Fredericksburg City Public Schools (FCPS) has initiated the search for a new principal for Hugh Mercer Elementary School, following the transition of current Principal James Snyder to a division-level role focusing on facilities and operations. Effective February 14, 2025, Courtney Wheeler will assume the position of Interim Principal at Hugh Mercer Elementary.
Wheeler’s extensive experience within FCPS includes serving as principal of Lafayette Elementary School until December 2024 and being appointed as principal of Gladys West Elementary School in August 2024. She began preparations in January 2025 to open Gladys West Elementary, the division’s third elementary school, scheduled to welcome students this fall.
A 2007 graduate of UVA Wise with a degree in education and endorsements in elementary education and middle school history, mathematics, and science, Wheeler spent nine years teaching in Spotsylvania before joining FCPS. Within the division, she has held roles as both teacher and administrator at Lafayette and Hugh Mercer Elementary Schools, ascending to the principalship at Lafayette in 2019.
Snyder’s new responsibilities in facilities and operations come at a pivotal time for FCPS. The division is actively working to open a new middle school in Idlewild and repurpose the current Walker-Grant Middle School into an elementary facility. Additionally, efforts are underway to develop new Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, including the creation of associated learning spaces. The division is also exploring solar roof initiatives and planning for a new transportation and maintenance facility. Future considerations include the utilization of the historic 1935 building.
FCPS serves approximately 3,575 students across five schools:
- Hugh Mercer Elementary School
- Lafayette Elementary School
- Walker-Grant Early Childhood Learning Center
- Walker-Grant Middle School
- James Monroe High School
