Fredericksburg City Public Schools officials will likely be rooting for a mild winter next year.
The proposed 2025-26 instructional calendar as presented at Monday’s school board meeting features just one day built in for inclement weather.
Virginia law requires that school divisions must hold terms of no fewer than 180 days or 990 teaching hours. FCPS’s proposed 2025-26 calendar calls for 174 days, with transition day on Aug. 18 and the first day of school for all students set for Aug. 19.
By comparison, the first day of school this year was Aug. 6.
In a presentation to the board, FCPS Director of Curriculum and Instruction Kecia Lipscomb explained that the division typically meets the 180-day threshold but will rely on instructional hours next year due to new school construction at Walker-Grant Middle School and the transition at Gladys West Elementary School.
“This delay is intended to ensure that buildings are ready for students, and staff have been trained on safety and process protocols,” Lipscomb said.
Under the draft calendar, new staff would report July 29-Aug. 1, and all staff would return on Aug. 4. The school year would be split into a 74-day first semester and a 90-day second semester.
Lipscomb said that adding time to the school day is “under study” as a means to add three to four additional inclement weather days.
“I don’t think there’s any way around not expanding the school day by seven or 10 minutes,” FCPS Deputy Superintendent Matt Eberhardt said.
School board member Kathleen Pomeroy (Ward 2) asked if staff suggested proactively extending the school day. Eberhardt replied that Monday’s presentation was merely intended to gauge the board’s reaction and that extending the school day would require approval at a later date.
“I’ve been in places where they’ve done Saturday school, gotten rid of breaks entirely or they went way into June,” Eberhardt said. “It’s better if you know early on to extend the school day or explore other creative options.”
Navigating transition at Gladys West
Hallway lockers are coming out, and a pickleball court is going in as part of the ongoing transition at Gladys West Elementary School.
The school’s mascot will be the Navigator — a nod to West’s pioneering role in the development of GIS — and the school colors will be green and black. Additionally, the renovated library “will be up and running” by July 1, FCPS Chief Academic Officer Lori Bridi said at Monday’s meeting.
Thirty people responded to a recent survey about the proposed zoning for the city’s three elementary schools.
Eberhardt said that a majority were in favor of the proposed zones, while a few strongly disagreed with how they were drawn up. Several parents voiced concerns that their children would need to change schools, or that socio-economic factors weren’t properly taken into account.
Pomeroy said a couple of constituents have asked her if there’s a way to apply for a zoning waiver. She noted existing policy requires that a request be made in writing.
Regarding staffing, FCPS Chief Human Resources Officer Sue Keffer said the division doesn’t anticipate hiring any additional general education teachers beyond what’s considered typical. Special education staffing will depend on the number of students with an Individualized Education Program plan (IEPs), she said.
Malvina Rollins Kay (Ward 4) asked whether class size impacts staffing and what the division is up against budget-wise when it comes to adding additional teachers. She suggested that FCPS seize the opportunity presented by a third elementary building to reduce class size.
“The excuse of not being able to find teachers or desks or books is not out there right now,” she said. “This is the place we were fighting hard to get to with overcrowding.
“The one time for us to exhale and do this right is now… I’ve been sitting here too long to not finally get to a place where our elementary babies aren’t taken care of first.”
‘Every child, every day’
The division also unveiled a draft of its new vision, mission statement, tagline and logo during Monday’s meeting.
Starting in November 2022, separate mission and vision committee and branding committees met to develop new material for consideration, Eberhardt said. During a work session last week, the school board met for more than three hours to sift through all of the community’s contributions before deciding on the vision, mission, tagline and logo.
The vision statement reads: “The vision of Fredericksburg City Schools’ is to be a community of learners that embraces endless possibilities, empowering our students to make a positive impact on society.”
Mission statement: “The mission of Fredericksburg Public Schools is to educate and inspire each student to achieve their full potential.”
Tagline: “Educate and Inspire every child, every day.”
The logo features the tagline along with a diamond and six dots, each corresponding to one of the city’s five schools and the Walker-Grant Center.
The board will vote on the designs next month.
“I love it,” school board chair Jarvis Bailey said. “Great work.”
