News

Stafford County leaders are responding to Governor Glenn Youngkin’s recent veto of SB1307, a bill that would have allowed counties and cities across Virginia to hold voter referendums on implementing a 1% local sales and use tax dedicated to public school construction and renovation projects.

The legislation, introduced by Senator Jeremy McPike (D-29, Prince William, Stafford), sought to add Stafford County to the list of localities eligible to consider the tax through a ballot referendum. McPike criticized the governor’s decision on social media, calling it a move that blocks local communities from choosing how to fund needed school improvements.


Schools

As Stafford County continues to experience rapid population growth, school officials are moving forward with plans to open two new elementary schools—ES18 and ES19—in Fall 2026. These additions aim to relieve overcrowding in existing schools and are central to the school division’s redistricting plans under Scenario Green, which is currently under public review.

The Stafford County School Board recently reviewed projections showing both ES18 and ES19 will open at 95% capacity. The redistricting scenario ensures no elementary school will exceed 100% capacity in the first year of implementation. By 2030, only three schools are projected to be over capacity.


News

Families in Stafford County must now opt-in to receive school bus transportation for the 2025–26 academic year—a major change prompted by last year’s transportation meltdown that left thousands of students without a ride to school.

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Press Release

A paraprofessional at Conway Elementary School was arrested following an investigation into inappropriate conduct involving students, according to information from the Stafford Sheriff’s Office posted on March 20, 2025.

The sheriff reports that the investigation began on March 18 after a student alerted school officials that a male staff member was misbehaving toward a female student. A School Resource Officer immediately began an investigation, and the case was referred to detectives with the Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit.


News

What sound do 1,455 cereal boxes make when they fall? Light thuds, and big cheers. Stafford’s Grafton Village Elementary School students filled the hallways on Friday, March 14 to cheer as cereal boxes toppled like dominoes through the school.

The breakfast, which was tumbled, wrapped up a two-week cereal donation drive. Students brought in unopened cereal boxes to their classrooms. The classroom with the highest total number won a Domino’s pizza and popsicle party. The winning 5th grade class brought in 162 boxes.


News

The Stafford County School Board is moving forward with plans to redesign and rebuild Drew Middle School, with an anticipated opening in August 2028. The proposed facility, located at Oak Knoll Farm off Farm Road, aims to modernize the school’s infrastructure while accommodating growing student enrollment.

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News

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors and the Stafford County School Board met in a joint session Wednesday evening to address critical budget concerns, including school funding challenges, rising property taxes, and long-term infrastructure needs.

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News

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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News

The Stafford County School Board is set to present the conceptual design plans for the new Edward E. Drew Middle School at its meeting on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.

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Fredericksburg

The Central Rappahannock Regional Library (CRRL) hosted the 2025 Fredericksburg Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 1, at James Monroe High School.

The competition, sponsored by Access Eye, Fredericksburg Host Lions Club, and the Kiwanis Club of Fredericksburg, featured 14 division winners from across the region.


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