Spotsylvania County Public Schools

Spotsylvania County Public Schools is a public school district serving Spotsylvania County, Virginia. It consists of 17 Elementary, 7 Middle, and 5 High Schools and has a total enrollment of over 24,000 students.[1] The Spotsylvania County School division also has a Career and Technical Center and participates with other local school systems to offer the Commonwealth Governor's School. The district partners with area businesses to develop learning opportunities for the students.[2] Spotsylvania County Public Schools works with the area Parks and Recreation Department to help maintain the area around the Schools (athletic facilities, etc.).

Spotsylvania County Public Schools
Location
8020 River Stone Drive
Spotsylvania

Fredericksburg
, Virginia, 22407
United States
District information
TypePublic, school division
MottoPreparing All Students to Excel in a Dynamic Global Society
GradesK–12
SuperintendentDr. Scott Baker
Accreditation28
Students and staff
Students24,000 (Oct. 2009)
Teachers1650
Other information
Websitespotsyschools.us

District Overview

Spotsylvania County Public Schools serve all of Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Spotsylvania County was formed in 1721 and is located along the I-95 corridor, 42 miles (68 km) south of Washington, D.C. and 58 miles (93 km) north of Richmond, Virginia. It is one of fastest-growing counties in the commonwealth of Virginia which is reflected in an enrollment increase of more than 27% from 1999–2005. As of the 2000 Census, approximately 90,395 people lived in Spotsylvania County.

In 2005, the school division had 3,144 full-time employees including 1,788 teachers with a student teacher ratio of 12.8 to 1.[3]

The quality of education in the district has been on the rise,[4] and an annual review is conducted to ensure quality maintenance. Currently 25 of the district's 28 schools are fully accredited by state standards with the other three accredited with a warning.[5] The district also benefits from the dedicated support of a nonprofit, tax-exempt foundation charged with raising money to strengthen the quality of instructional programs in the district.[6]

History

In 1870, the public education system in Spotsylvania County was established with segregated one-room schools. These schools were gradually abandoned for larger buildings combining both elementary and high schools. The former Spotsylvania High School was a state-of-the-art building when constructed in 1939 for $158,000. During the twentieth century, the school system moved from scattered one-room schools for elementary education to consolidated schools for grades 1–12, to an integrated system in 1968. Until that time, most African-American children attended one-room schools until the John J. Wright Consolidated School opened in 1952. Since 1968, the school system has evolved to the present system of separate elementary, middle, and high schools.[7]

Robert E. Lee High School became the first accredited high school in the County in 1920. It was built in 1914 at Spotsylvania Courthouse. The building was destroyed by fire in 1941.[8]

In the summer of 2005, due to low SOL (Standards Of Learning) Test scores the Spotsylvania School Board announced that they were going to start a week before Labor Day. While other counties around Spotsylvania started the day after Labor Day. So they can try to improve their SOL test scores. In 2006, they adopted the A Day/B Day calendar schedule. By 2008 Spotsylvania County Public Schools started two weeks before Labor Day. They also started PASS (Parents Access for Students' Success) where students and parents can check on their grades, attendance, Lunch account, and see if they owe any missing work. After a couple years they got out a week earlier than everyone else. In 2010, Spotsylvania Schools changed the 6-point grading scale to a 10-point grading scale. In February 2013, the school board decided to start after Labor Day since SOLs scores better than what they were before the pre-Labor Day start. So for the 2013–14 school year Spotsylvania schools started the day after Labor Day. Like it did before the 2005–06 school year.

On August 23, 2011 due to a magnitude 5.8 (class: moderate) earthquake that happened at 1:51:04 p.m. local time in the Piedmont region. The August 24 opening of public schools was delayed while damage to buildings was assessed. Six patients were treated at the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center for minor injuries resulting from the earthquake.

Governance

The School Board has seven members elected to oversee the school administration. School Board members are elected every four years. One School Board member is elected from each magisterial district in the county. The elections are staggered and non-partisan.[9]

The following are the current School Board members.[10]

PositionNameDistrict
ChairwomanDawn ShellyChancellor
Vice ChairwomanDr. Lorita C. DanielsSalem
MemberRabih AbuismailCourtland
MemberBaron P. BraswellBattlefield
MemberErin K. GramppBerkeley
MemberLisa A. PhelpsLee Hill
MemberKirk TwiggLivingston

Elementary schools

Middle schools

Battlefield Middle School

Battlefield Middle School is a middle school in Spotsylvania, Virginia near Battlefield Elementary School. Battlefield Middle School was built in 1978 next-door to Battlefield Elementary School. The school serves middle school students from grades six to eight, and the population has had a rate increase of 6% each year for the past three years. As of September 2006 Battlefield Middle School had a total enrollment of 801 students. Schools that feed into this school are Lee Hill Elementary School, Parkside Elementary School, Battlefield Elementary School, Courthouse Road Elementary School, Cedar Forest Elementary School, and Spotswood Elementary School. This school feeds into Courtland High School, Massaponax High School, and Chancellor High School

Chancellor Middle School

Chancellor Middle School is located in northwest Spotsylvania County. The elementary schools which feed into Chancellor Middle School are Chancellor Elementary School, Battlefield Elementary School, Salem Elementary School, Wilderness Elementary, Smith Station Elementary School and Harrison Road Elementary School. Graduates of Chancellor Middle feed into either Chancellor High School or Riverbend High School. Their colors are blue and black and their mascot is a Bandit. For their 25th anniversary, their mascot was rebranded and they are now the Mustangs. In 2010 their football team lost only 2 games and won the championship.

Ni River Middle School

Ni River Middle School is located in far northwest Spotsylvania County. The school opened in 1999, Mr. Michael Smith, the assistant principal has been there eight years, and the principal, Mrs. Davis, has just started her first year at Ni River Middle School in October 2008. The Instructional Coordinator is Ms. Robin Norman. Ni River Middle School has achieved increasingly higher scores on the Virginia Standards of Learning tests, is fully accredited, and has consistently achieved Adequate Yearly Progress under No Child Left Behind. Ni River Middle School houses grades 6, 7, and 8, in 139,000 sq ft (12,900 m2) of space, and enrollment is currently 750 students. Dr. Covert has been named Director of Human Resources for Spotsylvania County Schools. Elementary Schools that feed into this school are Brock Road Elementary School, Chancellor Elementary School and Wilderness Elementary School. This school feeds into Riverbend High School and Spotsylvania High School

Spotsylvania Middle School

Spotsylvania Middle School is located in eastern Spotsylvania County. The mascot is the bulldog. The elementary schools which feed into Spotsylvania Middle School are Courthouse Road Elementary School, Courtland Elementary School, Robert E. Lee Elementary School, Parkside Elementary, and Wilderness Elementary School. Students from Spotsylvania Middle feed into either Courtland High School, Spotsylvania High School or Massaponax High School. The current principal of Spotsylvania Middle School, is Mr. Lane Byrd, the vice principal, is Mr. Scott Wilson, and the instructional coordinator is Mrs. Margaret Newman.

Freedom Middle School

Opened in 2003, Freedom Middle School is located in Spotsylvania County, Virginia across the street from Smith Station Elementary School. As of 2010, Freedom Middle School has achieved the Virginia Standards of Learning accreditation for the sixth straight year. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) has been met for the fifth year in a row. Freedom's school colors are red and black and its mascot is a tiger. Its music program is distinct in that it was awarded Virginia's highest honor of a "Blue Ribbon". Elementary Schools that feed into this school are Courthouse Rd Elementary School and Smith Station Elementary, and Wilderness Elementary School. This school feeds into Courtland High School and Chancellor High School [11] music school in 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 for "Superior" ratings in its band, chorus and orchestra programs. It was the first middle school in Spotsylvania County to earn this award.[12]

Post Oak Middle School

Post Oak Middle School is located in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near Spotsylvania High School. The school was opened in 2006[13] at a cost of $25 million as a replacement for the deteriorating John J. Wright Middle School.[14] Post Oak Middle School is the home of the Patriots. Elementary schools that feed into this school are Livingston Elementary School, Berkeley Elementary School, Robert E. Lee Elementary School, Brock Road Elementary School, and Riverview Elementary School. This school feeds into Spotsylvania High School, and Riverbend High School

In 2008, Post Oak Middle School made AYP, Adequate Yearly Progress, for the first time ever.

Thornburg Middle School

Now offers a CORE block. There are 45 minutes in the middle of the day where students who need to complete un-finished work finish their assignments. The last half (also 45 minutes) includes enrichment of the student's' choice. Darryl Lan is the principal. Thornburg Middle School is fully accredited with SOL testing this school year. Schools that feed into this school are Riverview Elementary School, Cedar Forest Elementary School, and Lee Hill Elementary School. This school feeds into Massaponax High School and Spotsylvania High School

High schools

Chancellor High School

Courtland High School

Massaponax High School

Riverbend High School

Spotsylvania High School

Commonwealth Governor's School
Main article: Commonwealth Governor's School

The Commonwealth Governor's School (CGS) is one of 18 magnet Governor's Schools in Virginia. The Commonwealth Governor's School is a half-day program for gifted and highly motivated students based on a school-within-a-school model. Admissions are competitive (involving an interview, a review of school history and teacher recommendations) and students are selected from Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline, and King George counties. Students may attend CGS grades 9 through 12.

John J. Wright Educational & Cultural Center

John J. Wright Educational & Cultural Center is built on the site of the first high school for black students in Spotsylvania County. The original building, known as the Snell Training School, was built in 1913 by the Spotsylvania Sunday School Union under the leadership of John J. Wright, a prominent county educator.

The original building was destroyed by fire in 1941. The Spotsylvania County School Board agreed to erect a new school on 20 acres (81,000 m2) of land donated by the Sunday School Union and to pay the teachers' salaries. Completed in 1952, the John J. Wright Consolidated School was opened to all county black youth in grades 1–12. When the school system integrated in 1968, the school became John J. Wright School, housing the county's entire sixth and seventh grade enrollment.

In 1978, with the closing of Spotsylvania Junior High School and the opening of Battlefield Intermediate School, the eighth grade was moved to the intermediate level.

During 1981–82, while the John J. Wright building underwent extensive renovation, the school occupied the current Marshall Building across from the present day Spotsylvania Middle School. In the fall of 1982, John J. Wright School reopened with many added improvements, including central air conditioning, wall-to-wall carpet and a new kitchen and cafeteria.

With the opening of Spotsylvania Intermediate School in the fall of 1982, John J. Wright Intermediate School began serving the predominantly southern portion of Spotsylvania County, with an approximate enrollment of 700 students in grades six, seven, and eight.

On July 1, 1990, the name John J. Wright Intermediate School was officially changed to John J. Wright Middle School in keeping with the Commonwealth's restructuring plan for middle school education.

In 1991–92, John J. Wright Middle School was recognized by the Virginia Department of Education for its outstanding middle school practices, including reading and public speaking, community involvement, rewards and recognition, and technology education.

During the summer of 1997, two areas of John J. Wright Middle School were dedicated to two long-term employees. The library was dedicated in honor of Dr. Sadie Coates Combs Johnson, a former teacher and librarian for thirty-one years. The athletic fields were dedicated in honor of William H. Poindexter, custodian of John J. Wright Middle School. In April of the following spring, a ceremony was held to dedicate a sign, commissioned and funded by a joint Parent Teacher Organization and community endeavor, identifying the fields behind the school as the William H. Poindexter Athletic Fields.

In 2001, the school board commissioned an architectural firm to propose a plan to renovate and expand JJW's facilities. Due to the cost of the needed improvements and the inability to purchase additional land to expand the athletic fields, the school board decided to build a replacement building for JJW to open in 2006, adjacent to Spotsylvania High School.

In 2008, after extensive renovations and modernization the doors reopened as the John J. Wright Educational and Cultural Center. Today, John J. Wright offers educational services to Spotsylvania County students from Pre-K through 12th Grade.[15]

Other Schools
  • Spotsylvania Career and Technical Center

References
  1. "VDOE :: Fall Membership". Doe.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
  2. Annette Jones (2005-09-13). "Incentives for Education Businesses Encourage Learning". The Free Lance-Star. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
  3. Gibson Consulting Group (2005-04-28). "Spotsylvania County Public Schools Efficiency Review" (PDF). Virginia Department of Education. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
  4. Bill Freehling (2005-04-13). "Schools Please Residents". The Free Lance-Star. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
  5. Karen Bolipata (2007-10-16). "Spotsy Schools to do Review". The Free Lance-Star. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
  6. Melissa Nix (2006-06-06). "County Starts New Education Fund". The Free Lance-Star. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
  7. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities
  8. Historical Marker Database
  9. "Spotsylvania County Code". Retrieved 2010-05-21.
  10. https://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/domain/286
  11. "Virginia Music Educators Association". Vmea.com. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
  12. "Freedom gets first 'Blue Ribbon'". Fredericksburg.com. 2007-05-15. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
  13. Nix, Melissa (2006-08-24). "School begins in Spotsylvania; Post Oak Middle School opens". The Free Lance-Star.
  14. Hannon, Kelly (2005-11-16). "Area schools will be bursting at the seams". The Free Lance-Star.
  15. John J. Wright Alumni Association http://jjwalumni.org/
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