Manassas

School Board Member Sara Brescia filed a petition for a writ of mandamus on Aug. 11 in Prince William County General District Court, alleging that a majority of the Manassas City School Board conducted an unlawful electronic and telephonic vote in violation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

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Manassas

The Manassas City School Board on Monday reviewed a revised FY 2028 budget development calendar that eliminates an early work session and advances key deadlines to allow more meaningful discussion and better preparation for a joint presentation with the city.

Director of Finance Taft Kelly presented the draft calendar during the board’s regular meeting. He explained two primary process changes from prior years.


Manassas

More than 200 community members, including School Board members, City Council, division and city leaders, current and former students and staff, and partners, gathered Tuesday for the official ribbon-cutting and unveiling of the new Jennie Dean Elementary School in Manassas.

The roughly $56 million facility at 9601 Prince William Street, designed for about 900 students in prekindergarten through fourth grade, will welcome its first classes Aug. 12 after years of planning and construction that stayed on time and on budget.


Manassas

Manassas City Public Schools students are taking far more Advanced Placement exams and earning higher scores, according to an update presented to the School Board this week.

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Manassas

The Manassas City School Board on Tuesday, July 28, approved the 2026-27 Student Code of Conduct on a 6-1 vote, choosing a version with no explicit reference to artificial intelligence. The decision capped two weeks of discussion that began when Board Member Sara Brescia proposed clear language banning unauthorized use of tools such as ChatGPT.

Two options were presented:


Manassas

A Manassas City School Board candidate seeking the Democratic Party endorsement has publicly shared a series of Facebook posts between 2024 and early 2026 that support prayer and Bible reading in public schools, reject evolutionary science in favor of a biblical narrative, affirm traditional marriage as “one man and one woman,” and declare that cultural opinion does not override what the Bible calls sin.

Murina V. Dove’s public Facebook page lists her association with Manassas City Public Schools. Nearly all of the posts are shares of third-party Christian memes and images rather than original long-form writing. Examples include:


Manassas

A Manassas City Public Schools board member is urging the purchase of potentially expensive new AI detection software before the board explicitly tells students that copying and pasting from ChatGPT counts as plagiarism and cheating.

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Manassas

Manassas City Public Schools is developing a new strategic plan set to launch in July 2027 that will guide the division through Fiscal Years 2028-2032. The plan will retain the current “student academic success supported by pillars” framework but deepen each pillar with more specific strategies and performance metrics.

Jennifer Cassata, Executive Director of Accountability and Finance, presented the update at the June 23, 2026, MCPS School Board meeting. She outlined the multi-phase process that began with a strategic plan steering committee convening in December 2025. The committee, representing all schools and the central office, reviewed the existing vision and mission statements and identified potential core values.In spring 2026 (Phase 1), input was gathered through meetings with principals and assistant principals, central office departments, cabinet discussions, and focus groups with teacher and school-based support staff. Board members provided additional feedback during the prior week’s retreat.


Manassas

“Today, Osbourn High School celebrated the Class of 2026 during graduation at EagleBank Arena,” Manassas City Public Schools announced. “Surrounded by family, friends, staff, and supporters, graduates crossed the stage and officially completed their journey as MCPS students.”

“Congratulations to the Class of 2026 on this incredible accomplishment — your hard work, perseverance, and dedication have led to this special moment, and we cannot wait to see what comes next for each of you.”


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