In an interview with Potomac Local News, Robyn Williams, a Manassas School Board member and candidate for the Manassas City Council, highlighted vital community issues. Crime emerged as a significant concern among voters, with Williams noting, "I didn't realize crime was so high on everybody's lists..." During her campaign, she has encountered residents expressing unease about crime, with some even planning to move.
This article requires a paid Locals Only Membership to read. Please Sign In or Upgrade to a paid membership. Thank you.
On Friday, June 14, Manassas leaders hosted a delegation of Chinese officials and business leaders from the City of Quianjiang in Hubei province. The Manassas Department of Economic Development organized the visit to encourage cultural and economic exchange. This was the first such visit since officials from the City of Shaoxing visited in 2015.
Mayor Michelle Davis Younger, who did not respond to a request for comment for this story, was initially scheduled to lead the delegation but dropped out at the last minute due to a scheduling conflict. Vice Mayor Pamela Sebesky, along with Interim City Manager Doug Keen, took over the task.
This article requires a paid Locals Only Membership to read. Please Sign In or Upgrade to a paid membership. Thank you.
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 Metzâs 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.
âWe did take a hit, and I want you to know that we are â as a staff and me personally as principal â very disappointed in the outcomes of our work,â Morris said. âHowever, what I am very, very excited about is the work that weâre doing to move forward.â
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.
â[Chronic absenteeism is] no different when they tell you on the plane, âPut your mask on before you put anyone elseâs mask on,ââ Morris said. âWe have to have our students in school for us to impact ⊠their academic achievement.â
He described some of the schoolâs initiatives to address studentsâ chronic absenteeism this year. Morris said targeted support, phone calls, âNo Tardy Partiesâ 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.
âWhile 24.5% is not exactly where we want to be ⊠the chronically absent percentage by the end of the year is what weâre trying to impact,â Morris said. âOur 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.â
Morris also discussed how Metz Middle is trying to align with the Manassas City Public School Strategic Planâs four pillars. He said last year was an adaptation year, but this year, the school is dedicated to taking a âwhole school approach.â
Board members Robyn Williams and Jill Spall complimented Morrisâ 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 Postâs 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 Morrisâ presentation and the problems at Metz Middle School.
âItâs clear to me that our students need our help urgently,â Brescia said. âAll 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.â
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.
