The Fredericksburg City School Board on Monday appointed Dr. Stan Jones to fill the vacant at-large seat, with the longtime educator and nonprofit leader sworn in during a special meeting.Jones, CEO of Action in Community Through Service (ACTS) in Prince William County, will serve as an interim member through the end of 2026. Voters will elect a permanent representative in November to complete the remainder of the term left open by Jarvis Bailey’s resignation, which runs through December 2027.
The appointment followed a competitive process. According to reporting by the Fredericksburg Free Press, Jones was one of five applicants who interviewed with the board. The others were Justin Carter, Beth Flanagan, Jacob Parcell, and Anthony Watkins. The Free Press reported that correspondence sent to board members showed Jones was the only candidate to draw written public support from residents, with 15 people urging his appointment. Read the Free Press report here.
Jones brings nearly 40 years of experience in Virginia public education. He previously served as superintendent of Danville Public Schools and King and Queen County Public Schools, and as deputy superintendent and chief academic officer in Stafford County Public Schools. He holds a Doctor of Education degree from Virginia Tech.
In fall 2025, Jones ran as a write-in candidate for the Ward 4 seat against incumbent Malvina Kay and received nearly 22 percent of the vote, the Free Press noted. He has lived in Fredericksburg for several years.
Kay, the Ward 4 representative, was not present inside the board chambers for the swearing-in ceremony. According to Sue Nelson Sargent, who contributed reporting and photographs for this story, Kay stood outside the chambers during the proceedings.
The board had scheduled the special meeting to select and seat an interim member after reviewing applications and holding public interviews. In an earlier session covered by the Free Press, most board members noted clear public support for Jones, while Kay had publicly questioned whether her constituents backed the appointment and raised concerns about his prior tenure in Danville.
The appointment comes amid ongoing questions about board financial oversight. A special audit of Fredericksburg City School Board travel expenditures for fiscal year 2025, commissioned in October 2025 and originally due by the end of that year, remained incomplete as of late May 2026, according to reporting by the Fredericksburg Advance.
The review was prompted by travel spending by then-member Jarvis Bailey and Malvina Kay that accounted for nearly half of the board’s $16,500 professional development budget and contributed to an overall overspend of about $5,000. Bailey had reimbursed some costs and indicated willingness to repay additional amounts if required by the auditor.
ACTS, the organization Jones leads, provides food assistance, domestic violence services, housing support, and crisis intervention across Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park. He assumed the CEO role in 2023 after retiring from Stafford schools.
The interim appointment gives Jones an immediate seat at the table as the board navigates the remainder of the calendar year. The permanent election in November will determine who holds the at-large position for the final year of the term.
Reporting contributed by Sue Nelson Sargent, who also provided photographs from the scene.
