Schools - Page 8 of 208 - Potomac Local News

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

Published August 27, 2025 at 2:11PM

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.

Fredericksburg School Board Calls Special Meeting on Bus Delays, Shortages

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 27, 2025 at 2:09PM

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.

Prince William Education Association to Remain Under VEA Trusteeship

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 25, 2025 at 10:42AM

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.

PWEA Hearing Stretches 16 Hours as VEA Considers Trusteeship

By Alan Gloss

Published August 24, 2025 at 10:08AM

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

Published August 22, 2025 at 9:00AM

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.

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

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 22, 2025 at 8:00AM

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.

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

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 20, 2025 at 3:00PM | Updated August 20, 2025 at 5:10PM

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.

Exclusive: Miyares Says NOVA Schools ‘Putting Our Little Girls at Risk’ After Defying Feds

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 20, 2025 at 11:30AM

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares says Northern Virginia school divisions are “putting our little girls at risk” after rejecting a federal order to reverse transgender restroom and locker room policies.

“As I often tell my team, it’s never too late to do the right thing,” Miyares told Potomac Local News in an interview. “The idea that they’re literally wanting to risk federal funding because they think biological boys should be in women’s safe spaces, should be in women’s locker rooms, should be on women’s hotel rooms on overnight trips, and on sports teams, is exhibit A of being so open-minded your brain falls out.”

Smoke at Dixon-Smith Middle Delays Start, But School Day Goes On

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 19, 2025 at 3:03PM

According to the Stafford County Fire and Rescue Department, around 8:40 a.m., crews were alerted to the smell of smoke at the school before students had arrived.

Firefighters investigated swiftly and, with the help of school maintenance staff, traced the issue to a malfunctioning HVAC unit. The situation was resolved quickly enough that the building was deemed safe and reopened a short time later.

Lockdown Lifted at Two Stafford Schools After Suspicious Person Report

By Uriah Kiser

Published August 18, 2025 at 2:20PM

STAFFORD, Va. – Two Stafford schools were briefly placed on lockdown Monday afternoon after a report of a suspicious person on Parkway Boulevard.

According to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the area and secured both Park Ridge Elementary School and North Stafford High School, which together serve nearly 3,000 students, “out of an abundance of caution.” Park Ridge Elementary enrolls about 910 students, while North Stafford High School has about 1,995 students.