Manassas City Public Schools

Manassas

Manassas Unveils New Jennie Dean School

By Uriah Kiser

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.

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Manassas

Manassas City Schools See Sharp Growth in AP Participation and Success Rates

By Uriah Kiser

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

No ChatGPT Ban: Manassas School Board Ditches AI Rules After Detection Fight

By Uriah Kiser
Manassas City School Board

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:

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Manassas

Manassas School Board candidate shared posts supporting school prayer, biblical authority on gender and evolution

By Uriah Kiser
Dove [Photo: facebook.com/Dove 4 Manassas City School Board]

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:

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Manassas

Manassas Board Member Demands Expensive AI Software Before Banning ChatGPT Plagiarism

By Uriah Kiser
Manassas School Board member Diana Brown

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

MCPS Advances New Strategic Plan for 2028-2032 School Years

By Potomac Local News
Manassas City School Board

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.

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Manassas

Osbourn High School Celebrates Class of 2026

By Potomac Local News

“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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Manassas

Osbourn High School Earns Blue Ribbons Across Performing Arts, Posts 9% Math SOL Gain

By Potomac Local News
Osbourn High School. [Courtesy of Homes.com]

Osbourn High School is celebrating a banner year of academic, artistic, and athletic success, highlighted during a presentation to the Manassas City Council on May 11. Principal Dr. Jennifer Chapman shared the Eagles’ achievements, painting a picture of a school community thriving through innovation, dedication, and strong support.

All qualifying performing arts programs — choir, band, and orchestra — earned Blue Ribbons with superior ratings at competitions. The choir delivered a standout Disney spectacular and earned an invitation to perform at Disney earlier in the year. Students in orchestra, band, and visual arts are advancing to state-level competitions, while the school hosted its annual art show and Rock Fest.

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Manassas

Manassas Becomes Host for Virtual Virginia Academy in New $6.8 Million Partnership

By Uriah Kiser
[Photo: Manassas City Public Schools]

Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) has assumed a new role as the host division for the Virtual Virginia Academy (VAVA), a full-time online learning program, as part of its adopted fiscal year 2027 budget.

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