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Manassas school board approves resolution seeking state funds for pilot alternative education program
Summary
The Manassas City School Board unanimously approved Resolution R2025-03 requesting state appropriation to launch a pilot alternative education program aimed at serving students who cannot succeed in traditional classrooms, with board members citing a need for local slots for grades 5–12 and for younger students.
The Manassas City School Board voted unanimously Jan. 9 to approve Resolution R2025-03 requesting the appropriation of state funds for a pilot alternative education program.
The 7-0 vote followed comments from board members who said the division has previously operated alternative programs and currently relies on an agreement with Prince William County Public Schools for some students. Vice Chair Spall moved the resolution; the motion was seconded by a fellow board member and carried unanimously.
Board members described several reasons for supporting a local alternative program. Mrs. Stevens said the district has “had at least one” alternative program in the past, including placements at Metz and the Johnson Learning Center and noted that the current arrangement with Prince William County’s Independence program “isn’t ideal for all of our students.” She added, “We’ve also found that we do have a need for students grades 5 through 12 who really can't succeed in a traditional classroom setting.”
Missus Breza expressed enthusiastic support: “I would like to indicate my enthusiastic support for this resolution. I am excited to see where this program would go,” she told colleagues.
Vice Chair Spall said keeping students in the city “is gonna help with those attendance rates and graduation rates,” and emphasized that an alternative program would also allow the district to reintegrate students into neighborhood schools when appropriate.
Board members raised two operational concerns during discussion: a shortage of available alternative-program slots, and a need to serve some students below sixth grade for whom county programs are not available. One board member said when slots are unavailable students are sometimes assigned to online learning, which the board said is a suboptimal option for many candidates for alternative placement.
The resolution asks the General Assembly to appropriate funds for a pilot program; the motion language and vote were recorded on the meeting agenda as Resolution R2025-03. Board members noted the matter had been discussed previously at a Jan. 9 budget work session and in earlier conversations.
Votes at a glance
- Approval of the Jan. 9 public meeting agenda: motion by Mrs. Stevens, second by Vice Chair Spall; outcome: approved 7-0. - Approval of the consent agenda: motion by Mrs. Stevens, second by Vice Chair Spall; outcome: approved 7-0. - Resolution R2025-03 (request appropriation of state funds for a pilot alternative education program): motion by Vice Chair Spall, second by a board member; outcome: approved 7-0. - FY 2024 financial report and carryover request: motion made and seconded on the record; outcome: approved 7-0.
The board did not adopt program design specifics at the meeting. The resolution is a request for state funding; any program launch would depend on state appropriation and later local planning, per board comments.
Ending
Board members said they will continue outreach to legislators about funding and expect further planning work if state funds are authorized. The board’s discussion emphasized keeping students served by Manassas City Public Schools when possible and expanding local capacity for students who do not thrive in standard classrooms.
