Schools

Sears to Visit Prince William School Board After Arlington Appearance Sparks Viral Controversy

By Uriah Kiser
Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears addresses the crowd at the Lincoln Reagan Dinner in Manassas, laying out her 2025 gubernatorial campaign priorities. [Photo: Alan Gloss]

MANASSAS, Va. – Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle‑Sears is headed to the Prince William County School Board meeting tonight, following a now-infamous appearance in Arlington that triggered a national firestorm and sparked bipartisan backlash.

Sears will appear alongside her lieutenant governor running mate, John Reid, national Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich, and the group’s Prince William County chapter chair. The group plans a press conference and rally at 6:15 p.m. outside the Edward L. Kelly Leadership Center at Independent Hill, before the School Board meeting.

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Mountain View High School Junior Wins $40K BigFuture Scholarship

By Uriah Kiser

STAFFORD, Va. — Mountain View High School junior Elias Copeland was surprised in class with the news that he earned a $40,000 BigFuture Scholarship from College Board, recognizing students who take steps to plan their futures after high school.

Copeland’s parents, coaches, teachers, and district administrators attended the surprise event. Superintendent Daniel Smith praised Copeland for his initiative, saying the award is proof that planning ahead pays off.

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Parents Say Fredericksburg’s School Buses Still a Mess—Here’s What’s Being Done

By Uriah Kiser

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Parents packed a hastily called Fredericksburg School Board meeting Wednesday night to share stories of buses running hours late, confusing routes, and families left in the dark.

Several parents reported that the district’s new tracking app indicated children had been “dropped off” even while they were still waiting at bus stops. Others described unsafe stops on busy streets and long waits at schools while drivers tried to juggle double runs.

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Stafford Names New Hartwood High School, Set to Open in 2026

By Uriah Kiser

STAFFORD, Va. — Stafford County’s newest high school now has a name, mascot, and colors. The School Board voted this week to name the county’s sixth high school Hartwood High School, with the Stallion as its mascot and black, silver, and gold as its colors.

Hartwood High is scheduled to open in the fall of 2026. Construction is already underway, designed to add classroom space and modern facilities for academics, athletics, arts, and career training. The school is being built to ease crowding and serve Stafford’s fast-growing population.

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Fredericksburg School Board Calls Special Meeting on Bus Delays, Shortages

By Uriah Kiser

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — The Fredericksburg City School Board will hold a special meeting on Wednesday evening to address widespread transportation problems that have delayed buses and extended school days since the start of classes.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Walker-Grant Center. The agenda lists one item — a “transportation update” — and includes a public comment period.

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Prince William Education Association to Remain Under VEA Trusteeship

By Uriah Kiser

The Virginia Education Association (VEA) has voted to keep the Prince William Education Association (PWEA) under state trusteeship, extending a takeover that began in July after an audit raised questions about the local union’s finances and governance.

The decision came Sunday, August 24, 2025, after a nearly 16-hour hearing the day before in Manassas. In an email to members, trustee Linda J. Cook, a former Fairfax local president, said the VEA Board of Directors had “carefully considered” testimony and affirmed the trusteeship imposed initially on July 21.

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PWEA Hearing Stretches 16 Hours as VEA Considers Trusteeship

By Alan Gloss
Members of PWEA gather around Broderick Dunn (second row, center), the lawyer representing the ousted board in the lobby of the Holiday Inn in Manassas. Members were not allowed to be in the hearing room so many gathered in the hotel lobby to watch a video of the hearing. (Photo courtesy of PWEA)

The fate of the Prince William Education Association (PWEA) remains undecided after a nearly 16-hour hearing before the Virginia Education Association (VEA) board on August 23, 2025, near Manassas.

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Emails Undercut Claims of Security Threats Behind PWEA Trusteeship

By Uriah Kiser

MANASSAS, Va. — Newly obtained emails cast doubt on claims that security threats forced George Mason University to decline hosting a hearing on the future of the Prince William Education Association.

The VEA had previously suggested that threats and disruptive behavior forced the cancellation of an in-person hearing at George Mason University’s Manassas campus. But emails from GMU officials indicate no such threats were ever reported.

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Sheehy Toyota Donates $30K to Help Stafford Students and Teachers Thrive

By Uriah Kiser

STAFFORD, Va. – The folks at Sheehy Toyota of Stafford just handed over a $30,000 check to Stafford County Public Schools—and it’s going straight to the classrooms and kids who need it most.

The donation, presented to the school district Director of Engagement Hunter Berry, will fund everything from early childhood programs and classroom supplies to winter coats for students and appreciation events for hardworking staff. It’s all part of a partnership that’s been going strong since 2017.

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PWEA Hearing Set for Saturday—Now Virtual After GMU Declines to Host

By Uriah Kiser

MANASSAS, Va. – A hearing meant to decide the future of the Prince William Education Association, the largest local teachers union in Virignia, will go forward this Saturday. It will be held virtually after George Mason University declined to host the event.

Suspended PWEA president Maggie Hansford said earlier this week that members had been left in the dark. She told Potomac Local News that members only received a single email from a state-appointed trustee saying the hearing would run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at GMU’s Manassas campus. Members were also told they must choose either to attend in person or online, but not both.

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