Author: Potomac Local News

To the Editor,

Data centers may serve the digital age, but they don’t belong next to homes—especially not in Four Seasons, a 55+ community in Dumfries that includes seniors, veterans, and the disabled.

As Manassas tries to position itself as a destination for major business investment, I can’t help but wonder what message we’re really sending—especially when our public schools are struggling so visibly.

Recent reporting from Potomac Local News highlights that Standards of Learning (SOL) scores in Manassas City Public Schools are not only falling, but are also well below the state average. Osbourn High School and Metz Middle School remain only partially accredited, and our grading policies are under fire for allowing late work and multiple test retakes. These may be intended to help struggling students, but the result appears to be grade inflation and a lack of accountability.

Each year, the school calendar creeps earlier into August, cutting short a season that was once sacred in childhood: summer. I’m writing to express my concern that we’re trading sun-soaked afternoons, family vacations, and outdoor adventures for fluorescent lights, digital screens, and prematurely scheduled tests.

Not long ago, most schools in Virginia started after Labor Day. This gave kids the full summer—June, July, and August—with time to rest, travel, play, and just be kids. Today, schools in our area begin as early as August 12, while it’s still hot, bright, and perfect for swimming, hiking, and being outside. Why are we rushing children back into classrooms when summer is still in full swing?