from more than 62 countries.

The academic portfolio spans 11 departments, including Advanced Placement courses, the AVID college-readiness program, Career and Technical Education (Marketing, Business, IT), and the on-campus Fairfax Academy for Communications and the Arts. Specialized offerings include a dual-enrollment Geospatial Analysis class with James Madison University, the Global Classroom Project with Kwangshin High School in Seoul, performing arts (band, choir, orchestra, theatre), athletics, and student-developed products such as the ScamCops scam-detection app. The technology stack relies on FCPS-wide infrastructure: Schoology LMS, Google Workspace, a Student Information System accessed via ParentVUE, Follett Destiny for the library, MackinVIA for digital content, and Padlet for student-services communications.

The school's go-to-market is geographic boundary-based enrollment within FCPS Region 5, supplemented by community-led outreach through PTSA, athletics, clubs, and performing arts. Specialized programs such as AVID and the Fairfax Academy require additional application. Programming signals include College Board Gold Honor Roll, Purple Star School designation for military-family support, Common Sense School recognition for digital citizenship, Gold Star Teacher and Washington Post Principal of the Year awards, and Division 5 VMBC Championships for the Marching Lions.

Name

Fairfax High School

Legal name

Fairfax High School

Website

https://fairfaxhs.fcps.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fairfax High School is a public secondary school within Fairfax County Public Schools serving approximately 2,500 grades 9-12 students in Fairfax, Virginia. It offers AP, AVID, CTE, Fairfax Academy, athletics, and performing arts, funded through district, state, and federal sources under a geographic enrollment model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

Keywords

• Public secondary education
• College preparatory programs
• Advanced placement courses
• Career technical education
• Student services support

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfax

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: Funded through Fairfax County Public Schools budget, which is supported by local taxes and state funding. No tuition charged to in-district students.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fairfax High School is a public secondary school delivering tuition-free grades 9-12 education to in-district students in Fairfax, Virginia. It offers a college preparatory curriculum built on Advanced Placement, Honors, and dual-enrollment courses, supplemented by Career and Technical Education pathways, the on-campus Fairfax Academy for Communications and the Arts, AVID college-readiness support, performing arts, athletics, and student services including counseling and a College and Career Center.

Product overview

Fairfax High School is a public high school within Fairfax County Public Schools offering a comprehensive educational platform. The school's product portfolio includes core academic programs (Learning Lounge after-school support, AVID College Readiness), specialized CTE programs (Marketing, Business, Information Technology), and the Fairfax Academy for Communications and the Arts as a distinguished sub-brand. The school provides student activity programs including athletics, performing arts, and clubs, along with student services for college/career preparation. Notable programs include a dual-enrollment Geospatial Analysis partnership with James Madison University and student-developed technology like the ScamCops app. Security services include daily screenings via Open Gate Screeners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fairfax Academy for Communications and the Arts: Academy provides artistic and industry coursework, partnerships, and certification options for career and college opportunities. Emphasizes three pathways: Arts, World Languages, and Career and Technical Education (CTE).
• Learning Lounge

Products and services

• Advanced Placement (AP) Program College Board AP coursework across multiple academic departments preparing students for college-level rigor and potential college credit; recognized with the College Board Gold Honor Roll.
• Career and Technical Education (CTE) Career-focused programs in Marketing, Business, and Information Technology with student organizations DECA and FCCLA that enhance learning through competitions and work-based learning experiences.
• Fairfax Academy for Communications and the Arts On-campus academy providing artistic and industry coursework, partnerships, and certification options across three pathways: Arts, World Languages, and Career and Technical Education (CTE).
• AVID PAWSome College Readiness Program Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program providing college entry and success support through executive functioning help, tutorials, and college experiences, placing students on a college track with enrollment in Honors and AP courses.
• Geospatial Analysis Dual Enrollment Program Dual-enrollment class with James Madison University teaching Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial thinking using industry-standard software for data analysis and map creation.
• Athletics Program Comprehensive interscholastic athletics program including Marching Lions (Division 5 VMBC Champions), sponsored by Fairfax High School and showcased on fairfaxhighsports.org.
• Performing Arts Program Performing arts programming including Band, Choir, Orchestra, and Theatre, with recognition such as students selected for All-Virginia Music programs.
• Student Services Department Comprehensive student support services including college and career center, counseling, transcript requests, student testing, new student registration, and academic planning assistance, supported by Padlet communication hubs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increased AP, DE, and Honors enrollment by 2,000 course enrollees
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kwangshin High School (Seoul, South Korea)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Classroom Project partnership with Kwangshin High School in Seoul, South Korea focused on Language Acquisition and Intercultural Competence. Students collaborate on UN Sustainable Development Goals related to teen well-being in American and Korean environments. Partnership emphasizes Portrait of a Graduate attributes including Communicator, Collaborator, and Global & Ethical Citizen.
• MainStreet BankminorOthersDECA members presented their Financial Literacy Project to MainStreet Bank and school's administrative leadership team, demonstrating community partnership for student business education.
• James Madison UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual-enrollment partnership for Geospatial Analysis class teaching Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial thinking. Students use industry-standard software for data analysis and map creation, often leading to GIS studies in college and future careers.
• Fairfax AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFairfax Academy for Communications and the Arts shares campus with Fairfax High School, providing artistic and industry coursework, partnerships, and certification options for career and college opportunities. Emphasizes pathways in Arts, World Languages, and CTE.
• Common Sense EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with national nonprofit providing research-based digital citizenship resources created with Harvard Project Zero researchers. Resources teach internet safety, privacy protection, media balance, and media literacy skills.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Connections Academy: Operator of tuition-free online public schools across multiple US states, serving K-12 students with a college-prep curriculum. Comparable in mission and public funding, but a virtual model versus FHS's traditional campus.
• Stride, Inc. For-profit provider of online K-12 education and career learning. Comparable in serving the K-12 college-prep market with curriculum and instruction, but operates via a virtual delivery model rather than a physical campus.

Direct peers

• Langley High School: FCPS high school in McLean, Virginia, with similar demographic profile and a comprehensive program mix. Comparable in scale, mission, and curricular offerings.
• Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology: Nationally ranked FCPS magnet high school located in the same Fairfax County system. Comparable as a comprehensive, college-prep public high school serving the same region, though specialized in STEM.
• Oakton High School: FCPS high school in the same Vienna/Fairfax area with similar college-prep focus, AP offerings, and comprehensive extracurriculars — a directly comparable regional peer.
• W.T. Woodson High School: FCPS comprehensive high school in Fairfax offering similar AP, CTE, and athletics programs. Directly comparable as a peer comprehensive public high school in the same county system.
• McLean High School: Adjacent FCPS comprehensive high school with similar demographic profile and full AP/Honors/CTE offerings. Directly comparable in scale, program mix, and student population characteristics.
• James W. Robinson Secondary School: FCPS secondary school in the same region offering comprehensive academics, AP courses, athletics, and performing arts — closely comparable to FHS in scope and community profile.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: One of the largest US public charter school networks operating K-12 schools with a college-prep mission. Comparable in mission (college preparation, equity, public funding model) but operates a network of schools rather than a single campus.
• BASIS Charter Schools: High-performing public charter school network known for rigorous academics and AP-heavy curriculum. Comparable to FHS in academic excellence focus and college-prep orientation, but as a multi-school charter network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FairfaxCountySchools
• Facebookfacebook.com/fcpsva
• Instagraminstagram.com/fairfaxhighschoolroars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/fairfax-high-school

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fairfax High School