Stafford County Public Schools Archives - Page 6 of 35

Stafford Property Taxes Up 62% Since 2012 as FY2026 Budget Clears

Published April 18, 2025 at 1:23PM | Updated April 18, 2025 at 4:47PM

STAFFORD, Va. — The average homeowner in Stafford County will pay $130 more in property taxes starting July 1, 2025, after the Board of Supervisors approved a three-percent increase to the real estate tax rate—the county’s central funding source for local government and schools.

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Meet Dr. Daniel W. Smith — Listening, Learning, and Leading Stafford County Schools Forward

By Uriah Kiser

Published April 1, 2025 at 4:00PM

Smith

When Dr. Daniel W. Smith started his new role as Superintendent of Stafford County Public Schools on December 9, 2024, he didn’t come in with plans to make sweeping changes overnight. Instead, he saw an opportunity to listen.

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Stafford Schools Warn of ‘Devastating’ Cuts After Youngkin Veto

By Uriah Kiser

Published March 31, 2025 at 8:38PM | Updated March 31, 2025 at 10:41PM

Photo: Stafford County Public Schools

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin on Friday defended his decision to veto a bill that would have let Stafford County voters decide whether to raise the local sales tax by one cent to help pay for school construction.

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Teachers of the Week: Stafford County’s Theatre Educators Take Center Stage

By Uriah Kiser

Published March 31, 2025 at 1:00PM | Updated March 31, 2025 at 6:17PM

Stafford School Board Chair Maureen Siegmund, Michael D’Addario of Stafford High School, Lisa Cover Tucci of Colonial Forge High School, School Board member Maya Guy, Superintendent Daniel W. Smith.

In celebration of Theatre in Our Schools Month, the Stafford County School Board has honored two of its most inspiring theatre educators, Michael D’Addario of Stafford High School and Lisa Cover Tucci of Colonial Forge High School.

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Stafford Residents Split Over Proposed Tax Hike to Fund $1 Billion County Budget

By Uriah Kiser

Published March 26, 2025 at 2:00PM | Updated March 26, 2025 at 3:12PM

Residents packed the room at the Stafford County Board of Supervisors’ special-called meeting Tuesday night to weigh in on the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget—and the potential for higher taxes to pay for it.

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Stafford Leaders React to Veto of Local Sales Tax for School Construction

By Uriah Kiser

Published March 25, 2025 at 5:05PM

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.

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Schools

New Schools, New Boundaries: Stafford’s Plan to Relieve Overcrowding

By Uriah Kiser

Published March 25, 2025 at 7:00AM

(File photo)

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.

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Stafford Schools to Require Opt-In for Bus Transportation Amid Efforts to Fix System Failures

By Uriah Kiser

Published March 23, 2025 at 10:00AM

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

Paraprofessional at Conway Elementary School Faces Charges

By Uriah Kiser

Published March 22, 2025 at 11:00AM

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

Snap, Crackle, Fall: Grafton Village Students Set Off a Chain Reaction

By Kelly Sienkowski

Published March 16, 2025 at 12:10PM

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

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