Weems Elementary School in Manassas has seen remarkable progress in recent years, particularly in reducing chronic absenteeism and improving student literacy. Under the leadership of Principal Michelle Huppman, the school has created an environment focused on equity, achievement, and community involvement, leading to academic improvements.
One of the school's most notable achievements is reducing chronic absenteeism. In the 2022-2023 school year, Weems faced a concerning % chronic absence rate of 28%. This figure, which emerged after the pandemic, reflected the challenges many schools faced. However, the school has halved that number through dedication and hard work. "I am so happy to share with you that Weems' current chronic absence rate, as reflected in the school quality profile, is half of that number, down to 14%. This is a school community that rose to the challenge," said Sarah Brescia, a Manassas City school board member.
The improvement in attendance has had a direct impact on student achievement. Huppman explained, “Last year, we had a 24% increase in literacy pass rates for our students in kindergarten through second grade. For the Virginia Standards of Learning reading test, we had a 6% increase in pass rates for our students in third and fourth grade.” While math scores dropped slightly due to virtual instruction during the pandemic, Principal Huppman is optimistic about the future. "This year, we are fully staffed in all classrooms and in all instructional support positions without the need for virtual instructors," she said.
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Join Uriah Kiser, founder and publisher of Potomac Local News, as he sits down with Dayna-Marie Miles, the newest member of the Manassas City School Board.
In this engaging episode, Dayna-Marie shares her journey to the school board, her priorities for education in Manassas City, and her vision for fostering open communication between the board and the community.
Topics Covered:
– Dayna-Marie’s background as a teacher and local parent
– Her focus on improving transparency and communication within the school board
– Addressing key issues like attendance, grading policies, and future school projects
– Insights from her first weeks on the school board and her mini-retreat experience
Stay Connected: Dayna-Marie encourages the community to reach out and share ideas.
Connect with her via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daynamilesforschoolboard
Subscribe for More Local News: Stay updated with the latest happenings in Manassas City and beyond! Subscribe to Potomac Local News on YouTube and sign up for our free daily email newsletter.
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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Insidenova – “The Manassas City School Board is requesting the appropriation of state funds for a pilot alternative education program.
The board discussed the possibility of such a program in December. Manassas City Public Schools currently has an agreement with Prince William County Public Schools to use its program at Independence Nontraditional School.
The Independence program has limited spots – roughly 20 – for Manassas students, and any additional Manassas students who need alternative education are moved to online classes.”
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.
Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) announced that all schools will be closed on Monday, due to forecasted inclement weather.
The announcement, shared on the district’s official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, noted, “Manassas City Public Schools will be closed Jan. 6, 2025, due to forecasted inclement weather. Code BLUE for employees.”
The closure affects approximately 7,000 students across the city’s nine schools, including five elementary schools, one intermediate school, one middle school, and one high school. MCPS serves the city of Manassas with a variety of academic programs designed to meet the needs of a diverse student population.
The Code Blue designation means that employees are not required to report to work unless specifically notified by their supervisors. Further updates regarding school operations will be provided through the district’s official communication channels, including its website and social media accounts.
Parents and students are encouraged to monitor these updates as weather conditions develop.
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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On Monday, November 18, 2024, the Manassas City Council and School Board convened a joint meeting to discuss findings from a space needs study and the future of shared facilities for critical city and school operations. The study, presented by Assistant City Manager Steve Burke, identified a 40,000 to 52,000 square foot requirement to house the Department of Social Services, the voter registrar, and the School Board's central office.
Past and Current Facility Plans
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Welcome (or welcome back) to a Potomac Local News series, “Meet the Principal.”
We started this series at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year with the nearly two dozen new principals in Prince William County Schools, but now let's turn our attention to the new and existing Manassas City Public Schools principals. Potomac Local has asked each principal the same questions in bold, and their respective answers will be found below.
