Following months of heated discussion about Grace E. Metz Middle School's declining Standard of Learning (SOL) scores and school culture, new Principal Juliet Finnegan vows to lead the school toward improvement. Finnegan, who took over in July 2024, replaces Gary Morris, who left earlier this year after just two years. Her appointment comes amid ongoing debates about tackling the school's challenges.

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The Manassas City School Board met on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2o24, in a regular meeting to discuss Grace E. Metz Middle School, revise the calendar, and send off a longtime colleague.

The School Board heard from Grace E. Metz Middle School Principal Gary Morris on student academic success, challenges faced by the school, strategies to improve the workforce, and communication with parents.

Morris first showed Metz’s statistics from previous years, starting with the Standards of Learning pass rates from the 2021-2022 and 2022-23 school years, which had declined in every category except geometry.

“We did take a hit, and I want you to know that we are – as a staff and me personally as principal – very disappointed in the outcomes of our work,” Morris said. “However, what I am very, very excited about is the work that we’re doing to move forward.”

Morris then moved to discuss the school’s accreditation indicators, which have dropped from 2022 to 2023. English was bumped from level one to level two, and chronic absenteeism was bumped from level two to level three. The higher the number, the lower the indicator.

He showed the SOL pass rates compared to the entire state, and Metz only surpassed state averages twice: in 2021-22 algebra and 2022-23 geometry.

Morris also addressed Metz’s challenges going into the 2023-24 school year, including chronic absenteeism, learning gaps, a new instructional model, and a connection to the community.

“[Chronic absenteeism is] no different when they tell you on the plane, ‘Put your mask on before you put anyone else’s mask on,’” Morris said. “We have to have our students in school for us to impact … their academic achievement.”

He described some of the school’s initiatives to address students’ chronic absenteeism this year. Morris said targeted support, phone calls, “No Tardy Parties” and recognition of efforts has helped. Per his presentation, students with nine or more absences in January decreased from 41% in 2022-23 to 24.5% in 2023-24.

“While 24.5% is not exactly where we want to be … the chronically absent percentage by the end of the year is what we’re trying to impact,” Morris said. “Our work last year in terms of engagement and changing the culture in our building worked out in our favor. … What we hope to do this year is to take that 24.5% this year and drop that down much lower, too.”

Morris also discussed how Metz Middle is trying to align with the Manassas City Public School Strategic Plan’s four pillars. He said last year was an adaptation year, but this year, the school is dedicated to taking a “whole school approach.”

Board members Robyn Williams and Jill Spall complimented Morris’ work to decrease chronic absenteeism this year, while Sara Brescia highlighted the SOL accomplishments in Algebra 1 and Geometry exams.

The Board then approved a change to the 2025 fiscal year budget work session calendar and the 2024 regular business meeting calendar due to the districtwide closure on March 5. The March 5 budget work session was rescheduled to February 29, and a regular business meeting was added on March 21.

Both student representatives on the Board commended The Washington Post’s nominees for Principal and Teacher of the Year, and many Board members doled out well wishes to Andy Hawkins, the new assistant superintendent of finance and management services at Arlington Public Schools, previously an executive director of finance and operations in Manassas.

Board member Brescia discussed Morris’ presentation and the problems at Metz Middle School.

“It’s clear to me that our students need our help urgently,” Brescia said. “All students are our students, each of these kids fit into our system as a whole and 29% proficiency in a core subject is a cry for help.”

Brescia said the Board needed to discuss possible monthly reports on attendance from each school to track attendance records more regularly.

The meeting adjourned after nearly two hours.

Caitlyn Meisner is a freelance reporter for Potomac Local News.