Carol Elizabeth Watkins

Prince William Times – For Heather Payne and her family, paying their annual car tax bill has been difficult. Together, she and her husband owe about $600 a year on two older cars, one of which is a 2014 model.

The Paynes have five children, and they’ve struggled since the pandemic. Payne said her husband was laid off from his job in sales, and she has juggled up to four jobs at a time to pay the bills.

Now, Payne has two jobs but she and her husband are still behind on their car tax payments. In June, she was surprised when her wages were garnished to pay the bill.

The Center Square — Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares hosted a press conference Tuesday with other state leaders and advocacy groups supporting legislation that would only allow biological females to compete on women’s sports teams in Virginia.

“Virginia will never roll back Title IX under the guise of false equity,” Miyares said. “Let us stand firmly with every girl and woman in Virginia to protect fairness, ensure safety, and uphold the opportunities they have earned.”

Women from the Roanoke College women’s swim team were also in attendance, as a transgender student temporarily joined their team in 2023. So was Riley Gaines, the former University of Kentucky swimmer who became a voice for the Save Women’s Sport movement after competing against transgender athlete Leah Thomas. 

On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, the Stafford County School Board received a presentation detailing the root causes behind the failure of the school bus transportation system, which left about 3,000 students without a ride during the first week of the 2024-2025 school year this past August.

The analysis, conducted by Transportation Advisory Services (TAS), highlighted organizational restructuring and the rushed implementation of new routing software as major contributors to the debacle.

Departmental Restructuring: Confusion Amid Major Changes

One of the central contributors to the transportation system failure was the significant restructuring of the Stafford County School District’s transportation department. Key changes included shifts in leadership roles, reassignment of personnel, and an overhaul of departmental processes. These changes were introduced without a clear plan for ensuring staff understood their new roles and responsibilities.

The lack of clarity created a ripple effect of confusion among staff, who were left uncertain about their duties and how to collaborate effectively under the new structure. Misaligned expectations and unclear lines of communication resulted in operational inefficiencies, including delays in routing students and coordinating schedules. The confusion further weakened an already strained system, making it difficult to address the logistical challenges that emerged at the start of the school year.

On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, the Stafford County School Board voted 6-1 to approve redistricting plan F1 in preparation for the county’s sixth high school opening this fall. The plan addresses overcrowding and balances student populations across the district’s high schools.

Key Changes Under Plan F1

The approved plan prioritizes reducing capacity pressures at North Stafford High School and maximizing enrollment at Mountain View High School, which has struggled with underutilization. Board members cited geographic challenges and transportation logistics as key considerations in selecting the F1 scenario over others, such as plan E.

North Stafford High School, for instance, would see its projected capacity reduced from 97% to 93%, while Mountain View would experience increased enrollment to maximize its facilities.