The Manassas City School Board will vote Tuesday, April 8, 2025, on whether to formally prohibit collective bargaining with employee unions—a decision that could halt a movement launched earlier this year by local educators.
The resolution up for consideration, R2025-03, declares that no official or employee of the school division has the authority to recognize a labor union as a bargaining agent or to enter into collective bargaining agreements. It reaffirms the board’s current stance of non-engagement with employee unions and instead promotes a “meet and confer” model for addressing employee concerns.
The vote comes two months after the Manassas Education Association (MEA) informed the board it planned to launch a collective bargaining campaign. During a February 5, 2025, school board meeting, board members acknowledged the initiative and discussed potential legal and budgetary ramifications.
“We’re gonna have to budget more money for the attorneys. It’s gonna be a lot,” said Board Chair Suzanne Seaberg at the time.
Board Member Sara Brescia noted the MEA’s intention to notify the board before publicizing the campaign on social media. “They wanted to let us know before they put it on Facebook and heard it from somebody else,” she said.
Under a 2021 Virginia law, local school boards may adopt resolutions allowing or denying collective bargaining. Without such a resolution, no union can legally negotiate on behalf of school employees. The law did not include funding to help localities implement collective bargaining processes.
A presentation by Deputy Superintendent Craig Gfeller estimates that adopting collective bargaining could cost Manassas City Public Schools more than $1 million annually in staffing and legal fees. Additional costs would arise from arbitration, mediation, and changes to grievance and disciplinary procedures.
Instead of recognizing bargaining agents, the school division plans to create a formal “meet and confer” process. According to Gfeller, this model will establish regular work sessions between school representatives, support staff, employee associations, and administrators to discuss concerns and priorities—excluding issues directly related to personnel.
The School Board’s resolution emphasizes maintaining open communication with employees and fostering a positive workplace through internal advisory councils and committees. It also notes that unresolved disputes between the board and its employees can negatively affect staff morale and student outcomes.
If the resolution passes, it will officially end union negotiations, setting Manassas apart from a growing number of Virginia school divisions that have embraced collective bargaining.
The vote is scheduled during the board’s regular meeting on April 8, which is open to the public.
It was a night of celebration at the Manassas School Board meeting as students from across the city were recognized for excellence in academics, fine arts, and public speaking.
The evening opened with a standing ovation for this year’s Spelling Bee champions, including Charlotte Vargas, an eighth-grader at Metz Middle School, who emerged as the division champion.
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While most of the budget remains unchanged from the initial presentation on Feb. 25, MCPS received clarity from the state — which provides 50% of the funding for the budget — on how much it would receive.
According to Taft Kelly, MCPS' director of finance, said an additional $330,000 would be given to the district. But, Kelly warned that Gov. Glenn Youngkin's budget has not yet been approved and likely won't be until April or May.
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The MCPS Board held a budget public hearing during its March 11 meeting, which was largely attended by teachers and employees of the district. The $151 million proposed budget was presented on Feb. 25 with a 5.5% salary increase and a $1 million cut to intervention services for at-risk students.
Kristen Whatley, a speech-language pathologist (SLP) in the district, said MCPS needed to increase its minimum salary to stay competitive with neighboring jurisdictions.
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As construction progresses on the new Jennie Dean Elementary School, a debate is unfolding over the future of the existing historic building. The Manassas City School Board is weighing multiple options, including repurposing the facility into a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Innovation Hub, preserving its legacy, or demolishing it altogether.
A Vision for Vocational Training
At a school board work session on February 27, 2025, Jared Johnson, founder of the Manassas-based nonprofit Larry’s Legacy, proposed transforming the old Jennie Dean Elementary into a CTE Innovation Hub. The initiative aims to expand vocational training opportunities for underrepresented students, introducing pathways in aviation maintenance, culinary arts, performing arts and fashion, pharmacy technician training, residential skilled trades, ROTC, and TV and podcast production.
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The Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) Board received an update on chronic absenteeism in the district on Feb. 25 from Jennifer Cassata, MCPS' executive director of accountability and finance.
Cassata said addressing absenteeism takes a village, and the district has just that. MCPS has employed a hierarchical structure of those accountable for students, including counselors, teachers, attendance officers, administrative associates and principals.
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"We have intentionally designed some of the interior to not only focus on our learning but also honor the legacy of Jennie Dean," Deputy Superintendent Craig Gfeller said at the School Board's Feb. 25 meeting. "... I want to thank our partner, the Manassas Museum, who has been a real partner to us in gathering artifacts to be able to authentically honor the legacy of Jennie Dean."
As of January, construction began on the new school site with safety barriers and signage being installed. Due to inclement weather, the construction crew had to work around cold temperatures and wet conditions, the progress report stated.
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Taft Kelly, MCPS' director of finance, said with proposed staff salary increases of 5.5% — or $5.2 million — and the revenue coming to the district only increasing by $4.7 million, tough decisions had to be made.
"The math ... is not really 'mathing' that well," Kelly said.
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On Feb. 5, the Board formally met for the first time to discuss the intent, purpose and goals of the committee. The first mention of the committee in the new Board term was at the Jan. 28 meeting by Board member Sara Brescia.
Many of the other Board members expressed interest in forming such a committee but wanted to move quickly due to President Donald Trump's swift actions on immigration.
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Board Chair Suzanne Seaberg opened the discussion by acknowledging the Manassas Education Association notification that they intended to begin their campaign: "The MEA would like to initiate their collective bargaining campaign. So we can talk about that in the future, or if you have any questions now, we can try and address them. We’re gonna have to budget more money for the attorneys. It’s gonna be a lot."
Board Member Sara Brescia questioned the necessity of the MEA’s formal notification. "I don’t think they had to tell us that they were initiating a collective bargaining campaign." However, she noted that the MEA may have wanted to inform the board before making a public announcement. "They wanted to let us know before they put it on Facebook and heard it from somebody else."
