Schools - Potomac Local News

Loudoun County is next in line to consider school closures after Prince William

Published October 29, 2026 at 9:53AM

[Photo by MChe Lee on Unsplash]

Loudoun County Public Schools staff this week floated closing four low-enrollment western elementary schools to save about $8.5 million, but most members of the Loudoun County School Board rejected the idea at Tuesday’s meeting, Loudoun Now reported.

The discussion comes after neighboring Prince William County closed Potomac View Elementary School when students moved into the new Woodbridge Elementary this fall, Potomac Local News reported, and after the Prince William School Board canceled plans for a 14th high school in February amid declining enrollment projections.

Three local students elected to Phi Kappa Phi

By PLN News

Published October 13, 2026 at 8:03AM

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Harley Brydon of Stafford, Katherine Gonzales of Woodbridge and Christopher Izenour of Bristow were recently elected to membership in The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Brydon was elected at Boise State University. Gonzales was elected at Texas State University. Izenour was elected at Mississippi State University.

Stafford high schools deliver 122 hours per credit, not 140; board reviews 2027–28 calendar and schedule options Tuesday

By PLN News

Published September 4, 2026 at 7:55AM | Updated September 4, 2026 at 10:34AM

Stafford County students / Stafford schools

Stafford County high schools deliver about 121.8 seat hours per course, 18.2 hours short of Virginia’s 140-hour standard for graduation credit — roughly 13 class meetings, or five weeks on the current A/B schedule.

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1% sales tax for Stafford school buildings heads to Nov. 3 ballot

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 26, 2026 at 1:00PM

Stafford County voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to authorize a local sales tax of up to 1 percent dedicated to school capital projects, a question now on the ballot as the school division faces separate questions about how it accounts for staff events and related spending.

The Board of Supervisors approved placing the measure on the ballot July 7. Stafford Circuit Court entered the order July 20. The option became available after a late addition to the state budget following June 29, when the General Assembly extended to all Virginia localities the power to seek voter approval for an extra sales-and-use tax limited to school construction and major renovations.

Most Prince William High School Tracks Now Open for Community Use

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 20, 2026 at 3:00PM

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Prince William County Public Schools has expanded public access to high school running tracks after a successful pilot program, allowing community members to walk, jog, or run at most high schools during designated hours.

According to Meghan Silas, a spokeswoman for the school division, PWCS traditionally kept high school tracks closed to the public outside of school activities and formal community rentals. Limited access began at Colgan High School and Forest Park High School roughly five years ago.

Manassas City Schools See Sharp Growth in AP Participation and Success Rates

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 31, 2026 at 10:10AM

Manassas City Public Schools students are taking far more Advanced Placement exams and earning higher scores, according to an update presented to the School Board this week.

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UMW Opens Fall 2027 Applications Aug. 1 with Direct Pathway for Virginia Students

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 31, 2026 at 10:10AM

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.

No ChatGPT Ban: Manassas School Board Ditches AI Rules After Detection Fight

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 30, 2026 at 10:03AM

Manassas City School Board

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:

Free Meals at Select Stafford Schools

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 29, 2026 at 10:43AM

Kindergarten students get off the bus at Park Ridge Elementary School on "transition day," Monday, August 11, 2025. [Photo: Stafford County Public Schools]

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.

Durant Urges Spotsylvania School Board to Reconsider Pre-Employment Drug Screening

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 24, 2026 at 9:07AM

“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.

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