Education Archives - Potomac Local News

Published August 15, 2025 at 2:00PM | Updated August 15, 2025 at 3:40PM

Photo by Sung Jin Cho on Unsplash

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — Prince William William County Public Schools joins other public school divisions in Northern Virginia, and is rejecting the U.S. Department of Education’s directive to reverse policies that allow transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms matching their chosen gender identity.

On Friday, August 15, 2025, Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) formally rejected the federal agency’s proposed Voluntary Resolution Agreement (VRA), calling it legally flawed and out of step with binding case law in Virginia.

News

Stirring Up Success: Stafford’s Culinary Program Teaches Students More Than Just Cooking

By Kelly Sienkowski

Published March 11, 2025 at 9:30AM

Students learn knife skills.

Stafford County Public Schools offers high school programs that teach students vocational skills in several fields: the Culinary Arts program, offered at Stafford, Brooke Point, and Mountainview High Schools, provides students the opportunity to learn basic cooking techniques, work in a real-world setting, and gain valuable industry certifications.

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Features

Potomac High School Senior Places At National Business Competition

By Aya Karouane

Published December 4, 2024 at 6:32PM | Updated December 5, 2024 at 10:41AM

Juliocesar Flores [Image: Prince William County Public Schools]

Juliocesar Flores, a senior at Potomac High School, achieved success in regional and state FBLA competitions and earned second place at the National Leadership Conference. He attributes his accomplishments to the guidance of his teacher, Felix Sandy, and the skills gained through FBLA as he prepares to pursue a career in business.

Press Release from Prince William County Public Schools:

Fredericksburg

University of Mary Washington and George Mason University Renew Partnership

By Jazbia Chaudhry

Published October 30, 2024 at 10:32AM

Press release:

The University of Mary Washington and George Mason University have renewed existing partnerships designed to accelerate student success and open the door to additional agreements between the two schools beginning as early as next year.

News

UVA Health/Germanna Community College Program Receives $75K Boost

By Aya Karouane

Published October 29, 2024 at 12:00PM

[Image: Pixabay]

Press Release:

The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation (CMCF) has granted $75,000 to UVA Health to support its mission to build a strong foundation of healthcare workers in the Culpeper Region. The grant is for a Regional Collaborative Program Coordinator, who will be the central point of contact for the new initiative that will enhance and strengthen connections among key Culpeper stakeholders in education and healthcare.

News

Falmouth Elementary Principal Resigns

By Kelly Sienkowski

Published July 29, 2024 at 9:00AM | Updated August 4, 2024 at 8:51AM

Dr. Sallie Burch

Falmouth Elementary School’s parents received an email on July 10 from Dr. Sallie Burch advising that she would resign as Principal effective July 31. Dr. Burch said after 12 years in Stafford County Public Schools, stating briefly that she would be leaving to pursue a new opportunity.

Burch served as Assistant Principal at Falmouth from 2012 to 2015 before becoming Principal in 2015. Burch thanked the community for their support through the years, saying, “The school will continue to thrive and achieve great things with the continued dedication of this wonderful community.” According to her LinkedIn profile, Burch also serves as a part-time Longwood University Supervisor for student teachers.

News

UMW Recognized in Money Magazine’s “Best Colleges in America” List

By Kelly Sienkowski

Published July 10, 2024 at 10:30AM

University of Mary Washington [Photo: Univesity of Mary Washington Facebook page]

Virginia Military Institute (VMI) received 5 stars; William & Mary (W&M), University of Virginia (UVA) and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA Tech) all received 4.5 stars.

Money Magazine uses a unique star rating system and includes metrics like the net price of a degree, average borrowing rates, and median earnings. It also calculates “value add” to measure a school’s actual performance against predicted outcomes, assessing how effectively a college impacts graduates’ success.