New Superintendent, Quiet Schools: Stafford’s Communication Breakdown

Meet the Principal Series continues: Manassas Local Editor Caitlyn Meisner launched this series at the start of the 2024-2025 school year to introduce nearly two dozen new principals to Prince William County Schools. Now we shift the focus to emphasize the new and existing principals in Manassas City Public Schools. Each director answered the same questions (in bold), and their answers will be shared below. Stay tuned as we continue to profile the educational leaders shaping our community’s schools.

Choir call answered: We called for Christmas choir performances, and you delivered! The Gainesville Community Choir (GCC) has submitted a video and a press release about their upcoming shows. Keep those choir videos coming. I’m excited to be able to feature them during the holidays!

The Gainesville Community Choir will perform a winter collaborative concert entitled *“From Darkness to Light.” The program includes LUX: The Dawn from On High by Dan Forrest and other seasonal selections performed with the Fairfax Choral Society. Watch these performances:

• Friday, Dec. 6, at Grace United Methodist Church in Manassas
• Saturday, Dec. 7, at Annandale United Methodist Church

Stafford schools remain silent: We recently reported about Stafford County Public Schools hiring a new superintendent. Interestingly, no press release about the hiring was sent to us, although it was shared with other news organizations. We obtained the press release after filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

This follows an incident in which the district provided public information A police officer asked us to leave the building after questioning the school board president about the ongoing bus crisis. Since then, communication from Stafford Schools has been sparse.

According to the PIO, “we are not allowed to ask questions to school board members.” While disappointing, this lack of transparency won’t stop us from telling you the important stories that impact our community.