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Stafford proposes two new specialty centers — aerospace and arts — and tweaks Career & Technical Education pathways
Summary
Stafford staff proposed two new specialty centers (Ascent: aerospace/supply-chain/energy; AMP: arts/media/production), pathway and consolidation changes, and a timeline to return the program-of-studies for board approval in November; proposed changes to trades programs prompted pushback from trustees and community members.
Stafford County Public Schools staff presented proposed changes to the 2026-27 program of studies, including two new specialty centers and multiple pathway adjustments meant to align high-school offerings with local and regional workforce demand.
The proposal includes:
- North Stafford High School: Ascent (Aerospace Supply Chain Energy and Navigation Technologies), with pathways in geospatial technologies, global logistics and supply-chain management, and sustainable-energy systems; the anchor 9th-grade course would be Geosystems and industry certifications and capstones would be available; - Hartwood High School: AMP (Arts, Media and Production), with pathways in digital content creation, animation/social-media marketing, live-event management, audio engineering and visual arts and an emphasis on portfolio and capstone projects; - Expansion and consolidation of select CTE pathways and new associate-degree pathways (in partnership with Germanna Community College) at several high schools; and - A process timeline: the program-of-studies will return to the board in November for approval, followed by high-school discovery nights and the opening of the application system.
Presenters emphasized community and employer advisory input, industry certifications, and planned work-based learning for 11th and 12th graders. They described application and selection procedures (lotteries for most centers; merit-based selection for the Governor's School pathway).
Some trustees and community members voiced concern about proposed changes at the EPIC center: staff said masonry and carpentry would be offered as travel programs rather than as cohort-based EPIC pathways, and trustees questioned whether that would reduce students' access to stable cohorts and local employment pipelines. "I cannot approve a program of study that removes half of industries of construction out of the center," one trustee said, urging further engagement with local trades employers. Staff replied that enrollment data informed the change and that they would explore options to preserve access or strengthen middle-school exposure to the trades.
The board did not vote on the program of studies; staff said a revised document and answers to follow-up questions will be provided at the October 28 work session and the November approval meeting.
