Three of the four city schools will be “accredited with conditions;” Lafayette Elementary will be fully accredited. Also, the Board votes on a name for the city’s third elementary school.
James Monroe High School, Walker-Grant Middle School, and Hugh Mercer Elementary School are predicted to be “accredited with conditions” by the Virginia Department of Education for the 2024-25 school year, division staff told the Fredericksburg School Board Monday night.
Lafayette Elementary School is the only city school that staff predict will be fully accredited this year. Last year, all schools were fully accredited except for Walker-Grant Middle, which was accredited with conditions.
According to current VDOE criteria, which has been in place since 2017, accreditation for each year is based on data from the preceding school year and considers the following school quality indicators:
- overall academic achievement in English, math, and science
- achievement gaps among student groups (Asian, Black, economically disadvantaged, English learners, Hispanic, multiple groups, special education, and white) in English and math
- student engagement and outcomes, including chronic absenteeism, graduation and drop-out rates
Schools are rated at Level One (the best), Two, or Three for each school quality indicator. Schools with all indicators at Level One or Two are fully accredited, and those with one or more indicators at Level Three are accredited with conditions.
Hugh Mercer Elementary
Hugh Mercer Elementary received a Level Three for overall academic achievement in science.
Heidi Miller, director of assessment and accountability, said the overall pass rate in science remained the same as last year, but dropped from a Level Two to a Level Three because the pass rate is no longer based on a three-year average.
The school improved in a number of indicators, such as narrowing the achievement gap in English from a Level Two to a Level One and reducing the rate of chronic absenteeism by 10%, jumping from a Level Three to a Level One.
Walker-Grant Middle
Walker-Grant Middle is at a Level Three for the achievement gap in math. Hispanic and special education students especially struggled in that area, according to the data presented.
But the school saw improvement from Level Three to Level Two or One in multiple areas, including English, science, and overall academic achievement, and achievement gaps in English among Black and economically disadvantaged students, both of which jumped from Level Three to Level One.
James Monroe High
James Monroe High School is at a Level Three for chronic absenteeism, which was at 34% last year, and the drop-out rate of 9.92%.
Miller said that drop-out rate has improved from 13% and that a flat 9% rate would have put the school in Level Two for that indicator. She said the school’s graduation rate of almost 85% is the highest it’s been in years.
Lori Bridi, director of teaching and learning, said that in terms of accreditation, the division is “not where we want to be, certainly,” but that the trend is towards improvement.
“We told you we were committed to doing that and I think we are going to continue,” she said.
Staff said the division needs to continue being transparent with the public about what the weaknesses are and working to engage with families and the community to help overcome these weaknesses.
Gladys West Elementary
Also on Monday, the School Board voted to name the division’s third elementary school after “Hidden Figure” Gladys West, whose pioneering work at Naval Support Facility Dahlgren in the 1950s and 60s laid the foundation for the GPS technology that is now used daily around the world.
The name was the top choice and recommendation of a committee that met over the summer. Other names that were considered were Marguerite Young Elementary, Hazel Run Elementary, and Johnny and Jean Johnson Elementary.
The third elementary school will be housed in the building that now houses Walker-Grant Middle. Walker-Grant Middle will move to the new school building currently under construction in the Idlewild neighborhood.
Facilities director Don Upperco said Monday that construction of the new middle school is proceeding within budget and on time for an opening in August of 2025.
The new elementary school is also scheduled to open at the same time, Upperco said in an email to the Advance on Tuesday.
Phase One of converting the current middle school building—installation of cabinetry—was to have occurred over the summer, Upperco said Monday, but due to “manufacturing delays” will occur this weekend.
He said a conversion committee will reconvene “in the next two weeks” to start planning for Phase Two of the process. Crabtree Architects has been selected to work on the design process.
Division superintendent Marci Catlett said she has been working with Bridi and deputy superintendent Matt Eberhardt to determine attendance zones for the soon-to-be three elementary schools.
“We will be prepared in September to release zoning for the city,” she said.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
Email Adele
