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.
Strategic Locations and Design
ES18 is being constructed at 580 Stafford Plaza Drive, next to a new high school under construction, near a Walmart on Route 17 (Warrenton Road). The 131,000-square-foot, three-story building will accommodate about 1,070 students. The site includes playfields, paved play areas, and a transportation bus depot.
Meanwhile, ES19 is located adjacent to Brooke Point High School at 80 Black Hawk Drive. Like ES18, the new school will also house 1,070 students and feature similar infrastructure. Both schools are based on a prototype design, saving the county more than $5.6 million in design costs.
Demographic Considerations and Concerns
School officials highlighted key demographic information for both schools as part of the redistricting plan. ES18 is projected to open with 51% of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and 17% as English Language Learners (ELL). ES19 will serve a population with 50% free or reduced lunch and 24% ELL.
Concerns have emerged regarding the shifting demographics at other schools affected by redistricting. Rocky Run Elementary, in particular, is expected to see a sharp increase in its ELL population, rising from 16% to 26%. School Board members emphasized the need for adequate support staffing, pull-out classroom space, and Level 2 special education program tracking to support the changing student body.
Construction on both schools is already underway. Groundbreaking for ES18 took place in September 2024, while ES19 followed in October. Both schools are on track to be completed by June 2026 and open in August of that year.
Community members will be able to learn more and offer input during a public town hall meeting scheduled for Monday, April 1, at North Stafford High School at 6 p.m. A formal public hearing will follow on Monday, April 8, at 7 p.m. at the Bandy Complex, 31 Stafford Avenue.
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.
Starting April 8, 2025, parents and guardians must log into the school division’s system and indicate whether their child will ride the bus. The district will not assign bus service to students who are not registered through the opt-in system.
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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.
The suspect was arrested at the school, 105 Primmer House Road. Detectives say Van Orden had taken inappropriate photos and videos of unsuspecting juvenile students.
He has been charged with 19 felony counts and one misdemeanor count of unlawful creation of the image of another.
Detective B.E. Abramaitys is leading the investigation and is working to identify and notify the victims. The Sheriff’s Office coordinates with Stafford County Public Schools to ensure all affected students receive appropriate support services.
“We understand parents and members of the community will have many questions, and our office will work to get those answers,” a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Eric Van Orden, 56, of Stafford, is being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
The Sheriff’s Office commended the student who came forward with the report and said plans are underway to formally recognize the student’s bravery.
“This young man’s actions helped uncover a serious crime, and we are extremely proud of him,” the statement said.
Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact Detective Abramaitys at 540-658-4400.
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.
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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.
During a recent school board meeting, officials and architects presented multiple design concepts, emphasizing the need for an efficient, functional, and community-oriented space. One of the primary considerations in the redesign process is the inclusion of a performance space—a feature strongly supported by community feedback.
History and Justification for Replacement
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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. The meeting, which focused on the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget, took place as county leaders continue to deliberate over a proposed $1 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY26) that could result in higher property tax bills for homeowners.
A Budget for Growth: Addressing Stafford’s Expanding Student Population
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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.Â
Stafford High School’s Chef Josh Raven said the program aims to educate students not only in cooking, but also in the essential skills required for a successful career in the food industry. Raven, who took on the role of Culinary Arts instructor during the COVID-19 pandemic, has over 25 years of experience in fine dining, corporate kitchens, catering, and fast food. He said the only challenge of leading the program is simply having enough space for the number of students who want to join.Â
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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.
The presentation will provide the public with a first look at the proposed layout, key features, and community-driven design elements aimed at enhancing education, safety, and accessibility for future students.
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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.
Emerging as the 2025 Fredericksburg Regional Spelling Bee Champion was Draven Williams, an 8th grader at Dixon-Smith Middle School in Stafford County. Williams secured the championship title by correctly spelling the word “wobbulator”, a term defined by the Merriam-Webster Unabridged dictionary as “a testing device for radio sets in which the frequency is varied periodically and automatically over a predetermined range.”
With the victory, Williams will advance to the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee, set to take place in May, where he will compete against top spellers from across the country.
Coming in as runner-up was Ryan Gould, a 7th grader from Montross Middle School in Westmoreland County.
Budget Breakdown & Funding Challenges
The $503.1 million budget represents an increase of $8.3 million in state revenue based on the General Assembly’s budget, bringing the division’s total anticipated increase in state funding to $18.9 million. However, despite the added funds, the projected funding shortfall now stands at $18.3 million.
