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Schools
These Are Virginia's Top Public Elementary Schools: New Rankings Released These Are Virginia's Top Public Elementary Schools: New Rankings Released
These Are Virginia's Top Public Elementary Schools: New Rankings Released Several elementary schools in Virginia earned an A+ and are among the best in the state, according to a new Niche report. The Arlington Traditional Elementary School was ranked the top in the state, according to researchers, followed by Oak Street Elementary in Falls Church, Innovation Elementary and Taylor Elementary, also in Arlington. To determine the "best public schools in America," Niche's ranking was "based on rigorous analysis of academic and student life data from US Department of Education along with test scores, college data, and ratings collected from millions of Niche users." …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Assistant Principal Accused Of Failing To Report Student Assaults In Fairfax County: Police Assistant Principal Accused Of Failing To Report Student Assaults In Fairfax County: Police
Assistant Principal Accused Of Failing To Report Student Assaults In Fairfax County: Police As assistant principal in Virginia was charged after failing to report allegations about a special education teacher who allegedly assaulted multiple students, police say. Earlier this year, Elizabeth Yoshimi Nagagata, 62, a teacher at White Oaks Elementary School in Fairfax County, was arrested and charged after investigators received a referral in April regarding an educator who was caught assaulting a student at school. According to investigators from the Fairfax County Police Department, the investigation found that between September 2023 and April 2024, Nagagata allegedly assaulted thr…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
These Are Virginia's Top Public Middle Schools: New Rankings Released These Are Virginia's Top Public Middle Schools: New Rankings Released
These Are Virginia's Top Public Middle Schools: New Rankings Released Several middle schools in Virginia earned top marks and are among the best in the state, according to a new Niche report. Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School in the Falls Church Public Schools System topped the list, followed by Lylburn Downing, Dorothy Hamm, and Rocky Run middle schools. Earlier this year, Niche also ranked the top public high schools in Virginia, a list that was topped by Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. To determine the "best public schools in America," Niche's ranking was "based on rigorous analysis of academic and student life data from US Depar…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Man Hitched Ride From Maryland To DC On School Bus: Prince George's County Police (DEVELOPING) Man Hitched Ride From Maryland To DC On School Bus: Prince George's County Police (DEVELOPING)
Man Hitched Ride From Maryland To DC On School Bus: Prince George's County Police (Developing) A strange scene played out on Wednesday afternoon when a man boarded a Prince George's County school bus and was later dropped off in the DC area before coming back, according to police. An investigation was launched at 2:05 p.m. on Oct. 23, when a passerby called 911 after spotting a grown man getting on the bus in the 4100 block of Suitland Road, which was occupied by three elementary school students. Officers were dispatched and stopped the bus at 2:09 p.m., when they determined the students were all safe; however, the man who was seen getting into the bus was no longer on board. The pr…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Recall Of 11.7M Pounds Of Meat, Poultry: List Released Of Schools That Received Products Recall Of 11.7M Pounds Of Meat, Poultry: List Released Of Schools That Received Products
Recall Of 11.7M Pounds Of Meat, Poultry: List Released Of Schools That Received Products A preliminary list has been released of schools that received items that were part of a nationwide recall of millions of pounds of meat and poultry products over fears they may be contaminated with Listeria. The initial recall involving the manufacturer, Bruce Pac, was for 9,986,245 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) products sold at Walmart, Target, Amazon, Trader Joe's, 7-Eleven, Aldi, and other stores. It was announced on Wednesday, Oct. 9. Earlier this week, the recall was expanded to include 11,765,285 pounds of products, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspectio…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
Instructional Assistant At Virginia HS Arrested For Obscene Sexual Display In Classroom: Police Instructional Assistant At Virginia HS Arrested For Obscene Sexual Display In Classroom: Police
Instructional Assistant At Virginia HS Arrested For Obscene Sexual Display In Classroom: Police An instructional assistant at a Virginia high school was arrested after allegedly touching himself inappropriately in a classroom, police say. Great Falls resident David Scalea, 40, who worked as a Langley High School Instructional Assistant has been placed on leave and is behind bars after a student caught him in the act, according to investigators. During school hours on Friday, Oct. 11, police say that a School Resource Officer was notified by administrators that a student observed an instructional assistant masturbating in a classroom behind his desk. Detectives launched an investigati…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
New Rankings: Fairfax County's Top Public High Schools Revealed New Rankings: Fairfax County's Top Public High Schools Revealed
New Rankings: Fairfax County's Top Public High Schools Revealed Niche has released its list of the best public high schools in America for 2025. Coming in at No. 12 is Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, which is within the Fairfax County Public School System. For Virginia, TJHS came in at No. 1, with Independence HS in Loudoun County ranking at No. 2, and Washington Liberty HS in Arlington at No. 3. You can click here for a full list of state rankings. We wanted to break it down further and find the best public high schools in northern Virginia, as ranked by Niche. Here's how it looks: ARLINGTON (only three listed) 1. Washingto…

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by Cecilia Levine
Schools
Armed Man Causing Disturbance During Dismissal At Virginia HS Arrested, Sheriff Says Armed Man Causing Disturbance During Dismissal At Virginia HS Arrested, Sheriff Says
Armed Man Causing Disturbance During Dismissal At Virginia HS Arrested, Sheriff Says Classes got off to a curious start for some students in Stafford County when a man trespassed on school grounds and made a disturbance while armed with a pistol on his hip. Fredericksburg resident Thomas Williams, 58, was arrested on Monday afternoon after bringing a gun to Brooke Point High School while staff was dismissing students, officials say. According to the Stafford County Sheriff's Office, on Sept. 30, during afternoon dismissal at the school, security was directing traffic in the parking lot, who Williams ignored - not for the first time - leading to an explosive encounter. Inve…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Police Probing Repeated Threats Of Violence Targeting Virginia Schools (UPDATED) Police Probing Repeated Threats Of Violence Targeting Virginia Schools (UPDATED)
Police Probing Repeated Threats Of Violence Targeting Virginia Schools (Updated) Police in Virginia are cautioning about a recent rash of hoax threats that have been made targeting Alexandria City Public Schools on social media. An alert was issued by the Alexandria Police Department cautioning about recent posts that were made online involving a fire alarm being pulled, followed by a planned shooting; though no specific school was mentioned. According to the agency, they have been investigating and assessing the threats in collaboration with the Northern Virginia Regional Intelligence Center, which is a Fusion Center of the US Department of Homeland Security. Official…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Spark From Welder, Grinder, Causes $1M In Damage At Virginia Magnet School: Fire Marshal Spark From Welder, Grinder, Causes $1M In Damage At Virginia Magnet School: Fire Marshal
Spark From Welder, Grinder, Causes $1M In Damage At Virginia Magnet School: Fire Marshal Debris from a welder inside a classroom at the Academies of Loudoun magnet school in Leesburg on Tuesday afternoon is likely to blame for the $1 million fire that broke out, officials say. At around 1 p.m. on Sept. 17, the Loudoun County Emergency Communications Center received an emergency call from the alarm company reporting a pull-station activation at the school, an the SRO assigned to the school reported a heavy smoke area in the boiler room reported the situation a minute later. Loudoun County Fire and Rescue crews and several neighboring agencies responded to the scene, where they f…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Firefighters In Virginia Investigating Blaze That Broke Out At Academies Of Loudoun Firefighters In Virginia Investigating Blaze That Broke Out At Academies Of Loudoun
Firefighters In Virginia Investigating Blaze That Broke Out At Academies Of Loudoun One firefighter and one civilian were injured on Tuesday afternoon when a fire broke out at the Academies of Loudoun magnet school.  Loudoun County Fire and Rescue crews were called to a reported fire at the school that was quickly knocked down after all students were safely evacuated from the building before firefighters arrived, officials said. Officials said that there was a small structure fire at the school that was quickly put out. There was an increased public safety presence at around around school grounds throughout Tuesday afternoon as the scene was cleared and investigated.…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Child Caught With Loaded Revolver In VA School 'Did Not Understand Severity' Of Item: Sheriff Child Caught With Loaded Revolver In VA School 'Did Not Understand Severity' Of Item: Sheriff
Child Caught With Loaded Revolver In VA School 'Did Not Understand Severity' Of Item: Sheriff Some school officials got a scare in Virginia this week when a 6-year-old student was caught with a loaded gun inside of his backpack, according to authorities. Members of the Orange County Sheriff's Office were contacted on Sept. 16 by staff members at an area elementary school about a weapon that was found inside the building. According to investigators, they were able to take possession of a backpack that, indeed, contained a gun, and the probe into the incident determined that the child brought it on campus, where it was found by an instructional assistant. Until the instructional assi…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Woodbridge High School Latest Building In Virginia To Be Targeted By Threats; Teen Arrested: PD Woodbridge High School Latest Building In Virginia To Be Targeted By Threats; Teen Arrested: PD
Woodbridge High School Latest Building In Virginia To Be Targeted By Threats; Teen Arrested: PD As threats of violence continue to plague schools throughout Virginia, a 17-year-old in Woodbridge has been charged in connection to an email sent to another student targeting the high school, police say. Members of the Prince William County Police Department were called shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon to investigate a threat made on social media targeting the school on Old Bridge Road in Woodbridge through the agency's Bark Alert system. During the investigation, it was determined that the teen sent threats of potential violence toward the high school in an email to another …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Tipsters Lead Police To TikTok Threat Targeting Virginia Middle School Tipsters Lead Police To TikTok Threat Targeting Virginia Middle School
Tipsters Lead Police To TikTok Threat Targeting Virginia Middle School For the second day in a row, a juvenile student has been linked to threats targeting schools in Virginia that were located on TikTok, officials say. On Thursday afternoon, the Fredericksburg Police Department received a tip regarding a threatening statement on TikTok related to Walker Grant Middle School.  According to investigators, they were able to track the IP address, which helped them locate the user's TikTok account, prompting the department to take "immediate action to ensure the safety of students, staff, and families despite the uncertainty of the social media post's validity…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
TikToking 12-Year-Old Charged For Making Threats Targeting Virginia Middle School: Police TikToking 12-Year-Old Charged For Making Threats Targeting Virginia Middle School: Police
TikToking 12-Year-Old Charged For Making Threats Targeting Virginia Middle School: Police A 12-year-old TikToker from Prince William County was charged after allegedly making threats toward Unity Braxton Middle School earlier this week, police say. On Monday morning, officers were called to investigate a threat made on social media targeting the school after investigators were tipped off to the girl's activity online.  According to the Prince William County Police Department, the investigation determined the 12-year-old posted threats of potential violence toward the school on TikTok, though it was quickly established that that it was never a valid threat. Following the in…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Loudoun County Public Schools Monitoring 'Multiple' Rumored Threats,' Officials Say Loudoun County Public Schools Monitoring 'Multiple' Rumored Threats,' Officials Say
Loudoun County Public Schools Monitoring 'Multiple' Rumored Threats,' Officials Say There may be an increased police presence outside of schools in Loudoun County when students arrived to class on Thursday morning due to possible threats spreading on social media. Late on Wednesday night, an alert was issued by Loudoun Public Schools staff after they were made aware of multiple rumored threats against different LCPS schools.  "All information has been reported to our local law enforcement agencies and LCPS Safety and Security, which immediately began investigating," Schools Superintendent Aaron Spence said. "While these threats have thus far been determined to be non…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
All Frederick County Public School Closed In Virginia After Social Media Threat Circulated All Frederick County Public School Closed In Virginia After Social Media Threat Circulated
All Frederick County Public School Closed In Virginia After Social Media Threat Circulated Frederick County Public Schools in Virginia were closed on Wednesday after threats of violence spread online, causing alarm, and prompting the emergency shut down. School officials said on Tuesday, that "out of an abundance of caution, all schools, school offices and the school division’s administrative offices will be closed" on Sept. 11.  Officials said that closing would allow school administrator more room to assist law enforcement with the investigation. They were also advised about a viral, widespread social media post, and are working to determine its credibility. The initial inves…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Swastika, Vulgar Language Found Etched Into Gym Locker At Virginia HS: Police Swastika, Vulgar Language Found Etched Into Gym Locker At Virginia HS: Police
Swastika, Vulgar Language Found Etched Into Gym Locker At Virginia HS: Police Hateful imagery was found etched into a gym locker inside a Prince William County high school, police say. An SRO assigned to Brentsville High School on Aden Road in Nokesville was notified about vandalism inside the school early on Thursday, Sept. 5.  According to the Prince William County Police Department, the investigation led to the discovery of a swastika and vulgar language inside the locker room, though no threats were involved. During a subsequent search, police say that officers did not find any additional vandalism in the area, and the school has since removed the markings.…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Teens Busted Breaking In, Burglarizing Virginia High School During Summer Break: Police Teens Busted Breaking In, Burglarizing Virginia High School During Summer Break: Police
Teens Busted Breaking In, Burglarizing Virginia High School During Summer Break: Police School wasn't out for summer for a group of teens in Prince William County who are facing charges after breaking into an area high school. Dominic Joses Mastrianni, 18, a 15-year-old, and 16-year-old are all facing charges following the investigation into a reported burglary at Woodbridge High School on Old Bridge Road.  All three are from Woodbridge. According to the Prince William County Police Department, on the night of Tuesday, July 16, video surveillance showed three people inside the school after breaking in through an unsecured window before leaving in a dark-colored sedan. I…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
District Man, Maryland Teen Accused Of Armed Robbery, Carjacking Outside High School: Sheriff District Man, Maryland Teen Accused Of Armed Robbery, Carjacking Outside High School: Sheriff
District Man, Maryland Teen Accused Of Armed Robbery, Carjacking Outside High School: Sheriff Two teens have been arrested months after a pair students were assaulted during an armed robbery and carjacking outside a Charles County High School, the sheriff's office announced.  District resident Martino Marcus Young, 19, and a 17-year-old from Waldorf - who will be charged as an adult - were identified and apprehended following an incident in March in the parking lot of St. Charles High School. On March 6, two students were assaulted in the parking lot, when one of the two stole their car and fled, according to the Charles County Sheriff's Office. Young and the teen were identif…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Special Education Teacher Accused Of Assaulting Multiple Students In Virginia: Police Special Education Teacher Accused Of Assaulting Multiple Students In Virginia: Police
Special Education Teacher Accused Of Assaulting Multiple Students In Virginia: Police A special education teacher in Virginia has been arrested and charged for allegedly assaulting multiple students, police say. Elizabeth Yoshimi Nagagata, 62, a teacher at White Oaks Elementary School in Fairfax County, is facing charges after investigators received a referral in April regarding an educator who was caught assaulting a student at school. According to investigators from the Fairfax County Police Department, the investigation found that between September 2023 and April 2024, Nagagata allegedly assaulted three students on separate occasions. The nature of the assaults were not …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Multi-Millions Of Federal Funding Will Bring 116 New School Buses To These Virginia Districts Multi-Millions Of Federal Funding Will Bring 116 New School Buses To These Virginia Districts
Multi-Millions Of Federal Funding Will Bring 116 New School Buses To These Virginia Districts Hundreds of new, green school buses will be purchased for 18 Virginia school districts thanks to federal funding. The Clean School Bus Program rebate competition is funded by President Biden's Investing in America agenda, helping Virginia accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles and replace older, diesel fueled school buses, which have been linked to asthma, the Environmental Protection Agency said. Here's how much funding and how many buses local districts will receive: Loudoun County Public Schools has been selected to receive $3,975,000 in rebate funding to purchase 25 clean …

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by Cecilia Levine