Stafford County Public Schools

News

Three Stafford Schools Face Accreditation Challenges Amid Performance Issues: District Prepares for State’s New Accountability System

By Uriah Kiser
Brooke Point High School [Photo: PTSO Facebook page]

Accreditation with Conditions Explained

During the October 8, 2024, Stafford School Board meeting, officials explained accreditation with conditions signals that while a school meets basic operational standards, it has significant shortcomings in academic performance that need to be addressed. These three schools earned a “Level 3” rating in at least one performance area, indicating performance “below standard.” According to Virginia’s accreditation system, schools at this level need targeted interventions.

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News

Annual Band Together to Fight Hunger Returns Nov. 4, Featuring 397 Students and Five Marching Bands

By Kelly Sienkowski
Band Together's 2016 Joint Performance (Photo | Stafford Schools)

Stafford County Public Schools will host its 14th annual Band Together to Fight Hunger Program on November 4, 2024. The event will be held at Mountain View High School at 7 p.m.

In 2005, Mountain View High School welcomed its first Band Director, Doug Armstrong, a Virginia Tech graduate who helped establish Hokies for the Hungry, a fundraiser supporting the local food bank in Blacksburg, VA. Inspired by this, Armstrong created Band Together to Fight Hunger in Stafford County to help the community. The annual event gathers five high school marching bands—Mountain View, Colonial Forge, Stafford, Brooke Point, and North Stafford—to perform their shows.

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News

Sheriff’s Report: Bathroom Fight at Brooke Point High School, Vehicle Theft

By Jazbia Chaudhry

Courage Lane, 10/8, 8:57 a.m. Deputy S.M. Craig responded to an assault. It was advised a female suspect assaulted the victim due to a previous eviction. Deputy Craig located the suspect and detained her without incident. She was charged with assault and battery and held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

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Breaking News

Breaking: Local Schools Briefly Placed on Secure Status Following Gunfire Reports

By Uriah Kiser
Mountain View High School in Stafford.

Deputies investigated a complaint about gunfire in the 2100 block of Mountain View Road in Stafford County, prompting temporary secure status at Mountain View High School and Margaret Brent Elementary School. The status was lifted without issues at the schools, and deputies remain on the scene. Further updates are pending.

Press release:

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Publisher's Post

We Need Your Stories: Stafford County School Bus Issues

By Uriah Kiser

Dear Members,

We seek your insights on the ongoing challenges with the Stafford County Public Schools transportation system. As many of you know, the start of the school year was marked by significant bus scheduling issues, leaving 3,000 children without transportation, as reported in late August. This has continued with late buses and some that never showed, profoundly affecting students and families.

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News

Stafford County Breaks Ground on Elementary School 18

By Uriah Kiser
[Photo: Stafford County Public Schools]

The new elementary school will serve 1,070 students in a 130,000-square-foot building. The $46.1 million project is expected to be completed by June 2026, with substantial completion for temporary occupancy by April 2026.

The groundbreaking comes just days after the Stafford County School Board awarded a $44 million contract for constructing Elementary School 19. During its September 10, 2024, meeting, the board unanimously approved the contract with Branch Builds, Inc., to build the new school next to Brooke Point High School at 80 Black Hawk Lane. Similar in size to Elementary School 18, the 131,000-square-foot facility will also accommodate 1,070 students and is scheduled to open in 2026.

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Originals

Stafford Supervisors Link Traffic Congestion to School Bus Delays, Push for Infrastructure Solutions

By Uriah Kiser

Traffic congestion and school bus delays dominated discussions at the Stafford County Board of Supervisors meeting on September 17, 2024, as board members tackled the growing transportation issues facing the county.

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Local Schools to Join Statewide Discussion on Cell Phone Use and Mental Health with First Lady Youngkin and Dr. Haidt

By Kelly Sienkowski

On September 19, First Lady of Virginia Suzanne S. Youngkin and social psychologist Dr. Jonathan Haidt will hold a fireside chat to discuss Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. The event will explore the impact of social media and cell phone use on childhood and mental health, focusing on how communities and schools can address these issues.

The event will be broadcast live to participating schools, which are encouraged to use it as an opportunity for discussions with parents, educators, students, and families about cell phone and social media use. Schools will receive a facilitator’s guide with materials and technical support for these conversations.

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News

Shining a New Light: North Stafford High Powers Up Virginia’s Largest School Solar Array

By Kelly Sienkowski
Submitted photo

Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS) and Madison Energy Infrastructure (MEI) celebrated a major step toward sustainability today with the unveiling of Virginia’s largest school solar array, a 1.8-megawatt installation atop North Stafford High School that is set to provide 90% of the school’s electricity while saving an estimated $2.8 million in energy costs over the next 25 years.

On September 12, officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to unveil Virginia’s most extensive school solar array. “Today’s ribbon cutting marks an exciting step forward for our school and community. The installation of this rooftop solar array not only reduces our environmental footprint but also serves as a powerful educational tool for our students,” said Stafford County Public Schools Acting Superintendent Chris R. Fulmer. “Through this project, students are learning the real-world benefits of renewable energy and how it contributes to a sustainable future.”

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News

Stafford School Board Chair Addresses Transportation Failures Amid Calls for Independent Investigation

By Uriah Kiser

Stafford County School Board Chair Maureen Siegmund, elected in 2021 to represent the Garrisonville District, spoke with Potomac Local News for the first time since the school division failed to provide transportation to more than 3,000 students at the start of the school year. The transportation issues, which affected about 10% of the student population, left parents struggling to find alternate ways to get their children to school for nearly two weeks.

Siegmund addressed the growing calls for an independent investigation into the transportation breakdown, stating, “We don’t know yet what that [investigation] will look like. The RFQs [Requests for Qualifications] are out, and once we get through that process, we’ll determine what that looks like.” When asked if any personnel changes had been made within the transportation department, Siegmund was unable to provide specifics but emphasized that discussions have been ongoing.

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