On Thursday, October 17, 2024, the Stafford County School Board convened with local lawmakers to present its 2024 legislative agenda for the upcoming Virginia General Assembly session. Focused on enhancing educational quality and addressing critical funding disparities, the School Board laid out priorities designed to improve resources, staff retention, and the educational environment for Stafford County Public Schools.
The School Board's legislative agenda underscores several issues:
1. Cost-of-Competing Adjustment (COCA): Stafford County receives only 25% of the COCA funding that neighboring Northern Virginia districts enjoy, despite facing similar cost-of-living and market conditions. The Board urged lawmakers to support full COCA funding to help Stafford attract and retain educators, noting a $10,000 average salary gap between teachers in Stafford and nearby districts.
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Three Stafford County schools—Brooke Point High School, H.H. Poole Middle School, and Stafford Middle School—are currently accredited with conditions due to low academic performance in key areas, as discussed during the latest Stafford County School Board meeting. The schools earned this status following evaluations of student achievement in subjects like English, math, and science.
Accreditation with Conditions Explained
During the October 8, 2024, Stafford School Board meeting, officials explained accreditation with conditions signals that while a school meets basic operational standards, it has significant shortcomings in academic performance that need to be addressed. These three schools earned a “Level 3” rating in at least one performance area, indicating performance "below standard." According to Virginia’s accreditation system, schools at this level need targeted interventions.
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From the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office:
ASSAULT:
Brooke Point High School, 1700 Courthouse Road, 10/8, 7:00 a.m. Deputy D.J. Taylor was conducting his SRO duties when he was informed of a fight. Two students agreed to participate in a fight in the boy’s bathroom. Both received a criminal complaint for assault and battery.Courage Lane, 10/8, 8:57 a.m. Deputy S.M. Craig responded to an assault. It was advised a female suspect assaulted the victim due to a previous eviction. Deputy Craig located the suspect and detained her without incident. She was charged with assault and battery and held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
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Stafford County Public School officials are reviewing the division's "Power Hour" lunch periods. High school students can walk around campus to have lunch with friends, study, meet teachers and guidance counselors, or attend workshops during these periods.
Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor said the power hour lunch was an idea introduced by students and allowed for the first time by the school division for the 2022-23 school year.