Schools

After delaying its initial vote and calling for a special meeting, the Stafford County School Board has made the decision to reopen schools fully virtually.

During its July 29 meeting, the Stafford County School Board approved Superintendent Scott Kizner’s return to learning plan, which begins the school year virtually for students, with exceptions for those in special groups such as special education. For middle school and high school groups, this means students won’t be stepping foot inside school buildings until at least after winter break.

Following in Prince William County’s and Manassas City’s footsteps, Fredericksburg City Public Schools (FCPS) will be completely virtual in the fall.

During its June 23 meeting, the Fredericksburg City School Board unanimously approved a plan to begin the school year with 100% virtual instruction for at least the first nine weeks of the year, beginning August 17 and ending October 16. All students will be participating in this plan, even those who are English-language learners and participate in alternative education programs.

Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS) students may no longer begin their year with a mix of virtual and in-person learning.

During its June 21 meeting, the county’s school board reviewed and postponed its vote on an amended return to learning plan, presented by Superintendent Dr. Scott Kizner, in which most students would spend the majority of fall participating in virtual learning.

Citizens have not been allowed to put comments into the record at a Stafford School Board meeting since April 14.

Now, it appears they will once again be able to do so.