Schools - Page 5 of 202 - Potomac Local News

Locked Out: PWEA Office Shuttered, Members Barred as State Union Control Deepens

Published July 30, 2025 at 2:23PM

New images obtained by Potomac Local News show school supplies and personal items—once housed inside the union office—discarded in a dumpster outside the building. According to a PWEA member who shared the photos, union employees have been unable to retrieve their belongings.

The latest development adds to the turmoil surrounding the VEA’s July 21 decision to take control of PWEA, the largest local teachers union in Virginia, citing what it described as “gross financial mismanagement” and falsified board records. The VEA has not publicly commented on why the office is locked or why staff and members are being denied access to their property.

Groundbreaking Set for Potomac Shores Elementary School

By Potomac Local News

Published July 29, 2025 at 9:30AM

Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) will break ground on a new elementary school in the Potomac Shores area this fall, aiming to alleviate severe overcrowding in the Dumfries area.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Potomac Shores Elementary School is scheduled for Monday, September 8 at 10 a.m., and will take place at 1720 Thoroughgood Drive. School Board members have been invited to attend.

New Leadership Announced Across Manassas City Schools Ahead of 2025–26 School Year

By Potomac Local News

Published July 28, 2025 at 9:30AM

As Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) prepare for the first day of school on August 12, Superintendent Dr. Kevin Newman introduced a group of new administrators who will be stepping into key leadership roles across the division. The announcements, made during the July School Board meeting, reflect a mix of fresh talent and internal advancement designed to strengthen support for students and staff in the year ahead.

New Principal at Round Elementary

Feds Find Prince William Schools in Violation of Title IX Over Gender Identity Policies

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 25, 2025 at 2:08PM | Updated August 15, 2025 at 2:02PM

The Prince William County School Board 2024 to 2027. Top left to right: Erica Tredinnick, Justin Wilk, Dr. Babur Lateef, Lisa Zarapur, Tracy Blake. Bottom row: Jennifer Wall, Richard Jessie, Loree Williams. [Photo: Prince William County Public Schools]

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today that the U.S. Department of Education has determined that Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) is among five Northern Virginia school divisions found to be in violation of Title IX, a federal civil rights law, due to policies allowing students to access restrooms and participate in sports based on gender identity.

In a press release, Youngkin said the school divisions—Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, Prince William, and the City of Alexandria—“have been violating federal law, deliberately neglecting their responsibility to protect students’ safety, privacy and dignity, and ignoring parents’ rights.”

Prince William Chamber Backs George Mason’s President Amid Federal Scrutiny

By Potomac Local News

Published July 24, 2025 at 7:00AM

Dr. Gregory Washington became the eighth president of George Mason University on July 1, 2020. [Photo: George Mason University]

The chamber is one of several signatories to a public letter released July 23 by the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), urging business groups across the state to rally behind Mason and recognize its essential role in the region’s economic future. The statement calls on the university’s Board of Visitors to reaffirm its support for Dr. Washington’s leadership.

“Mason is a cornerstone of Northern Virginia’s economic strength, and its students are the future of our workforce,” said NVTC President and CEO Jennifer Taylor. “We support Dr. Washington because his vision aligns with the needs of our business community.”

Kaine and Vindman Push to Restore Disability Program Funding Cut from Spotsy Schools

By Potomac Local News

Published July 23, 2025 at 4:15PM

SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. – A new bill from Senator Tim Kaine and Congressman Eugene Vindman aims to restore federal funding cut earlier this year from a program that supported high school students with disabilities in Spotsylvania County and across the country.

The “Charting My Path for Future Success” program—launched in 2019—was canceled by the U.S. Department of Education in February 2025, halting services like tutoring and mentoring for more than 1,600 students nationwide. Spotsylvania schools say the funding loss put them in a $2 million bind, threatening over a dozen staff positions and programs for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

All Manassas Students Eat Free—But How Long Has That Been the Case?

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 23, 2025 at 9:30AM

MANASSAS, Va. – Families in Manassas may be pleasantly surprised to learn that every student enrolled in Manassas City Public Schools will receive free breakfast and lunch again this school year—but it’s not a new perk.

The school division has been participating in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) since the 2021–2022 school year, a program that allows schools in low-income areas to serve free meals to all students without collecting household applications. What began during the height of the pandemic has quietly become the new normal for Manassas schools.

VEA Imposes Emergency Trusteeship on Prince William Education Association

By Potomac Local News

Published July 22, 2025 at 8:30AM | Updated July 22, 2025 at 11:53AM

[Photo: Prince William Education Association Facebook page]

In a letter sent July 21 to PWEA members, VEA President Carol Bauer wrote that the state union had found “gross financial mismanagement,” including altered board minutes meant to obscure the absence of authorized spending controls. VEA claimed PWEA officers ignored financial rules, failed to document expenditures properly, and reimbursed each other without proper oversight.

“You deserve the truth,” Bauer told members in the letter, promising to rebuild PWEA into “the strong, honest union you deserve.”

Three Candidates Enter Garrisonville School Board Race, Promising Parental Voice and Accountability

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 22, 2025 at 7:30AM

Blackwell, Siegmund, Mojica

STAFFORD, Va. – Three candidates are running for the Garrisonville District seat on the Stafford County School Board, setting up a closely watched contest centered on transparency, parent engagement, and education priorities.

Maureen Siegmund, the incumbent and current chairwoman of the School Board, will seek re-election to a second term. She faces a rematch with Wanda Blackwell, who lost to Siegmund in 2021 by just 41 votes, and Stephanie Mojica, a first-time candidate and Stafford County mother of three.

Manassas School Board to Review Jennie Dean Construction, Updated Code of Conduct, and Bullying Prevention Plan

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 21, 2025 at 7:30AM

MANASSAS, Va. – The Manassas City School Board will meet Tuesday, July 22, to review progress on key projects ahead of the new school year, including construction of the new Jennie Dean Elementary School, changes to the division’s Code of Conduct, and strategies to address bullying in schools.

Jennie Dean construction update