Schools

PWEA Hearing Set for Saturday—Now Virtual After GMU Declines to Host

By Uriah Kiser

MANASSAS, Va. – A hearing meant to decide the future of the Prince William Education Association, the largest local teachers union in Virignia, will go forward this Saturday. It will be held virtually after George Mason University declined to host the event.

Suspended PWEA president Maggie Hansford said earlier this week that members had been left in the dark. She told Potomac Local News that members only received a single email from a state-appointed trustee saying the hearing would run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at GMU’s Manassas campus. Members were also told they must choose either to attend in person or online, but not both.

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Exclusive: Miyares Says NOVA Schools ‘Putting Our Little Girls at Risk’ After Defying Feds

By Uriah Kiser

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares says Northern Virginia school divisions are “putting our little girls at risk” after rejecting a federal order to reverse transgender restroom and locker room policies.

“As I often tell my team, it’s never too late to do the right thing,” Miyares told Potomac Local News in an interview. “The idea that they’re literally wanting to risk federal funding because they think biological boys should be in women’s safe spaces, should be in women’s locker rooms, should be on women’s hotel rooms on overnight trips, and on sports teams, is exhibit A of being so open-minded your brain falls out.”

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Smoke at Dixon-Smith Middle Delays Start, But School Day Goes On

By Uriah Kiser

According to the Stafford County Fire and Rescue Department, around 8:40 a.m., crews were alerted to the smell of smoke at the school before students had arrived.

Firefighters investigated swiftly and, with the help of school maintenance staff, traced the issue to a malfunctioning HVAC unit. The situation was resolved quickly enough that the building was deemed safe and reopened a short time later. 

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Lockdown Lifted at Two Stafford Schools After Suspicious Person Report

By Uriah Kiser

STAFFORD, Va. – Two Stafford schools were briefly placed on lockdown Monday afternoon after a report of a suspicious person on Parkway Boulevard.

According to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the area and secured both Park Ridge Elementary School and North Stafford High School, which together serve nearly 3,000 students, “out of an abundance of caution.” Park Ridge Elementary enrolls about 910 students, while North Stafford High School has about 1,995 students.

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Prince William County Public Schools Among Most Popular With Home Shoppers

By Uriah Kiser

Realtor.com: Using views per property from out-of-district home shoppers from May to July 2025, we identified the most popular school districts in each metro. To focus specifically on school-driven home shopping activity, we limited the traffic analysis to properties with at least one nearby school rated 8 or above based on scores from GreatSchools. — More from Realtor.com.

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VEA Hearing to Decide Fate of Prince William Teachers Union Raises Questions Over Witnesses, Transparency

By Uriah Kiser

MANASSAS, Va. – The Virginia Education Association (VEA) will convene a hearing on Saturday, August 23, 2025, to determine the future of the Prince William Education Association (PWEA), the largest local teachers union in Virginia, which was placed under emergency trusteeship last month. But as the date approaches, controversy is mounting over whether the individuals who voted to impose the takeover will testify.

In an email exchange obtained by Potomac Local News, the hearing officer confirmed he does not have the authority to compel testimony from any individual, including members of the VEA Board and staff who voted to remove PWEA’s elected leadership. As a result, those decision makers may not appear and would not be subject to cross-examination during the proceedings.

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Manassas City Schools to Provide Day Therapy for Students

By Caitlyn Meisner
The Manassas City Public School Board. [Courtesy of MCPS]

Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) will provide therapeutic day treatment for students through the National Counseling Group beginning this school year.

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That New PWCS Bus App? Still Down—And Might Be for Days

By Uriah Kiser

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – Prince William County Public Schools’ brand-new bus tracking app still isn’t working—and now it looks like it may stay down for a few days.

The folks at PWCS just shared with Potomac Local News that the EZ A2B app is still offline and won’t be up in time for this afternoon’s school bus routes. The vendor says it may take “multiple days” to restore service.

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PWCS Students Head Back to School Tomorrow—Here’s What to Know

By Uriah Kiser
[Photo: Prince William County Public Schools]

A major update this year: all schools are going cell phone-free. Elementary and K-8 students must keep phones off and put away all day, including field trips. Middle and high schoolers must store devices from bell to bell—even during instructional periods. Parents who need to reach their child can still call the school office.

PWCS buses will be rolling bright and early, covering up to 11 million miles this year. Families are encouraged to check ParentVUE or the new EZ A2B app tonight to confirm updated bus stops and times.

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Prince William School Board Splits as Wall, Tredinnick Oppose Majority in Defiance of Federal Order

By Uriah Kiser
The Prince William County School Board 2024 to 2027. Top left to right: Erica Tredinnick, Justin Wilk, Dr. Babur Lateef, Lisa Zarapur, Tracy Blake. Bottom row: Jennifer Wall, Richard Jessie, Loree Williams. [Photo: Prince William County Public Schools]

Reactions from Prince William’s eight-member school board show a deep divide—not just over federal law, but over whose rights the policy protects and how the board should have responded.

Two members—Jennifer Wall of the Gainesville District and Erica Tredinnick of the Brentsville District, both Republican-endorsed—spoke out against the board’s overall position to defy the U.S. Department of Education. While the majority of the board supported rejecting the federal resolution, Wall and Tredinnick each argued the board should have taken a different course.

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