FHS Principal: Sex Offenders Moved From Anchorage Motel

Editor's Note: This was sent to Fairfax High School teachers and parents on March 11. It has not been edited. Read Patch's report on the sex offender .

Earlier this week, there was a news story about a number of convicted sex offenders living at the Anchorage Motel, located on Fairfax Boulevard and near the northwest border of our school property.  These offenders were under the purview and close supervision of the Virginia Office of Probation and Parole, who used the Anchorage Motel as one of many temporary stay facilities while they helped the offenders to re-enter their communities. City of Fairfax Police Chief Rick Rappoport has told me that the police department was aware of the presence of these offenders and worked closely with their parole officers to monitor their activities. Many of the offenders were participating in a very successful offender re-entry program and the police have not experienced recidivist crimes or other problems with these transient offenders. Nevertheless, it has been the City’s position that the placement of any sex offenders in close proximity to a school presents an avoidable risk to students and an unnecessary distraction to offenders attempting to re-enter communities as reformed citizens.  City officials have been actively engaged on this issue long before the recent story was published. 

I am pleased to report to you that the City’s efforts to resolve this problem have been successful and that the Anchorage Motel will no longer be used as a temporary transition point for any sex offender. However, it is important to recognize that sexual predators exist in every state and region. For that reason I want to provide you additional information to reassure you of your students’ safety at Fairfax High School.

The safety and security of students at Fairfax High School is our first and most important responsibility. Our school’s Safety and Security staff actively pursues a safer school environment. There are 20 exterior cameras that continually record what is happening outside our school building and across the school property. All guests to our school are required to sign in through LobbyGuard, a visitor management system that provides instant background checks – including the national registered sex offenders database – and maintains secure photo records of all visitors. School staff members have been trained to engage any unfamiliar adult in the building not wearing a FCPS or other identification badge. The school has developed comprehensive safety and emergency preparedness plans. We are grateful for our strong partnerships with the Fairfax City and Fairfax County police departments.

All staff members contribute to maintaining a safe environment at Fairfax High School. The school is a “closed campus” and students are not permitted to leave the building or school grounds during the school day. Our school has fencing around most of its playing fields, as well as gated vehicle and pedestrian access points. Any classes that are conducted outside the building are accompanied by one or more FCPS staff members. From teachers standing at their classroom doors monitoring the hallway, to administrators stationed in critical areas during class transitions, and including a security team and a Fairfax City police officer that secure the building, these efforts allow students to focus on their learning.

As with many schools, our school must use off-site practice facilities during fall and spring seasons. Our coaches address procedures concerning travel to and from these sites with regard to safety and security. These procedures are reinforced periodically at regular practices. Teams either travel as a unit or in groups to each field. They cross Route 50 only at crosswalks and follow all crossing rules. We have regular police patrols at Draper Drive and the City Police have been very helpful in supporting our athletes and making them feel safe. Our students’ safety is a community effort, we take it very seriously, and we appreciate your continued support. Please speak with your children, reminding them that they should contact a school staff member if they are ever concerned about their well-being.

I ask those of you who drive your students to school to help us keep our students safe by only using the Kiss and Ride area for dropping off and picking up your students. I have been troubled by reports that parents are driving behind or alongside the school to drop off their student before the start of the school day. Doing so puts our students and staff walking through the parking lots at risk, especially at a time when people are feeling rushed. Thank you for your continued support of Fairfax High School. Don’t forget to move your clocks forward before you go to sleep Saturday night! Have a safe and pleasant weekend with your family.

Best,
Dave Goldfarb