Students in Stafford County middle and high schools may no longer be allowed to use cell phones in class for instructional purposes.

At the county's June 9 school board meeting, the board discussed exhibits one and two of Regulation 2401, which would "eliminate the use of cell phones in the classroom for instructional purposes," according to school board documentation.

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School may be out of session, but the fourth round of student representatives to the Prince William County School Board have been announced.

Rising seniors Ben Kim of Stonewall Jackson High School and Caroline Silvera of C.D. Hylton Senior High School have been chosen to serve as co-student representatives to the school board. Rising senior Ashley Menjivar of Woodbridge High School was additionally chosen as an alternate student representative. These three students were chosen out of a list of twenty-one finalists.

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After hundreds of suggestions and multiple school board meetings, a name has finally been chosen for Prince William County's 13th high school.

The school, which will be located at 13150 University Boulevard in Gainesville, has been named Gainesville High School. The naming was approved at the Prince William County School Board's June 10 meeting, where the board also named the school's library media center in honor of Officer Ashley Marie Guindon and its Student Services Center in honor of Lillian Orlich.

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Northern Virginia Community College classes are going to start on time, but for the most part, they will not in-person.

In a statement on June 8 made by the college's president, Anne M. Kress, it was announced that the college's classes would begin as scheduled on August 24 and be "offered in [NOVA's] approved distance-learning formats, with the majority being offered either through NOVA Online or through synchronous delivery via Zoom."

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Prince William County Schools (PWCS) students should expect to go back to the classroom bright and early in August, as in a recent press release it was signaled that schools will be reopening on time for in-person learning.

School buildings across the state have been shuttered since mid-March when Gov. Ralph Northam ordered schools closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The move forced school divisions to shift their educational efforts solely online.

While it was signaled that students will be returning for in-person learning, online learning is still on the table.

“At this time, we expect to open for in-person learning, as regularly scheduled on August 25. However, PWCS is developing an extensive plan for the potential for required virtual learning, as well as various operational scenarios, and the associated health and safety considerations for staff and students,” stated a press release from PWCS.

No official decisions have been announced, but the Virginia Department of Education and State Superintendent James F. Lane is expected to give guidance to school divisions within a month. Parents are also being virtually brought together to review and discuss the reopening of schools as well as the school division’s Return to New Learning plan.

The Return to New Learning plan includes ‘contingencies for in-person, a combination of in-person and distance learning for students who do not or cannot return in person, and an option for the potential for required distance learning if schools are unable to reopen for in-person learning,’ according to the press release. The plan will continue to be altered as the school division receives further guidance from the state.

“With the input of representative teachers, school leaders, and central office staff, the Division has developed a Return to New Learning Plan with two main road maps: Late Spring and Summer Preparation for the Return to New Learning and multiple contingencies for the actual Return to New Learning 2020-21. The spring and summer 2020 preparation road map is focused on developing our new Virtual Schoolhouse using Canvas, which is a best-in-class learning management system (LMS). Canvas will unify our online learning and curriculum delivery using a series of integrated tools to enhance distance learning for every student,” stated a press release from PWCS.

In addition to Canvas, an ‘integrated division-wide assessment system for monitoring student learning and achievement’ will be utilized. The system, which is called Mastery Connect, is a virtual integrated assessment system with ‘Standards of Learning aligned items banks featuring robust reporting capabilities,’ according to the press release. The system will be used for varying types of assessments overall grade levels.

In the event that virtual learning is implemented this fall, PWCS is working on procuring more laptops for students who need them. The additional purchase of laptops, as well as those previously purchased in spring, will allow the division to complete the implementation of their digital equity plan: a consistent digital device for every high school student by November.

“We also believe that we will be able to provide a device to every high school student who needs one for at-home learning, using both new devices and existing devices, at the start of the fall 2020-21 academic year,” stated a press release from PWCS.

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in April, the school division purchased more than 15,500 laptops for its 27,000 high school students.

As plans for reopening become clearer, additional communications will be shared by PWCS within the coming weeks.

Protestors walked from Liberia Avenue in Manassas to Woodbridge on Saturday under the hot summer sun to protest the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, who died during an arrest attempt by a former police officer now charged in his death.

These photos were shot at about 5 p.m. Saturday, June 6, 2020.

The school year is nearly over, and Prince William County Schools (PWCS) Superintendent Dr. Steven L. Walts is calling for some major changes.

In a June 5 email to all PWCS staff, parents, students, Dr. Walts laid out his ‘action plan to combat racism,’ calling on the email recipients to actively pursue diversity and equity for the school division’s more than 91,500 students and to be vigilant in promoting antiracism.

This plan comes in light of both the firing of a Battlefield High School assistant baseball coach due to racist remarks made on social media, and the death of George Floyd, during arrest attempt by former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin.

“Recent events, locally and nationally, have shown that the voices of many in our community are not being heard. As a majority-minority school division, we must not simply celebrate diversity and equity, we must actively pursue it for all of our more than 91,500 students. Furthermore, we must be vigilant in promoting antiracism. In so doing, we must ensure that employees who work in our schools are aligned with these practices. If they are not, they must be removed from our classrooms. Words matter, symbols matter, and actions matter.” stated Walts.

Walts’ action plan is as follows: the immediate renaming of Stonewall Jackson Middle and High School pursuant to the policy of the School Board, proposing an amendment to the school division’s Code of Conduct to ban the wearing/flying of the Confederate Flag on school grounds, and the establishment of a community panel to review the division’s agreement with the Prince William County Police Department and to make recommendations for change if needed.

In addition to the plan, the division will continue to ‘pursue equity across our Division in a multitude of forms, from access, to curriculum, to individual and group behavior’ as well as require staff to complete training in Culturally Responsive Instruction, according to the email.

“We must all understand our own mindsets and recognize the viewpoints of others, in order to provide effective learning across a diverse student body, and promote a culture of respect and understanding for all,” stated Walts.

Walts is far from the first to propose the renaming of Stonewall Jackson Middle and High School, or believe it to be ‘an insult and an affront to our students, especially in schools where the majority of the students are students of color,’ as was stated in his email.

Back in 2017, former school board Chairman Ryan Sawyers proposed and fundraised for the renaming of the schools.

“When we name a school after someone we honor and celebrate that person. These schools were named in a time when Brown v. Board of Education, integration, and the Civil Rights Act were being implemented across our country. Under the false rhetoric of ‘heritage,’ these schools were, in fact, named after a Confederate icon as a “thumb in the eye” to Federal actions ending their continued racial segregation of public schools,” stated Sawyers.

While the schools were never successfully renamed, George M. Hampton Middle School, named for Mills E. Godwin, the founder of the Virginia Community College System. It was renamed in 2016 due to Godwin’s segregationist history as governor of Virginia.

School board Chairman Babur Lateef is in support of renaming both county schools bearing the name Stonewall Jackson.

“I think the school board members have had dissuasions over the course of years about this renaming the schools, and I think this may be the right time to do this. We are going to look at his issue and seriously consider it,” said Lateef.

Occoquan District Representative to the School Board, Lillie G. Jessie, on the other hand, claimed on Twitter that the plans were made without any input.

“I was made aware of a plan to change the name of Stonewall Jackson High School or Middle School. The plans were made without my input and without community input,” tweeted Jessie.

Walts’ current action plan is only the beginning, according to his email. It is unknown what other changes are to come.

“I recognize this is only beginning, and we have much more work to do. As educators, we must continue to find the means to lend our voices for those who cannot be heard. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that,” stated Walts.

Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was a Confederate general and is regarded by historians as one of the most gifted military commanders in U.S. history. Jackson fought at the 1st and 2nd battles of Manassas during the Civil War and later died at age 39 after a battle in Chancellorsville outside Fredericksburg.

While the world may seem chaotic during coronavirus pandemic, there is a little bit of good news when it comes to animals that need our help.

The Prince William County Animal Shelter’s adoption rate is up 70%, a 28% increase from last year, according to Jeremy Beale, a spokesman for the Prince William County Animal Control Bureau. There is no way to tell why adoptions have increased, but the new coronavirus may have something to do with it.

“People adopt animals from the shelter for a number of reasons. While there is no way of knowing for certain if COVID-19 has attributed to an increased rate of adoption, a connection can be made.” said Beale.

Currently, the shelter only has 20 animals up for adoption, with an average of 14-17 being adopted per week.

In addition to adoption rates being up, animal intake (stray animals coming into the shelter/people surrendering animals) rates are down by 38%. This has to do with both people being able to stay home and care for their animals more, and the fact that the shelter has put a hold on taking in healthy stray cats to reduce the chance of overpopulation, according to Beale.

While it is possible many of the adopted animals could be brought back once people return to work, the shelter is not concerned. According to Beale, the shelter is ‘always prepared for the circumstance where the animals come back’ and has been posting training videos for dogs/cats on their Facebook page to aid owners in being able to handle their pets better. The shelter has also set up a pet food pantry to aid people in feeding their pets. 

“It is very hard to determine if animals will be returned to the shelter later on, but we firmly believe that anyone who does adopt an animal is equipped to handle them,” said Beale. 

For those interested in adopting from the shelter, there are new health procedures in place. In April, the shelter set into effect precautionary measures due to the new coronavirus and is now only allowing visitors in at 30-minute intervals with an appointment. Visitors who are interested in dogs, however, do not enter the building whatsoever. The dogs are brought outside to meet them, and then, if the visitor is interested, the adoption process takes place. All visitors are asked to wear face masks or coverings.

Visitors are also asked to identify a specific pet they are interested in before visiting the shelter. This can be done on the shelter’s PetFinder, a website that shows all of the animals currently available for adoption and gives a general description of them.

The pet shelter can be contacted at (703)-792-6465 or [email protected].

“The one thing that I think has been really amazing during this time is the community that supports the shelter has come out and supported us in every way possible We are seeing so many people from our community engage with the shelter in ways that are helping us getting so many more animals adopted out sooner,” said Beale. 

The Prince William County Police Department aims to diversify its ranks.

The department, in conjunction with the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), is requesting input from the community on how to improve diversity in recruiting and hiring. The current demographics of the department are as follows: 76% White, 8% African-American, 11% Hispanic, 3% Asian, and 2% other.

“In recent decades, the population of Prince William County has become increasingly diverse. The last U.S. Census indicated that Prince William County is a “minority-majority” community, meaning that less than half of the population is reported as non-Hispanic and of one rate (Caucasian). The Police Department recognizes the changing nature of the community and is continually seeking ways to be more reflective of the community it serves and to maintain the public trust,” said Prince William police spokesman 1st Sgt. Johnathan Perok

This initiative dates back to 2018, when the department requested and later received local grant funding from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program to ‘review and improve its recruitment plan and hiring strategies, in conjunction with a consultant,’ said Perok.

The department later contracted with PERF, an independent research organization that focuses on critical issues in policing, to ‘review processes and recommend strategies for improving diversity in recruiting and hiring police officers,’ according to a statement the department posted on Facebook.

“Over the years, the Police Department has incorporated a variety of different efforts in an attempt to increase the diversity in its ranks, including participation in minority recruiting events, advertising in minority publications, and maintaining ties to community groups and leaders, etc. The department employs many standard recruiting efforts and recognizes there is always room for improvement. That is why it is looking to PERF to recommend strategies and methods that may not have already been utilized,” said Perok.

PERF is currently performing a year-long study, which began in January. The organization expressed interest in receiving information from officers, applicants, community members, leading to the current request for input. Community members interested in giving feedback on how to increase diversity within the police department can email [email protected].

“While PERF is unable to respond directly to every message, each will be considered to be included in their review,” stated a post on the department’s Facebook account.

It’s not the best time to be traveling around Manassas.

Sudley Road in the area of Sudley Manor Drive was closed about 8:45 p.m. ‘out of an abundance of caution’ due to nearby protests, according to a Facebook post from the Prince William County Police Department. Additional road closures can be expected, as the protestors are moving toward I-66.

“Crowd remains in the area of Sudley Rd. Police are assisting for safety. Use caution and follow police direction,” stated a a Facebook post from the Prince William County Police Department.

Just before 1o o’clock, police announced a the group was marching toward Interstate 66.

*UPDATE: Crowd is moving down Sudley Rd towards I-66, additional clsoures expected for safety. Use caution and follow police direction. https://t.co/DBTFF8unlK

— Prince William County Police (@PWCPolice) June 3, 2020

Sudley Road was the site of a large protest that turned unruly on May 31, causing police to deploy tear gas and to use rubber bullets to subdue the crowds. Virginia Delegate Lee Carter (D-Manassas, Bristow), was pepper-sprayed by police, and had a flashbang thrown at him, according to tweets from the delegate himself.

“Virginia State Police sprayed CS directly into my left eye after refusing to answer basic questions for 45min…. They tried to flashbang me again while I was walking away. Twice. They missed. I saved the hand thrown container,” tweeted Delegate Carter.”

The protest, which began peacefully, escalated when an unidentified individual threw an unknown object at a driver. Police from multiple counties, including the Virginia State Police, then proceeded to swarm the area to put down what was deemed ‘civil unrest’ by the Prince William County Police Department.

Even with police present, protestors continued to throw bottles and rocks from the parking lot of a nearby Red Lobster.

“During the protests, multiple businesses along the Sudley Rd corridor sustained damage and two small fires were reported to shrubbery and a trash receptacle. Numerous police vehicles were also reportedly damaged throughout the evening,” stated Johnathan Perok, the Public Information Office Supervisor for the Prince William County Police in a press release.

Protestors were requested to vacate the area by police, and ‘given the opportunity to disperse peacefully.’ Many did not follow police orders, and police proceeded to use tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse them.

“Since I was in front of the crowd, I inhaled some of it [tear gas] and ended up running because it was too much to handle. I started coughing and I have to rub my eyes as well. Fortunately, I wasn’t hit by a rubber bullet, but it landed near me,” said Emily Jasmine Reyes, a protestor and Stonewall Jackson High School student.

The protest resulted in five arrests, including a DUI and ‘other offenses for driving through a police perimeter,” the injury of four Prince William County police officers, one of whom was taken to a local hospital.

Following the riot, police called for calm in the community.

Updated 11:30 p.m. 

*UPDATE: Group is off I-66, no impacts. Sudley Rd traffic closures remain in place. Use caution and follow police direction. https://t.co/pv1boPKwVU

— Prince William County Police (@PWCPolice) June 3, 2020