With some students returning to class tomorrow, parents in Stafford County are expressing frustration and concern as some students have yet to be assigned bus routes for the upcoming school year. In a letter sent to families, Karim Johnson, the Executive Director of Transportation Services, acknowledged the delay and apologized for the oversight, assuring parents that his team was working diligently to resolve the issue.
The first day of school for kindergarten, 6th, and 9th grade students is tomorrow, Monday, August 12, 2024. All other students will return to school on Tuesday, August 13, 2024. Johnson emphasized that the transportation team works around the clock to ensure all students receive their bus assignments by Monday evening.
“We fully understand how stressful and inconvenient this situation is, especially as you’re preparing your children for their first week back at school,” Johnson wrote. “We deeply regret that this issue has not yet been resolved, and we are truly sorry for any anxiety this has caused.”
The letter also included a request for parents to drive their children to and from school during the first week if their child’s bus route is not assigned by Monday evening. Johnson acknowledged the inconvenience this request may cause and apologized for the disruption it may cause.
Parents are encouraged to check the MyRideK-12 app for updates on their child’s bus route assignment. Johnson assured families that the district is doing everything possible to resolve the issue quickly and that no student will be penalized for being tardy or absent due to transportation problems.
The school division is without a full-time superintendent after Dr. Thomas Taylor left the school division in June to lead public schools in Montgomery County, Md.
More as we have it. Here is the full letter:
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I am writing to address an issue that I know is causing significant frustration and concern for many of you. It has come to our attention that some students have not yet been assigned a bus route for the upcoming school year. Please accept our sincerest apologies for this delay and oversight. Our team is working diligently to complete the routes and bus assignments as quickly as possible
We fully understand how stressful and inconvenient this situation is, especially as you’re preparing your children for their first week back at school. We deeply regret that this issue has not yet been resolved, and we are truly sorry for any anxiety this has caused.
Our team is working around the clock to ensure that all students receive their bus route assignments by Monday evening. We know that the current uncertainty is far from ideal, and we genuinely appreciate your patience as we finalize these arrangements. Please continue to check MyRideK-12 for your child’s assignment through Monday night.
If, by Monday evening, your child’s route still hasn’t been assigned, we ask for your continued understanding. If possible, we would be grateful if you could drive your child to and from school during the first week while we complete the routing process. We know this is not a small request, and we apologize for the inconvenience.
We want to assure you that we are doing everything in our power to resolve this as quickly as possible. Your child’s safety and your peace of mind are incredibly important to us, and we are committed to making things right. Please know that your child will not be penalized for being tardy or absent as it relates to a bus assignment or transportation issue.
If your child does not need transportation, please disregard this letter.
Thank you for your understanding and for bearing with us during this frustrating time. We ask that you continue to check the My Ride K-12 App for updates.
Please accept my sincere apologies,
Karim Johnson
Executive Director of Transportation Services
Stafford County teachers returned to school today, August 5, 2024, to prepare for the new school year. The morning began with volunteers from Mount Church providing backpacks to students. They donated over 300 backpacks filled with supplies and sorted through all donations from the recent Collect for Kids event.
A representative from Stafford Public Schools expressed appreciation for the volunteers’ efforts, saying, “Thank you to the Mount Church Volunteers for starting the morning with a heart of service for our students coming BackToExcellence. None of this is possible without the continued support of the Stafford community.” Stafford Public Schools students will return to class on Tuesday, August 13.
In Prince William County, the school division partnered with the Prince William Community Foundation for the annual Back to School Community Fair over the weekend. The back-to-school fair was held at Unity Reed High School near Manassas on Saturday, August 3, 2024. School in Prince William County begins on Monday, August 19.
The Prince William Community Foundation, partnered with the school division to host the event, and shared their gratitude on social media, stating, “Words cannot express my gratitude for an exceptional time we had! Thank you to everyone who was a part or played a part in our Back-to-School Community Event. Together, we Can Make a Difference.”
Thank you to the @MtAraratorg Volunteers for starting the morning with a heart of service for our students coming #BackToExcellence. They generously donated more than 300 stuffed backpacks and sorted through all of our Collect for Kids donations from this weekend’s donate and… pic.twitter.com/InCnKV2TWo
— Stafford Schools (@SCPSchools) August 5, 2024
Stafford County School Board Chairman Maureen Siegmund has announced the search for a new school superintendent following the departure of Dr. Thomas Taylor. Taylor recently became the chief of Montgomery County, Md. public schools. He held the position in Stafford for two and a half years.
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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.
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Stafford County Public Schools is set to implement significant operational changes for the upcoming school year, which begins on August 13, 2024. The school division has introduced a new system for identifying school buses and a district-wide ban on cell phones in the classroom.
Starting this school year, buses will no longer be identified by fleet numbers but will use route numbers instead. This change is designed to streamline the process of locating and tracking buses, especially when substitute buses are deployed. Sandra Osborn, the spokeswoman for Stafford County Public Schools, explained the decision, stating, "Identifying buses by route number simplifies the sub-bus process as any bus may be identified quickly with the route number. We no longer need to issue updates to which bus number a family needs to look for - they will simply look for the route number on any of our buses."
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As the Stafford Education Foundation (SEF) approaches the tenth anniversary of its annual fundraising golf tournament, the organization continues to enhance educational opportunities for students and educators in Stafford County Public Schools. The foundation, dedicated to providing scholarships, grants, and innovative programs, remains committed to addressing the evolving needs of the community. This year, sponsors are able to donate directly to the scholarship, grant, or program they would like to encourage.
Executive Director Stephanie Johnson explained SEF's latest initiative, the Community Health and Mental Professionals (CHAMP) Center program, exemplifies their approach to education. This healthcare career pathway program for high school students was launched in collaboration with Mary Washington Healthcare and the Claude Moore Foundation. Designed to address critical gaps in mental health, biomedical science, and nursing career pathways, the CHAMP program is a direct response to a community health assessment that highlights these needs. The program will welcome its first cohort of students this fall.
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A fifth suspect is charged in a shooting that occurred outside Manassas Mall on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.
As we reported in the link above, one of the suspected shooters was out on bond in connection to a December 2023 incident where he was charged with Reckless with a Gun Causing Permanent Serious Bodily Injury, a class 6 felony. His charges were later escalated to the Prince William County Circuit Court, where he was indicted on multiple counts, including Reckless Handling of a Firearm, Use of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm Under 18 Years Old, and Malicious Wounding.
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Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS) is holding a supply drive on Aug. 3, and donors will get a chance to dunk an administrator.
The drive will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. at Target in Stafford Marketplace (Stafford Marketplace (1090 Stafford Market Place). SCPS Spokeswoman Sandra Osborn said the staff at Hartwood Elementary has signed up for the dunk tank.
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Stafford County Public Schools: Stafford County Public Schools is again partnering with Giant Food on a program to help support children facing food insecurity. From July 1 through August 1, 2024, Giant Food patrons may choose to “ROUND UP AT THE REGISTER” at the end of their grocery purchase.
Donations made during this period support school food programs. Patrons may also donate through Giant Delivers, Giant Pickup, and through FLEX points that are converted to grocery dollars.
“At Stafford Schools, we understand the importance of community,” said Stafford Schools Executive Director of Nutrition Services, Brian Williams. “These donations provide another opportunity for us to support our families. This year, we will again use this important donation to provide much-needed meals for students during Summer Break when school meals are unavailable.”
Stafford Schools received $17,758.70 in donations from Giant during the last school year. The funds allowed the school system to purchase 9,350 pantry staples, and create 385 meal kits which were distributed over Spring Break to families in need.
Stafford County Schools are also providing free meals this summer to children under the age of 18.
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The Stafford County School Board unanimously approved JG Consulting to search for a new Superintendent of Stafford County schools during its meeting on June 25. The firm will begin the search process later this week, pending execution of the $40,000 contract.
The School Board and JG Consulting will schedule community meetings for the community to provide input regarding the qualities required of the next superintendent. Dates will be announced later this summer.
