Schools
The University of Mary Washington will open its Fall 2027 application on Aug. 1 through its website or the Common App and has joined the Common App Direct Admissions program for eligible Virginia students, the University of Mary Washington reported. Direct admission offers are non-binding, waive the application fee and give students an early indication of acceptance along with details on more than 100 majors, scholarships, the new Piscopo Rodgers Science Fellows program, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and other pathways.
The Fredericksburg-based public liberal arts university said the initiative reduces barriers in the college search process and aligns with its longstanding focus on access and student success for Virginia applicants, who can activate it simply by adding UMW to their Common App list.
The Manassas City School Board on Tuesday, July 28, approved the 2026-27 Student Code of Conduct on a 6-1 vote, choosing a version with no explicit reference to artificial intelligence. The decision capped two weeks of discussion that began when Board Member Sara Brescia proposed clear language banning unauthorized use of tools such as ChatGPT.
Two options were presented:
Stafford County Public Schools has announced which schools will provide free breakfast and lunch to all students under the Community Eligibility Provision this school year.
Participating schools include Anne E. Moncure, Kate Waller Barrett, Widewater, Falmouth, Rocky Run and Falls Run elementary schools, Edward E. Drew Middle School, and the North Star and Rising Star Head Start programs. Students at these schools get meals at no cost with no application required.
“Spotsylvania School Board member Jennifer Craig-Ford is seeking an opinion from the Virginia attorney general on whether local school boards can require suspicion-less pre-employment drug testing of teachers and other staff with direct student contact,” Fredericksburg Free Press reported. Craig-Ford, who voted with the board majority earlier this month against implementing such testing, has asked local legislators to request formal guidance on four questions involving state law, constitutional limits under the Fourth Amendment and Virginia Constitution, and whether rules differ for new hires or specific employee categories.
The school division already conducts federally required testing for commercial driver’s license bus drivers and suspicion-based testing for other employees; no other Virginia school division currently mandates pre-employment drug screens for classroom staff. Delegates Nicole Cole and Josh Cole said they will send a joint letter to Attorney General Jay Jones seeking the opinion.
Fairfax County Public Schools is rolling out card readers on school buses that students will tap as they board and exit beginning this fall, WTOP reported. New student ID cards will be distributed for the 2026-27 school year as part of a transportation modernization effort; the taps will allow the district to know which students are on each bus for improved safety and efficiency, while buses receive mobile tablets showing turn-by-turn routes and student information as they board.
The system tracks only the bus location, not individual students’ locations. Cards will be color-coded by school and include a QR code plus the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number required by Virginia law. A family app with real-time bus location and boarding updates is planned for later in the fall, and the cards will eventually support other uses such as school meals and field trips. Families with questions can contact the Fairfax County Public Schools Office of Transportation.
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Fredericksburg City School Board Member-at-Large Jarvis E. Bailey has resigned, with the board moving quickly to fill the vacancy.
Bailey submitted his resignation letter on July 13, 2026. It was read into the record during a special board meeting on July 20. In the letter, Bailey described his service as a “calling” and framed his departure in seasonal and spiritual terms: “There are seasons in every life… After much prayer and reflection, I have come to recognize that this is one of those moments.” He expressed gratitude for serving students, families, educators, and the community, and stated his commitment to ministry, speaking, coaching, and teaching.
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The resolution incorporates an $8.8 million state increase—including directed and one-time funds. As part of the plan, the board proposed reducing its local funding request by $1.325 million as an “olive branch,” achieved by moderating some additions such as partial high school counselor positions and deferring certain bus replacements.
The special called meeting, held on June 30, 2026, addressed the tight timeline following state budget finalization. Superintendent Dr. Daniel W. Smith, Ed.D., and Deputy Superintendent and Chief Operating Officer Chris R. Fulmer presented the recommendations. Board Chair Dr. Elizabeth Warner (Griffis-Widewater District) facilitated the session. Other members participating included Vice Chair Dr. Sarah Chase (Falmouth District), Mr. Josh Regan (Aquia District), Ms. Patricia Healy (Rock Hill District), and others, with Ms. Randall absent.
Prince William County Public Schools News reported that the Battlefield High School baseball team won its first Virginia High School League Class 6 Championship with a 6-3 victory over Independence High School on June 18, 2026. Junior Luke Raflo hit a grand slam in the seventh inning to help secure the title, while strong pitching from Alex Kamprowski and Josh Gunning limited Independence’s offense.
The win marks the second consecutive year a Prince William County Public Schools team has claimed the state title, following Gainesville High School’s victory last year. Head coach Jay Burkhart praised his team’s resilience after an early-season slump, with players highlighting the achievement as a long-awaited milestone for the program and its coach of 16 years.