Forty-nine Fairfax County schools now offer Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools programming, more than double the 23 that participated at the start of the 2024-25 school year. For students with and without disabilities, that means more teams to join, more leadership roles to fill and more friendships built inside the school day.

The expansion was presented as an Academic Matters item at the School Board's July 9 meeting, according to BoardDocs agenda materials. The 49 schools break down as 30 elementary schools, four middle schools, 12 high schools and three secondary schools (which serve combined middle and high school grades).

The program rests on three pillars: Unified Sports, where students with and without disabilities train and compete together; Inclusive Youth Leadership, where students of all abilities take advocacy roles; and Whole School Engagement, which activates the broader student body through school-wide campaigns and events.

Jae Lee, assistant principal at Annandale High School, built that school's Special Olympics program while serving as a multiple disabilities teacher. Annandale became one of only nine schools in Virginia to earn the National Unified Champion School designation under his leadership. Lee also holds a master's in special education from George Mason University.

"In order for students to truly be successful academically, we have to make sure we're supporting them both in terms of wellness and social-emotional learning," Lee said at the July 9 presentation.

The growth extends beyond athletes, Lee said. Students without disabilities who participate are developing leadership skills through the program's peer-mentoring structure.

Three FCPS schools have earned the Unified Champion School Banner, the program's highest national honor: Bush Hill Elementary, Woodson High School and Marshall High School. At Bush Hill, teachers Lydia Peters and Mandy McGroarty run cross-grade reading buddies, unified basketball and track-and-field "Little Feet Meets."

The district's long-term goal is for every school to achieve Unified Champion status, which would make Fairfax County a Unified Champions Division. "I absolutely believe that it's something that we will be able to achieve in Fairfax County Public Schools," Lee said.

FCPS has not published the full list of participating high schools, so Vienna-area families should contact their school's special education department to confirm whether Madison, Oakton, or Thoreau participates. The BoardDocs presentation slides are available online under agenda item 8.03. The next School Board meeting is scheduled for July 16, where families can raise special education programming during public comment.