Stafford

Stafford Board Approves $25M Literary Loan for Drew Middle School Replacement

By Uriah Kiser

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the issuance of a $25 million literary loan at 3 percent interest to fund the replacement of Drew Middle School.

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Stafford Supervisors Advance Land Conservation Efforts with PDR Program Update and New Tank Creek Easement

By Uriah Kiser
Widewater State Park in Stafford County. [Photo: Virginia State Parks]

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors on March 17 received an update on its long-running Purchase of Development Rights program and unanimously approved a resolution accepting a co-holder open space easement on a forested preserve in the Widewater area, actions aimed at protecting rural lands and waterways.

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Echoes of Courage: The Rowser Building and the Women Who Lit the Path to Freedom in Stafford County

By Uriah Kiser

Stafford County Parks and Recreation is highlighting stories rooted in the county’s history, with a focus this month on the Rowser Building and the Path to African American Mural.

The Rowser Building, built in 1939 as Stafford Training School, was the only facility in the county where Black students could pursue education beyond the seventh grade during segregation. Local African American families helped fund the land purchase, and the school served students. Over the decades, it evolved into H.H. Poole Junior High and later H.H. Poole High School. In 1976, it was renamed to honor Ella Rowser, an educator who served as a teacher, guidance counselor, and principal.

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Stafford Faces Tax Rate Showdown: State Budget Delay, “Tens of Millions” in New Mandates, and 40%+ Tax Hikes Spark Audit Push

By Uriah Kiser
Stafford County Administrator Bill Ashton presents the proposed FY2027 budget to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 17, 2026, at the Government Center.

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors must set its real estate tax rate on April 21 without a final state conference budget, forcing a decision amid unresolved funding for schools, teacher pay, and constitutional officers, county officials heard March 17.

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Stafford Residents Air Fears Over Possible ICE Detention Center; Board Declines to Pass Opposing Resolution

By Uriah Kiser
A 62-year-old man from Virginia was arrested by CBP officers. [Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection]

Fears of a large-scale ICE detention facility in Stafford County dominated public comment at the March 17 Board of Supervisors meeting, with more than a dozen residents citing a Dec. 24, 2025, Washington Post article that listed the county as a possible site for a 5,000- to 10,000-bed center.

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Stafford Planning Commission Grants Buc-ee’s Another Extension

By Uriah Kiser

The Stafford County Planning Commission unanimously approved a four-month extension for Buc-ee’s proposed travel center on March 11, 2026, despite calls from residents to reject the request and force the company to restart the application process.

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Stafford School Board Explores Revenue Sharing Deal with Supervisors for More Predictable Funding

By Potomac Local News
Stafford County Public Schools logo
File photo. Stafford County Public Schools logo.

The Stafford County School Board is examining a potential revenue-sharing agreement with the Board of Supervisors that could provide schools with more stable, multi-year funding and reduce the uncertainty tied to the annual budget cycle.

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Stafford schools to dump trailers as enrollment drops

By Uriah Kiser
Trailers at Park Ridge Elementary School in North Stafford

Stafford County Public Schools is advancing a phased reduction of its 60 elementary modular classrooms—installed between 2021 and 2024 to accommodate a surge in student enrollment—as updated November 2025 projections reflect slower future growth and a rare recent one-year decline.

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Could your child walk farther to school? Stafford considers using fewer buses, explores efficiencies

By Uriah Kiser
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 is considering expanding non-transportation zones (NTZs), areas where no bus service is provided, and families are responsible for getting students to school.

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