Fredericksburg Police have launched automated speed enforcement cameras in school zones at Hugh Mercer Elementary and James Monroe High School to curb speeding and improve safety. The move is part of a partnership formed in November 2024 between the Fredericksburg Police Department and the city, aiming to reduce speeding near schools and protect students, staff, and families.
To ease drivers into the new system, the city implemented a 30-day warning period following the installation of the cameras. During this period, violators received warnings instead of citations, a step the city said was designed to "educate drivers and encourage compliance with speed limits."
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A recent cybersecurity incident affecting PowerSchool, a global provider of education administration software, has raised concerns for school systems across the country, including Fredericksburg City and Manassas City Public Schools. PowerSchool confirmed that its internal systems were breached in late December, resulting in unauthorized access to data involving students and educators from hundreds of school divisions.
PowerSchool, widely used by schools worldwide, supports over 18,000 institutions, serving more than 60 million students. The platform handles essential administrative functions such as attendance tracking, grade reporting, and student data management. While PowerSchool has restored its systems’ security, the breach underscores the vulnerability of sensitive educational information.
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Several schools in our region have announced closures and delays for Wednesday, January 8, 2025, due to inclement weather and hazardous road conditions. Here is the full list of updates:
Prince William County:
All Prince William County Public Schools will be closed under Code Green for students and teachers.
– 250-day employees and pay grade 13 and above report at 10 a.m.
– The closure will allow VDOT additional time to clear secondary and neighborhood roads to ensure bus safety.
Stafford County:
Stafford County Public Schools are closed on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, due to ongoing adverse weather conditions.
– All activities and events scheduled are canceled.
Manassas City:
Manassas City Schools and offices will be closed on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
– Code BLUE for employees.
Manassas Park:
All Manassas Park schools are closed on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, due to remaining snow and ice.
Spotsylvania County:
Spotsylvania County Public Schools will be closed on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
– Code 2: 12-month employees report two hours late as safety permits.
– Essential personnel should report at specified times.
– All school-sponsored activities, including student externships, are canceled.
Fredericksburg City:
Fredericksburg City Public Schools will be closed on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, due to road conditions and low temperatures.
– Temperatures are expected to remain below freezing until the afternoon.
Fairfax County:
All Fairfax County Public Schools are closed on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
– School offices and central offices will open to the public at 11 a.m.
King George County:
King George County Schools will be closed on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, due to inclement weather conditions.
– Code 2: 12-month employees report at 10 a.m.
– Liberal leave will be in effect.
Colleges and Universities:
– Germanna Community College:
All Germanna locations will open at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, January 8, due to challenging road conditions.
– Northern Virginia Community College:
Normal operations under Code Green for Wednesday, January 8, 2025. All campuses and services are open.
Prince William County Public Schools
All schools and offices will be closed Code Red on Tuesday. Inclement Weather Employees are the exception and should follow their assigned schedule.
Stafford County Public Schools
Schools will be closed on Tuesday due to adverse weather and an extended winter storm warning. All activities and events scheduled for the day are canceled. Tuesday was originally a professional learning day, so students were not scheduled to attend.
Manassas City Public Schools
Schools and offices will be closed Tuesday. Code BLUE is in effect for employees.
Fredericksburg City Public Schools
Schools will be closed, and buildings will remain closed as crews work on clearing parking lots and sidewalks. Essential personnel will be contacted by their supervisors for report times.
Manassas Park City Schools Closure for Tuesday, January 7, 2025
All Manassas Park City Schools will be closed on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, due to snowy conditions. **Code RED** is in effect for employees.
King George County Schools
Schools will be closed Tuesday. Code 1 is in effect for 12-month employees.
Fairfax County Public Schools
All schools and central offices will be closed on Tuesday.
University of Mary Washington
All UMW campuses, including Fredericksburg, Stafford, and Dahlgren, will be closed all day Tuesday following the January 6 snowstorm.
Germanna Community College: Due to inclement weather, all Germanna locations will be closed on Tuesday, January 7.
Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA)
Code Purple for Tuesday, January 7, 2025. All NOVA campuses are operating virtually, with classes and services available online only.
Spotsylvania County Public Schools
All schools and offices will be closed on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. Code 1 is in effect—essential personnel should report to perform emergency services as necessary. All school-sponsored activities, including student externships, are canceled.
Fredericksburg City Public Schools (FCPS) has announced that all schools will be closed on Monday, January 6, due to the impending winter storm expected to bring heavy snowfall and hazardous conditions to the area. The announcement was made on the school division’s official account on X, formerly Twitter.
“Fredericksburg City Public Schools will extend winter break by one day. This means all buildings will be closed on Monday, January 6. Tuesday, January 7, will be a staff workday. Students will report to school on Wednesday, January 8,” the statement read.
The decision affects approximately 3,600 students enrolled across five schools in the division, including Hugh Mercer Elementary, Lafayette Upper Elementary, Walker-Grant Middle School, James Monroe High School, and the Walker-Grant Early Childhood Learning Center.
The extended closure allows additional time for crews to clear snow and ensure facilities are safe for staff and students to return. The school division also noted that Tuesday, January 7, will serve as a staff workday, providing educators with an opportunity to prepare for the reopening on Wednesday.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to monitor the FCPS website and social media channels for further updates.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the Fredericksburg region, with snowfall expected to begin Sunday evening and continue into Monday. Snowfall totals could range from 4 to 10 inches, with localized areas seeing higher amounts. Icy roads and freezing temperatures are anticipated to persist into Tuesday, potentially impacting travel and school operations.
FCPS joins several other school divisions in Northern Virginia that have announced closures ahead of the storm. Residents are advised to stay off the roads and exercise caution during the severe weather.
Winter Break is almost here in the Potomac region, here are the dates for the schools in our area.
Stafford County Public Schools:Â
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Press Release:
The City of Fredericksburg and the Fredericksburg Police Department are introducing school zone speed enforcement cameras to protect students and enhance road safety. These cameras will be installed in two city school zones in late 2024 to ensure drivers follow posted speed limits, creating a safer environment for children.
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Fredericksburg Free Press: Gladys West may be referred to as a “Hidden Figure,” but her name will be visibly and prominently celebrated at Fredericksburg’s new elementary school.
The Virginia Department of Education is hosting Commonwealth Conversations to gather input from parents, educators, and community members on achieving cell phone-free education in Virginia, addressing youth mental health, and education performance. Following Governor Youngkin’s Executive Order 33, which mandates cell phone-free education, school boards will implement related policies by the end of the year, with the changes taking effect in January 2025.
The Virginia Department of Education is hosting a series of Commonwealth Conversations to give parents, educators, and community members the opportunity to share their thoughts on the best ways to achieve cell phone-free education in Virginia and address the increasing evidence of the impact cell phone and social media usage has on youth mental health and education performance.
On July 9, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 33 to establish cell phone-free education to promote the health and safety of Virginia’s K-12 students. Executive Order 33 directs the VDOE to provide guidance to school boards on cell phone-free education policies and procedures. School boards will establish local cell phone-free education policies and procedures before the end of this year.
Parents, educators, and interested community members are invited to attend a Commonwealth Conversation and discuss their expectations for the upcoming policy changes that will take effect in January 2025. Below is a list of the upcoming conversations being held throughout the Commonwealth:
Manassas – July 18, 2 – 3:30 p.m.
Osbourn High SchoolFredericksburg – July 30, 9 – 10:30 a.m.
James Monroe High School-Virginia Department of Education
