Board hears overview of Commonwealth Governor’s School; asks staff for options on consolidation or site changes
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Summary
Staff presented a program overview of the Region 3 Commonwealth Governor’s School, including staffing models, enrollment, facility differences across sites, and budget support. The board asked staff to return with specific consolidation options and pros/cons for possible action this fall.
Stafford County officials presented an informational overview of the Commonwealth Governor’s School (CGS) program in Region 3 and asked the board whether staff should study consolidation or other program changes.
“Students attend the CGS as a half‑day program with core instruction at the CGS site and electives at their base school,” the presentation stated. Dr. Alejandro, identified in the meeting as the CGS executive director, walked the board through the program model, staffing formulas used by neighboring divisions, enrollment and retention data, and facility differences between sites.
The briefing covered several operational points: CGS typically admits roughly 90 students across sites with cohorts of about 30 per site; some sites have full science labs and dedicated classrooms while others (notably North Stafford) have limited science lab space; CGS instruction includes honors, dual enrollment and AP options and a four‑year research project; the region receives approximately $1.7 million annually to support CGS regional operations.
Board members and staff discussed retention and attrition patterns, the effect of specialty center growth on CGS applications, and staffing implications for principals who lose teaching sections when teachers are assigned to CGS. Staff described existing staffing matrices used by Spotsylvania and King George that agencies rely on to allocate teacher sections when instructors split time between CGS and home schools. The CGS executive director noted there is no minimum enrollment rule for CGS courses in the data presented, though typical cohort planning anticipates about 30 students per cohort and 15:1 target student‑teacher ratios for certain courses.
Trustees asked staff to analyze possible consolidation options (for example, combining sites, partial consolidation, or maintaining the three‑site model) and to report back with recommendations on student impact, staffing, facilities upgrades (science lab access was repeatedly cited), and budget implications. The board requested a return in August for additional information and expected action in September if the board elects to make a site change before program‑of‑study planning in October.
What the board asked staff to do: research consolidation options, produce historical enrollment and exit‑interview data, analyze facility upgrades (science labs) and staffing matrices, and return with pros and cons and a recommended timetable so the district can plan instruction and site assignments well before the 2026 legislative/academic cycle.