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:
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
Multiple parents raised concerns about ongoing transportation issues in the school district at the Stafford County School Board meeting on September 10, 2024. During the citizen comment period, delays, missed buses, and lack of communication were highlighted.
Michael Schultz, a parent, addressed the board about the transportation challenges his daughter has faced. “We’re about in week five of the school year, and I can say that transportation has been consistently horrible and inconsistent in pretty much all aspects,” Schultz said. He described situations where students were left at school for extended periods, saying, “There were kids that were still at the school two hours and 45 minutes after dismissal.” Schultz expressed frustration at the lack of improvement and transportation discussions on the meeting agenda.
The school division waited until the last minute to inform parents, causing many to rush to adjust schedules and make alternate arrangements to get their children to school.
Questions about what happened have only grown in the weeks since this debacle. Despite our multiple requests, no elected county school board member has agreed to be interviewed by Potomac Local News.
