The sheriff told a School Board committee that SRO staffing is generally one officer per school, leaving no spare officer to add coverage at a campus facing a threat without pulling one from another building.
Read the full storyWe bring transparency to school decisions nationwide by tracking school board meetings, district documents, and public data. We use AI tools, rigorously evaluated for accuracy, to search for risks.
The policy desk
The debate over phones, screens and the school day.
The policy desk
How artificial intelligence is changing classrooms and school rules.
The policy desk
Students speaking up, organizing and helping shape their schools.
The news desk
LCPS is considering changing elementary attendance boundaries in Eastern Loudoun, but the board made no decision at its Oct. 22 work session. The staff’s R6 option would shift six planning zones among Algonkian, Countryside, Horizon, Lowes Island, Potowmack and Sugarland elementary schools; a no-change option and a one-neighborhood alternative were also discussed.
At the October 19, 2026 meeting a board member said Superintendent Dr. Rick Bolling is 'leaving us in January.' The board met in closed session on October 12 and again on October 19 to discuss next steps in the superintendent search. The records do not say why he is leaving or who will replace him.
Caroline County Public Schools
Lewis and Clark Elementary has about 1,039 students in a building made for about 919. The district has asked the county since November 2025 for $1.1 million in leftover FY25 money to add modular classrooms, but the county has not released it. In October 2026 staff said modulars ordered now would not be finished until late April or May 2027.
In the fall 2026 state ratings, D.G. Cooley Elementary scored 88.04 points, its best ever, but was federally identified for Targeted Support and Improvement. That lowers its rating one level to 'Approaching Expectations.' The superintendent said the identification is only for students with disabilities, whose overall score was 61.76. The other three schools were rated Distinguished.
Caroline County Public Schools
In October 2026 the district reported the state's new ratings. All schools are fully accredited for the second year. But four schools were federally identified because students with disabilities did not meet state goals, and at Bowling Green Elementary English learners also fell short. That lowered their ratings. Caroline Middle School dropped to 'needs intensive support.' Bowling Green and Madison Elementary dropped to 'approaching expectations.' Lewis and Clark was not identified.
Buckingham County Public Schools
Final state ratings were lowered. The primary, elementary and middle schools are now 'approaching expectations,' and the high school fell from 'distinguished' to 'meets expectations.' Staff said the main reason was a federal flag for students with disabilities. All schools are still fully accredited.
Buckingham County Public Schools
Staff said fuel will cost about $320,000 more than budgeted this year, after diesel rose from $2.20 a gallon to nearly $5. The division will ask the county to cover it with year-end reserves and has frozen extra facilities spending. Enrollment is 1,582 students, 68 below the 1,650 the budget assumed.
Buckingham County Public Schools
Fall reading screening found 36% of kindergartners, 48% of first graders and 52% of second graders at high risk for reading problems. Of the third graders tested, about 78% were high risk. High-risk K-3 students get an extra 2.5 hours of reading help each week. Board members asked about holding students back and longer summer school, but nothing was decided.
The board revised Policy 8155 so qualifying special-permission and boundary-exception students may finish their current school. Moving to the next middle or high school still requires a new application and available capacity. Some social or emotional transfers require documented continued need.
The School Board approved a request for $20.04 million in county funding and a $3.93 million transfer from completed capital projects for VIEW Transition Academy. The summary does not establish a final county appropriation.
Families sued the School Board, with help from the ACLU of Virginia, after the board refused to let a Gay-Straight Alliance club form at King George Middle School. At the October 12, 2026 meeting a parent said the club will now meet and the county will pay the families' attorney fees; Superintendent Jesse Boyd described it as a settlement in which 'nobody won.' In September the board adopted new student-club policy IGDA and regulation IGDA-R.2.
Greensville County Public Schools
State results for 2025-26 shown on October 12, 2026: Greensville Elementary rose to 'meets expectations' (79.8), Wyatt Middle scored 84.4, and the high school was 'distinguished' (103.1). All schools are fully accredited. But Greensville Elementary will be federally identified because students with disabilities scored below the state threshold, and the high school may be too pending a state review.
On October 12, 2026 the board approved moving $400,000 of 2025-26 instruction money to cover a deficit in the school meals (cafeteria) fund, and sent the request to the Board of Supervisors. Staff reported food costs up 27.6% over four years, and unpaid student meal debt was estimated at about $86,000 or more.
The board adopted the 2028–29 calendar with January 4 and 5, 2029 added as student holidays, creating a full two-week winter break. It also moved the Eid al-Fitr holiday from February 15 to February 14, 2029.
LCPS says it expanded existing Gmail and YouTube restrictions to grades 3–5 in August 2026. K–2 students already had those restrictions. Teachers can still show selected YouTube content, and Drive, Docs and Slides remain available.
After HVAC units failed at Johnson-Williams Middle School in December 2025, the division has been replacing them. On September 21, 2026 the board sent $709,544 of FY26 carryover money to HVAC work. Staff said it should cover the middle school and Boyce, but Cooley's chiller will need more money next year.
On September 21, 2026 the board voted 5-0 to surplus the D.G. Cooley Upper Campus and a lot behind the school board office to the Board of Supervisors. The county plans a Health & Human Services building and Parks and Recreation space.
Preliminary state results presented September 21, 2026 show every King George school improving, and the superintendent announced that all schools will be fully accredited for 2026-27. King George High School's score rose from 97.4 to 101.2 and the middle school's from 81.6 to 87.7. Chronic absenteeism fell at the middle school from 182 to 108 students.
As of September 16, 2026, the division counted 4,143 students in kindergarten through grade 12, which the superintendent described as down 121 students. About 285 kindergartners entered while about 385 seniors graduated, and King George Elementary dropped to 524 students.
On November 18, 2025 the board adopted a resolution putting about $89,000 toward two school resource officers alongside a sheriff's office grant. On September 15, 2026 it approved the memorandum of understanding with the sheriff for the officers.
Caroline County Public Schools
In August 2026, Virginia's Board of Education awarded Caroline County Public Schools three school construction grants, worth about $14.7 million in all. They include $9.85 million toward a new elementary school, $3.11 million for repairs and an expansion at Caroline Middle School, and $1.77 million for repairs at Madison Elementary. The school board and the county Board of Supervisors still have to accept the money and agree on next steps.
Caroline County Public Schools
The final 2026-27 operating budget is $69.3 million, up from $65.4 million. It gives eligible staff a 4% raise, including a step, which costs $1.89 million and is up from the 3% first proposed. It also pays the employer share of a 12.1% health insurance increase. The county's share rose by about $1.6 million to $20.7 million. The state budget was late, so the budget was not final until August and September 2026.
Closer to home
Explore the national edition and nearby communities.
