FAIRFAX, Va. — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit announced Friday that the current admissions process can continue for at least the most recent applicant pool at Fairfax County's Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, although a judge recently ruled that it is discriminatory toward Asian Americans.
Fairfax Schools said a change at this point would cause "uncertainty and distress" among the current applicant pool, as well as significant operational issues.
The announcement comes after an ongoing debate regarding if and how the admissions policy should change at one of the most prestigious high schools in America.
US News and World Report named Thomas Jefferson the top high school in the country in 2020, and the school is regionally known as a “Governor’s School.” According to the Virginia Department of Education, Governor’s Schools give gifted students academic, visual and performing arts opportunities beyond what is normally available at their locally zoned school.
In 2020, some individuals affiliated with the school noted the demographic makeup as a point of concern, saying the student population was not as diverse as it could be. In an effort to address that concern, Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Scott Brabrand proposed changing the admissions policy.
Several changes took effect in December 2020 following an equity review. They included removing the standardized admissions test and the $100 application fee. Board members also approved raising the minimum GPA from 3.0 to 3.5, expanding the freshman class from 480 to 550 and ensuring they came from the top 1.5% of applications from every middle school.
However, In February 2022, U.S. District Court Judge Claude Hilton ruled that the changes discriminate against Asian American students. The ruling found that impermissible "racial balancing" was at the core of the initial overhaul.
The Coalition for TJ, the group of parents who challenged the admissions process in court with help from the conservative Pacific Legal Foundation, said in a statement at the time that it "is thrilled by Judge Claude Hilton's clear renunciation of racism and discrimination and his powerful defense of equality."
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School board officials continue to stress that the initial change to the admissions process was developed to create greater access and opportunity for students throughout the county.
Fairfax County schools originally requested a stay regarding the judge’s ruling on the new admissions process in mid-March 2022, which will now allow the current application process for the next class to remain unaffected by the judge's ruling. FCPS will consider next steps for subsequent classes, they stated.