Chesterfield County Public Schools -

Parents, staff encouraged to participate in budget process; town halls begin Jan. 27

Yesterday, Superintendent John Murray presented his proposed budget for FY 2026.

• See an overview of the budget here.

• Additional details are available on the school system’s website.

The $969 million budget addresses essential needs to support student success and maintain high-quality education. There are several critical needs that are not included in the budget but will be evaluated if additional state funding becomes available.

Public education depends on public dollars, and student opportunities are directly related to the annual budget of Chesterfield County Public Schools. This CCPS in the Know video explains why it is vital for families to advocate for their children’s education during budget season:

• video in English

• video in Spanish

Parents, staff members and community members are invited to get involved in budget town halls being held at 6:30 p.m.:

• Jan. 27 at Thomas Dale High 

• Jan. 28 at Midlothian High

• Jan. 29 at Meadowbrook High 

• Feb. 5 at Tomahawk Creek Middle

• Feb. 6 at Manchester Middle for Spanish speakers

• Feb. 10 at Manchester High School

Additionally, the School Board will hold budget work sessions at 4 p.m. in the Public Meeting Room:

• Feb. 4

• Feb. 11 (includes public hearing)

• Feb. 19

New superintendent speaks to families and community about plans for future

"A full circle moment" is how Dr. John Murray describes his appointment as superintendent last week. He attended Chesterfield County Public Schools from kindergarten at Chalkley Elementary to graduation from Manchester High and built his career in CCPS. In his first video message to families and the community, Dr. Murray speaks about his commitment to academic excellence, transparency and doing what is best for children.

Teen Summit RVA open to high school students

Teen Summit RVA will take place 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Designed by students throughout the region, this year’s theme — Our Vision — highlights students’ desire to reach their aspirations and create a collective vision for the future. In addition to participating in engaging sessions and activities, teens will explore job opportunities and community resources at the InspireYouth@Work regional opportunities fair.

Students are aware of and need guidance for their ambitions and ideas for community collaboration. This year’s theme embodies this duality, reflecting each student’s personal dreams, strengths and uniqueness while celebrating the region's collective spirit and highlighting the power of unity and how shared vision can foster support, resources and opportunities for all.

Teen Summit RVA is free and open to all high school students. Participants must register in advance:

• Chesterfield County high school students can pick up a permission form from their school’s front office and must return it by Feb. 7 to participate in Teen Summit RVA.

• Students who have turned in their permission forms can register for sessions and experiences on Feb. 17.

Bus transportation to and from the event will be provided from four locations: Bird High, Thomas Dale High, Manchester High and Midlothian High.

Jan. 29 is deadline to apply for elementary teacher job fair

Chesterfield County Public Schools is hosting a Feb. 1 job fair to hire elementary teachers. To be considered, interested candidates must apply online by Jan. 29. This event is to hire qualified licensed teachers for the 2025-26 school year in these areas:

• early childhood (Title I prekindergarten, Virginia Preschool Initiative and Head Start)

• grades K-5

• special education (general, adapted and early childhood special education)

• English as a Second Language

• reading specialist

Qualified candidates will be invited to the job fair after their application is reviewed. See the job fair listing for full information about qualifications and requirements. (Teachers of art, P.E. or music, school counselors and librarians should refer to specific postings for those positions because they are not included in this job fair.)

Congratulations to Virginia ACTE Administrator of the Year

Chad Maclin, director of career and technical education for Chesterfield County Public Schools, has been named 2026 ACTE Administrator of the Year for Virginia. The award recognizes members of the Virginia Association for Career and Technical Education who have made extraordinary contributions to career and technical education and who embody innovation, dedication, commitment and leadership. The next step of the award competition is regional, which covers Virginia and seven other states.

Start the new year with Coffee & Conversation

Coffee & Conversation is an easy way to connect with experts offering advice on topics helpful to parents and caregivers. The free online gatherings take place 1-2 p.m. Register here for these upcoming sessions:

• Jan. 29: Big Feelings! Emotional Regulation Ideas for Families

• Feb. 5: Ten Things You Need to Know about IEPs

• Feb. 12: Talking to Your Child About Healthy Relationships

• Feb. 26: Building Bridges With Your IEP Team

Families invited to What’s Next Wednesdays

What’s Next Wednesdays is here to help families support middle and high school students as they make plans for life after high school. Led by Team Chesterfield member and ex-NFL pro Ken Oxendine, What’s Next Wednesdays tackles new topics with practical guidance for every step in the journey. Each free, online session can help with key decisions that can sometimes feel overwhelming for students and their families. Register at bit.ly/WNWccps for these 6 p.m. gatherings:

• Feb. 12: Finding Scholarships and Financing Your Plan

• Feb. 26: Is an HBCU for You?

• March 19: Transitioning to Postsecondary Education With an IEP

Students can enter essay contest for Black History Month

Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan invites middle and high school students in Virginia’s 4th Congressional District to participate in an essay contest for Black History Month. Feb. 7 is the deadline to submit an essay to VA04_Projects@mail.house.gov. Complete information is available here.

• Middle school prompt: Write an essay of 350-500 words about Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley. Describe her journey to becoming an officer, including the challenges she faced as Black woman in the U.S. military, and reflect on the importance of her contributions to history and what we can learn from her life today. 

School Board elects chair and vice chair and schedules 2025 meetings

(pictured above are Ann Coker, chair, Bermuda District and Lisa Hudgins, vice chair, Midlothian District)

The Chesterfield County School Board met Jan. 15 to elect its chair and vice chair for the coming year and to schedule meetings for 2025.

School Board members are Ann Coker (Bermuda District), Dot Heffron (Clover Hill District), Dominique Chatters (Dale District), Steven Paranto (Matoaca District) and Lisa Hudgins (Midlothian District). The School Board elected Coker as chair and Hudgins as vice chair.

The School Board also approved this 2025 meeting schedule:

• Work sessions on the FY 2026 budget will start at 4 p.m. Jan. 23, Feb. 4, Feb. 11 and Feb. 19.

• Business meeting at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 11 will begin with a public hearing on the FY 2026 budget.

• Special meeting to adopt the FY 2026 budget will start at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25.

• Work sessions will start at 4 p.m. and business meetings will start at 6:30 p.m. March 11, April 8, May 13, June 3, Sept. 9, Oct. 14, Nov. 12 and Dec. 9.

• Summer work session is set for noon Aug. 12, followed by a 6:30 p.m. business meeting.

The Chesterfield County School Board is the governing body of Chesterfield County Public Schools, central Virginia's largest school system. There are five School Board members, each representing one of the county’s magisterial districts. Members are elected to four-year terms; the current terms continue through Dec. 31, 2027.

School Board meetings generally take place in the Public Meeting Room (10001 Iron Bridge Road). Work sessions and business meetings are shown live on Comcast channel 98 and Verizon channel 28, livestreamed here and curated on the school system’s YouTube channel. Additional School Board information is available at oneccps.org/school-board.

Registration opens for free SAT prep session

Chesterfield County Public Schools regularly offers free sessions to help high school students prepare to take the SAT. Registration for the Feb. 24-27 SAT Academy is open through Feb. 19. While there is no cost for the academy, students must purchase this study guide from the store or online site of their choice: Princeton Review Digital SAT Premium Prep, 2025 (ISBN 9780593517529). More information is available on this webpage.

When to expect report cards at end of second nine weeks

The second nine weeks of this school year ended Dec. 20 for students at Bellwood Elementary and Jan. 15 for students at every other school. On Jan. 17 at Bellwood Elementary and on Jan. 31 at all other elementary, middle and high schools, printed report cards will be issued to students and digital report cards will be posted to ParentVUE.

• Parents can find easy-to-follow directions for accessing ParentVUE online. ParentVUE is also available as a free app from the App Store and Google Play. Parents who do not have access to ParentVUE should contact their child’s school to get login information.

• Get complete information about report cards here.

As a reminder, at the end of the fourth grading period, digital report cards will be posted to ParentVUE instead of being printed and mailed to homes. Parents who want a paper report card have the option of coming to school to have the report card printed out.

Nominations open for R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence

Nominate outstanding teachers for R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence! The program is accepting nominations through 5 p.m. Feb. 18. About 15 central Virginia teachers are selected each year to receive amazing grants up to $15,000 to support professional development. Award winners have earned graduate degrees, climbed mountains, traced their ancestors and met peers from around the world — all to continue their love for learning and to pass it on to their students. Details can be found on the foundation’s website. Answers to frequently asked questions are available here.

PowerSchool data breach

PowerSchool is a large software solution provider in K-12 education. In late December, PowerSchool experienced a data breach that impacted its student information system product. The data breach has received significant media coverage. While Chesterfield County Public Schools uses a number of staff- facing PowerSchool services, CCPS does not use the PowerSchool student information system. CCPS has received confirmation from PowerSchool that no CCPS student or staff data was compromised in the data breach.

Learn about earning college credits while in high school

Parents and students are invited to learn about the advanced academic programming available in Chesterfield County high schools. A Jan. 30 virtual session is for rising 11th and 12th grade families, and a Feb. 10 virtual session is for rising ninth and 10th grade families.

• Families of rising 11th and 12th graders: Are you interested in learning about college readiness, dual enrollment courses and opportunities to earn college credit in high school? Rising juniors and seniors and their families are invited to a virtual information session at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 30 to learn about opportunities students have to participate in rigorous courses and how these can benefit students in their college experience after high school. This free session will also be an opportunity to hear from Brightpoint Community College about dual enrollment courses. Use this link to register and submit questions in advance for the Jan. 30 session. A link to join the virtual meeting will be provided via email the afternoon of Jan. 30.

• Families of rising ninth and 10th graders: Are you interested in learning about college readiness and opportunities to earn college credit while in high school? Rising freshmen and sophomores and their families are invited to a virtual information session at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10 to learn about pathways of rigorous, college-level courses that count toward high school graduation while simultaneously earning college credit. This free session will also be an opportunity to hear from Brightpoint Community College. Use this link to register and submit questions in advance for the Feb. 10 session. A link to join the virtual meeting will be provided via email the afternoon of Feb. 10.

Cameras to enforce speed limits in school zones

Chesterfield County is placing cameras in school zones to enforce speed limits, protect students and boost road safety. Cameras will be installed at multiple schools this winter to ensure drivers follow posted speed limits in active school zones. The cameras will enforce speed limits only while flashing warning lights are active during school hours. On school days, the warning lights are on for one hour in the morning as students arrive and one hour in the afternoon as students depart. 

A spring 2023 study indicated that speeding is a significant issue in active school zones throughout Chesterfield County. For example, during five days at Reams Road Elementary, an average of 48 percent of drivers sped through the school zone in the morning and 50 percent sped through the school zone in the afternoon. 

Automated speed cameras will first be installed outside these schools:

• Beulah Elementary

• Marguerite Christian Elementary

• Cosby High

• Ecoff Elementary

• Grange Hall Elementary

• Manchester Middle

• Midlothian High

• Moseley Elementary

• Old Hundred Elementary

• Reams Road Elementary

• Swift Creek Elementary

• Bettie Weaver Elementary

• Woolridge Elementary