The Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted Tuesday to authorize a change order for the judicial center expansion project in Manassas, greenlighting the demolition of the adjacent Old Bennett School on the soon-to-be upgraded courthouse grounds.

The board voted 7-1 in favor of the change order, with Gainesville District Supervisor George Stewart casting the lone dissenting vote. Stewart pulled the Bennett School agenda item from the board’s consent agenda for further discussion during Tuesday’s meeting.

Concerns for county taxpayers dominated the discussion on the dais, with several supervisors lamenting a lack of participation from the city of Manassas in the school’s preservation efforts.

According to a county staff presentation from a May 13 meeting of the county’s Joint Interjurisdictional Ad Hoc Committee with leaders from the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, Bennett School renovation costs – including a 25% contingency fund – would amount to about $46.9 million, with an additional $7.5 million for relocation and construction of a new foundation, elevating the total to $56.25 million.

“True preservation isn’t about leaving a building … boarded up and abandoned,” Coles Supervisor Yesli Vega said, referencing concerns of asbestos, lead, paint and black mold on the premises. “Our staff is thorough.”

Efforts to commemorate and memorialize the Bennett School as part of the renovated judicial center will still proceed, however.

According to county documents, “The county has received a proposal from Dewberry Architects for $315,141 to incorporate into the design of the Judicial Center Expansion project appropriate significant architectural pieces, as well as to create an exhibit with an interactive experience, with the goal of memorializing the Bennett School.”

An ongoing debate

The board majority met some resistance from city residents during Tuesday’s public comment.

Colin Turner, a Manassas resident who for months has spearheaded the Facebook campaign to preserve the Bennett School, said there were more questions than answers following the vote. Turner is running for Manassas City Council as an independent this fall.

“There’s nothing routine or non-controversial about taking formal steps toward demolishing the 117-year-old Bennett School,” Turner said, emphasizing his displeasure with the change order’s fastracked inclusion on the meeting’s consent agenda. “There are at least two reported burials on the Bennett School site, [and] county staff still have not explained what happens if the commonwealth determines those graves cannot be removed.”

Built in 1908, the Bennett School was erected over the discovered graves of unknown Civil War soldiers. It served as an elementary school from 1909 through 1969. Tuesday was the 165th anniversary of the First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Battle of First Manassas – which took place on July 21, 1861.

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Officers responded to the 1100 block of Oakmont Court at 9 a.m. for a fight and found the victim unconscious inside his home, bruised and bleeding from multiple lacerations, the Culpeper Police Department said in a news release.

Investigators identified the suspects as Louis Chevalier Sr., 70, and Gail Chevalier, 72, both of Culpeper, the release said. According to police, a dispute over a property line escalated, leading to the attack involving a hammer and a leaf blower.

Forensic evidence and witness interviews also indicate the victim’s finger was bitten during the struggle. Louis Chevalier also admitted to gouging the victim’s eye, the police department said.

The victim was also struck repeatedly in the back of the head with a hammer, leaving patterned marks consistent with both the head and the claw of the tool, the release said.

Police allege Gail Chevalier also struck the victim multiple times in the back of the head with a leaf blower.

The victim received six stitches and was diagnosed with a laceration and depression to the back of his skull, the release said. He remained hospitalized Monday.

“Medical staff have indicated the victim may have sustained permanent injury,” the release said.

Detectives recovered the victim’s blood on Louis Chevalier’s shirt, on the hammer and at the scene, the release said. Evidence also indicates the suspects used paper towels to clean up blood, which was later recovered inside their home, police said.

Both Louis Chevalier and Gail Chevalier are jailed without bond on charges of malicious wounding, according to court records.

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The board approved the directive on July 14 by a 7-1 vote, with Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega dissenting.

During this week’s work session, Woodbridge District Supervisor Jeannie LaCroix introduced the directive as a means of mitigating Prince William’s abundant feral cat population, which currently exceeds 50,000.

“Our animal shelter is not able to hold them all right now,” LaCroix said from the dais. “We have other organizations that really are wanting to and willing to do the work for us — so that’s what my directive is about, allowing them to use these funds.”

Vega objected to the directive, noting that it presented an off-cycle budget ask. The Coles supervisor also underscored existing funds for the center’s HVAC have gone unused.

County Executive Chris Shorter said money already allocated in the fiscal 2026 budget had indeed remained untouched, but said the unspent funds would enter the county’s reserves per the board’s Principles of Sound Financial Management.

Shorter said the directive instructs staff to provide a new “pot of money” to allow for contract relationships with third-party animal services organizations that will assist the county in providing neuter services.

“It is additional funding … [that] will do the same thing that we’re doing at the Animal Services Center,” he said, “but it will increase the capacity to do so.”

According to the directive, “The fiscal 2027 budget includes $48,000 to support approximately 50 spay/neuter procedures per month (600 cats annually). However, with an estimated feral cat population approaching 50,000 in Prince William County, additional capacity is needed to address the current community need.”

The directive allocates “up to” a further $48,000 for the program.

Shortly before the vote, Chair Deshundra Jefferson voiced her support for the measure.

“I support this — I know that this is something that we need,” Jefferson said. “Thank you for raising your concerns about the financial implications.”

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Renfrow went in the Competitive Balance Round B of the draft. That round was between the second round and the compensation pick round Saturday. The 74th overall pick is slotted to receive a $1,400,000 bonus.

According to Major League Baseball, “the 10 lowest-revenue clubs and the clubs from the 10 smallest markets are eligible to receive a Competitive Balance pick (fewer than 20 clubs are in the mix each year, as some clubs qualify under both criteria).

All eligible teams are assigned a pick, either in Competitive Balance Round A or Round B. Round A falls between the first and second rounds.”

Renfrow is the highest MLB Draft selection from a Prince William County high school since 1998 when Hylton graduate Sammy Serrano went No. 68 overall to the San Francisco Giants as a second-round pick.

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The funds, announced last week by U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats from Virginia, come from the competitive BUILD — Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development — grant program.

L’Enfant Station in Washington, D.C., is VRE’s busiest stop, used by roughly 45% of all riders, according to the agency, making it one of the most significant congestion points in the region’s rail corridor, where limited track capacity constrains both VRE and Amtrak operations.

The federal grant will help fund improvements at the station and construct a fourth main track in the corridor between the L’Enfant and Virginia interlockings, easing congestion at the point in the system where it matters most for the greatest number of riders, according to a news release.

“L’Enfant Station is the heart of the VRE system, used by nearly half of all VRE riders,” Katie Choe, CEO of VRE, said in the release. “This $25 million investment allows us to address one of our most critical constraints. Adding a fourth track at this location will relieve congestion, improve on-time performance, and unlock the flexibility we need to grow service for years to come, while our station improvements will make L’Enfant Station safer, more efficient, and easier for all of our passengers to navigate.”

Choe called the project “the last piece of the puzzle to unlock the significant service increases beginning in 2030 as part of VRE’s System Plan 2050.”

Prince William County Supervisor Andrea Bailey, who chairs the VRE Operations Board, welcomed the news.

“On behalf of the VRE Operations Board, I’d like to express my gratitude to our federal partners for recognizing the immense value this project provides both VRE and intercity passenger rail,” Bailey said in the release. “Entering this period of significant transformation, VRE is steadfast in its commitment to deliver results on a slate of capital projects that revolutionize passenger rail in the region and support long-term growth across the commonwealth.”

The BUILD grant program provides funding for road, rail, transit and port projects. Under the terms of the award, VRE and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission will work with the federal Department of Transportation to complete the requirements necessary to execute a grant agreement.

VRE is the nation’s 13th largest commuter rail service, connecting central and Northern Virginia with Washington, D.C. Its two lines, Manassas and Fredericksburg, serve 19 stations, including two — L’Enfant and Union Station — in D.C.

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Judge Kimberly A. Irving, who is overseeing the case, said the statutory “starting point” for media access analyses under Virginia Code  is that trials are generally open to the public from a fundamental standpoint.

Bhatt is the husband of Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a Manassas Park nurse and mother from Nepal whose July 2024 disappearance made international headlines.

Naresh Bhatt was arrested in connection with the alleged crime in August 2024. He has been charged with first-degree murder, concealment of a dead body and physical defilement of a dead body.

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Following a five-hour public hearing, the board halted the project in an 8-0 vote, a rarity for data center proposals.

The massive campus, also known as Dulles Cloud South, would have spanned 43 million square feet of data centers and is located in the Gainesville District along Sanders Lane near the Loudoun County border.

The amendment would have altered the long-range land use designation for around 252 parcels from AF, agriculture and forestry, to I-3, industrial, and MU-1, mixed-use hamlet, on about 1,940 acres. Had the amendment been approved, an accompanying rezoning would have taken place for the land from A-1, agricultural, to PBD, planned business district.

Prince William staff recommended supervisors deny the proposal, noting the property falls outside the county’s Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District.

A new protocol

About 35 minutes into Tuesday afternoon’s meeting, as the public hearing was opening, Gainesville District Supervisor George Stewart voiced a late objection to fellow Democrat and Chair Deshundra Jefferson’s initial acceptance of an eleventh-hour deferral request by the Dulles South comprehensive plan amendment requestor, Sanders Lage Assemblage I LLC.

Stewart said he had misunderstood Jefferson’s call for objections at the outset of the meeting.

While Jefferson said she initially planned to automatically permit the deferral as customary since the start of her tenure in 2024, the board took a 10-minute recess to verify procedural steps.

Jefferson then opted to allow a vote on Stewart’s objection, which resulted in a 7-1 outcome against the deferral and allowed the public hearing to move forward. Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry cast the lone vote in favor of the deferral.

Jefferson said she was “in full compliance with everything” after consultation with County Attorney Michelle Robl while “running a tight ship.”

The chair added she didn’t “want to waste taxpayer money on another frivolous lawsuit” – a condemnation from the dais of the now-defunct PW Digital Gateway project.

Digital Gateway developer QTS dropped its appeal of a lawsuit voiding the project last week.

The county had withdrawn from the appeal in mid-April, and Compass, the other developer behind the Digital Gateway, ended its appeal in late April.

Hearing from both sides

About 95 community members addressed the board during Tuesday’s public hearing.

Supporters of the amendment emphasized their traffic-related concerns regarding the area along Sanders Lane, underscoring how they believed the data center campus would help alleviate those issues through the rewidening of Sudley Road.

Those in favor also lamented the loss in tax revenue resulting from Digital Gateway’s cancellation and highlighted what they deemed to be a misconception of the Gainesville land’s perceived “rural character,” which they say has evolved in recent years amid residential growth.

Opponents of the amendment, meanwhile, said a traffic study would be more suitable for the community.

Voicing apprehension

Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, around 100 residents joined community leaders and state officials for a rally and news conference outside the James J. McCoart Building and county government center in Woodbridge.

Notable speakers included U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam – who, holding out three fingers, implored the board to “just say no” – as well as state Sen. Danica Roem and Del. Josh Thomas, both of whom represent parts of western Prince William.

Also taking the podium were Martin Jeter, president of the Mid-County Civic Association of Prince William; Ashley Studholme, executive director of the Prince William Conservation Alliance; and a handful of residents from Loudoun and Spotsylvania counties who have been impacted by data centers.

Elena Schlossberg, executive director of the Coalition to Protect Prince William County, advocated for requiring the data center industry to pay for its own infrastructure, including the approximately 6,000 diesel generators that would have been needed for Dulles South.

Roem sought to rebut advocates of data center job creation, citing hardships faced by former employees of the now-dissolved Merrifield Garden Center in Gainesville, which sold to data centers in October for $160 million.

Jeter highlighted the greenhouse gas goals outlined in the county’s Community Energy and Sustainability Master Plan, which he said the county would have “virtually no chance” of achieving if Dulles South were approved.

Jeter said greenhouse gas emission totals would rise “through the roof” – primarily due to diesel generators, the possibility of gas turbine generators and the harmful everyday health effects of “PM 2.5” particulates stemming from the diesel generators.

The final consensus

In response to concerns from residents supporting the amendment, who brought up AI competition with China, Stewart said “Loudoun County has more data centers than China” and dismissed the issue.

The Gainesville supervisor, having initiated a motion to deny the project, lamented the afternoon’s “supporters vs. opposition” mentality and said “everyone that spoke is a neighbor.”

Stewart proceeded to place a 600-page binder on the dais containing the county’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan in response to requests from amendment supporters for a bonafide further study of the area.

He added the county would be “placing 18 Empire State buildings into a rural area,” calling data centers “a pernicious health threat to everybody in this room.”

“Prince William County is not a Formula 1 vehicle, and this board is not a pit crew,” Stewart deadpanned. “We cannot pave over the headwaters for the Occoquan – 8 million people depend on that.”

Coles Supervisor Yesli Vega lauded the board’s bipartisanship, cautioning against “putting all of its eggs in one basket” with regard to its tax base. But she stressed the need to maintain ongoing relations with the data center industry.

Brentsville Supervisor Tom Gordy called the board “disciplined” in following the Comprehensive Plan.

Board members cited the need to bypass “piecemeal development,” with Jefferson saying planning for the county’s future “is too important to be a political issue.”

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Circuit Court Judge Petula Metzler handed down the sentence against Edward Bland Jr. on July 2 — plus an additional 74 years in prison, with 15 years suspended — for his role in the deaths of 34-year-old Leann Renee Harris and 22-year-old Asia Payne.

In December, a Prince William County jury found Bland guilty of aggravated murder of a pregnant victim to terminate her pregnancy, aggravated murder of killing more than one person, second-degree murder, carjacking, and three counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

On April 2, 2024, Prince William County police responded to the Westgate apartment complex in the Manassas area for reports of a man with a gun, followed by a report of a carjacking.

While investigating the carjacking, officers received a call from Shenandoah County deputies regarding the stolen vehicle.

“Shenandoah deputies relayed information that the driver, later identified as Edward Jackson Bland, confessed to them that he had killed two people in Manassas,” Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth’s office said in a news release.

Police were able to determine the apartment where Bland had been prior to the carjacking and breached the door, where they found Harris and Asia Payne both dead of a single gunshot wound to the head, the release said. Ashworth’s office did not say which victim was pregnant. Police at the time said both victims knew Bland.

“The senseless, brutal and unprovoked killing of two women by Mr. Bland truly merited such a sentence,” Ashworth said in a statement. “Gun violence, especially with multiple victims, will not be tolerated in our community, and we believe that permanently removing Mr. Bland from society because of his heinous crimes will make Prince William County a safer place.”

The case was prosecuted by Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Matthew J. Sweet and Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Rothenberger.

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Officers responded to the 8100 block of Flannery Court in Manassas at 3:55 p.m. after the girl got out of the car and sought help, Prince William County police Sgt. Erin Noble said in a news release.

During the hour the victim was left alone, the vehicle was not running and was parked in direct sunlight, Noble said.

Police charged the child’s mother, 44-year-old Dania Bolte Thomas, with felony child neglect, Noble said. Her custody status was unavailable Friday morning.

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Under a blazing summer sun, volunteers spent Wednesday evening planting an American flag at every mailbox in McLean Hamlet, transforming the 507-home neighborhood into a patriotic display ahead of the Fourth of July and the nation’s 250th birthday celebration.

The effort, organized by the McLean Hamlet Community Association, saw a team of volunteers spread throughout the neighborhood, placing one miniature American flag at each home while others decorated neighborhood entrances with patriotic ribbons and larger American flags.

By the end of the evening, every home in the community displayed a flag that residents are encouraged to keep as a commemorative gift.

The display echoed one of McLean Hamlet’s best-known traditions. Every Christmas Eve, volunteers line the neighborhood’s streets with luminaries, creating a festive scene that has become a hallmark of the community.

Organizers said the Independence Day flag display was inspired by that same spirit of neighborhood pride, replacing glowing lanterns with American flags stretching from street to street.

For Benson Anspach, secretary of the McLean Hamlet Community Association, the evening was also a family affair. Alongside his 7-year-old son, Alexander, Anspach walked through the sweltering heat to plant miniature American flags at approximately 80 homes.

“It’s a huge coordination,” Anspach told InsideNoVa. “This is above and beyond what we normally do.”

Although the neighborhood’s annual Christmas Eve luminary display has become a cherished tradition, organizers wanted to mark America’s 250th birthday with something uniquely patriotic.

While six volunteers fanned out to cover the neighborhood, others focused on decorating entrances to create a welcoming display for residents and visitors alike. The effort reflected the community association’s broader mission of bringing neighbors together through shared acts and volunteer service.

McLean Hamlet has long participated in neighborhood-wide events such as its annual Halloween parade, neighborhood picnics and Easter egg hunt.

Beyond social events, the association advocates on issues affecting the broader McLean area, works with organizations along the Lewinsville Road corridor, maintains communication with local police, opposes developments that members believe would alter the neighborhood’s character and supports an architectural committee dedicated to preserving the community’s appearance.

For Anspach, the volunteer effort also reflected what drew his family to McLean Hamlet in the first place.

“We moved to the neighborhood six years ago, and the whole neighborhood has been awesome,” he said.

As American flags now stand outside every home, the display offers a reminder of both the nation’s milestone anniversary and the community spirit that continues to define McLean Hamlet.

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The developer’s withdraw ends a yearslong saga over the proposed campus near Gainesville in rural Prince William, with citizen activists and conservation groups celebrating the project’s defeat.

“The Arc of Justice bent hard in our favor – QTS has OFFICIALLY withdrawn from the lawsuit,” the Coalition to Project Prince William said in an email Thursday afternoon. “As we head into this very special 250th anniversary of our democracy, the rule of law and the common man have prevailed.”

At full buildout, the Digital Gateway would have been the largest data center campus in the world, with over 22 million square feet of data centers spread out across 2,000 acres along Pageland Lane adjacent to Manassas National Battlefield Park.

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved the rezoning for the controversial campus in December 2023.

But last August, Prince William Circuit Court Judge Kimberly Irving ruled the rezonings were void due to improper public notice ahead of the county’s 27-hour hearing and eventual vote on the matter.

There were two primary lawsuits challenging the project, one involving the Oak Valley Homeowners Association and another from the American Battlefield Trust. The two cases were heard together on appeal, and the state Court of Appeals upheld the August ruling on March 31.

QTS, who was building the project along with Compass, was the last player standing in the legal showdown after Compass and Prince William County withdrew from the cases earlier this year.

“ … after careful consideration, QTS has made the decision to terminate the Digital Gateway project and withdraw its associated filings,” QTS’ legal team said in its withdraw notice Thursday. “The project advanced through years of planning, analysis, and public review, and was approved by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors following a rigorous process.  As proposed, the project would have delivered significant infrastructure investment to Prince William County, including tens of billions of dollars in capital investment, substantial annual local tax revenues to support public services, and thousands of long-term jobs.”

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Well-known for his soft-spoken country charm, Ebert served over 50 years as Prince William County’s top prosecutor. During his tenure, he oversaw several high-profile criminal cases and held the distinction of being the prosecutor who had sent the most people to death row in the nation.

The Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office announced Ebert’s death Tuesday on social media.

“Mr. Ebert always stressed the importance of fairness, while never forgetting the need to protect public safety,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth said in a statement. No other details have been announced.

Ebert stepped away from the courtroom in 2019, deciding against a reelection campaign under doctor’s orders.

“It’s been a good ride for me, and I’ll be here for the rest of my term,” he told InsideNoVa at the time.

First elected in 1968, Ebert — a lifelong Democrat — prosecuted some of the state’s most infamous trials, including “Beltway Sniper” John Allen Muhammad, who was executed in 2009. It was one of only two executions Ebert ever witnessed, though he helped convict 15 killers of capital murder.

Ebert also prosecuted in 1993 Lorena Bobbitt after she cut off her husband’s penis following documented domestic abuse. Bobbitt was acquitted on charges of malicious wounding due to temporary insanity.

Ebert began his law career with a law firm in Falls Church, which eventually opened a Manassas branch that then became Ebert & Murphy. He also worked part-time work as an assistant commonwealth’s attorney.

In 1967 Ebert ran against Floyd Bagley for the office of commonwealth’s attorney for Prince William County and won, becoming the youngest commonwealth’s attorney in Virginia at only 30 years old.

Ebert was born on Sept. 23, 1937 in Roanoke, but his family moved to Northern Virginia when he was a toddler.

He held a law degree from George Washington University Law School, which he attended at night while clerking at a law firm to support his wife Priscilla and three children.

Priscilla Ebert died of a heart attack in 1983. Ebert, who had homes in Manassas and on the Northern Neck, never remarried.

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Hughes served as Manassas city manager for over 12 years and as a deputy county executive in Prince William County before that for 14 years.

Hughes retired from the Manassas role in January 2012 before returning as for a brief interim city manager stint the next year.

He also served as interim manager for Warrenton and other Northern Virginia jurisdictions, according to Manassas Vice Mayor Mark Wolfe, as well as 

Hughes was notable for his continued participation in the International City/County Management Association, Wolfe added, formerly known as the International City Managers’ Association.

“Larry was a neighbor, he was a friend of mine,” Wolfe told InsideNoVa in a Tuesday evening phone call. “He was one of the people who was instrumental in talking and persuading me to get involved in local government. He was the first city manager that I had the pleasure of working with, and obviously was a pillar of local government throughout Northern Virginia for decades and decades and decades.”

Wolfe said Hughes was an integral part of the “renaissance” of Manassas, noting the redevelopment of Old Town.

“We in the city of Manassas owe Larry just a tremendous debt of gratitude for his service and what he was able to start and build in our community,” Wolfe said. “Manassas would not be anywhere near as nice a place to live and to work if it wasn’t for Larry.”

Wolfe highlighted the Harris Pavilion, the ARTfactory, improvements to Main Street and Battle Street and the expansion of Micron as aspects of the city that were all “tied together” and stemmed from Hughes’s leadership.

“Larry was a passionate believer in the power of local government to make a positive difference in people’s lives and in outcomes for communities,” Wolfe said. “He had a distinct viewpoint — which not everyone agreed with — and he was willing to work with people to try to move things forward. He would build a consensus, but he was forceful — and he very much had a vision of what he thought certainly Manassas could be, or should be, and was willing to work for that very diligently, very hard.”

Hughes is survived by his wife, Christina, and children Tanya, Todd, Lauren and Alex. The couple lived in Manassas.

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Police have released body camera footage in the search for two suspects on e-bikes who apparently tried to abduct a 4-year-old girl from a park in Manassas this weekend, but were thwarted by the “courageous actions” of the girl’s 6-year-old sister.

Officers were called to Dean Park at 9501 Dean Park Lane about 8:50 p.m. Sunday, where a mother reported two men approached her 4-year-old daughter and “attempted to lure her away with candy,” city police said in a news release.

The child’s 6-year-old sister witnessed the interaction and immediately began screaming for her mother, which caused both of the men to flee.

“The mother quickly gathered her children and moved toward the park entrance, where she received assistance from an off-duty Prince William County police officer,” the release said.

Responding officers found one person matching the suspect description, dressed in black and wearing a full face mask, but when officers tried to make contact, the person “fled on an electric bicycle via Winter’s Branch Trail,” the release said.

Police have now released camera footage of the suspect fleeing from an officer after releasing a still photo Monday.

The two suspects were present in the area of the soccer fields both before and after the reported incident, police said.

Both were described only as males. One wore all white and the other wore all black, including a black hoodie with a white logo and a full face mask.

Manassas police are asking members of the Wellington community to review camera footage and contact police with any video of the individuals going to or leaving the park.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Master Detective Speights at aspeights@manassasva.gov or 703-257-8041.

“The Manassas City Police Department would like to commend the courageous actions of the victim’s older sister, whose quick response helped protect her younger sibling and alert nearby adults to the situation,” the release said.

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The updated practices are the result of a multi-year review and planned phase-in process that included research, comparison with neighboring school divisions, analysis of current grading practices and feedback from students, families, teachers, principals and central office staff.

The updates emphasize mastery of learning standards, meaningful feedback and academic growth while aligning the division’s grading practices with neighboring schools and many colleges and universities, according to school officials.

As the updates are introduced, students and families can expect the following changes, the school system said:

Updated grading scales for grades 6-12, including the introduction of “minus” letter grades.

Clearer expectations for assessments, with consistent weighting by school level, including: elementary school – 40% formative (practice and feedback) / 60% summative (demonstration of learning); middle and high school – 30% formative / 70% summative.

Clearer guidance for reassessment opportunities, homework practices, gradebook reporting and final grade calculations

Continued alignment with student supports and accommodations, including Individualized Education Program, 504 Plans and English learner services

Greater consistency in grading practices across schools

At both the middle and high school level, under these changes, the penalty for late work will not exceed a letter grade, however, late work will not be accepted after two weeks barring unique exceptions.

The scorecard is below.

The introduction of “minus” letter grades for grades 6-12 is intended to create a third band of “distinction” for more accurate modeling and is also in alignment with most peer divisions and post-secondary institutions.

The school system aligned many of the grading practices for the middle and high school levels in an effort to help prepare students as they enter the high school years.

“Right now our students hit a cliff in ninth grade – much more rigorous standards, much more expectations, and we don’t want that to be the first time they experience it,” said Stephanie Soliven, the associate superintendent for teaching and learning.

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