Media Contacts:

Amy Jessee, Executive Director of University Communications at UMW, ajessee@umw.edu or 540/654-1686
Sandra K. Osborn, Chief Communications Officer, Stafford County Public Schools, 540-658-6708 or osbornpeterssk@staffordschools.net

The University of Mary Washington in partnership with Stafford County Public Schools has been awarded a College Partnership Laboratory School (Lab School) Planning Grant from the Virginia Department of Education. The $200,000 grant will provide the initial funding for stakeholder engagement and planning, hiring an executive director, building organizational capacity and developing the curriculum for the proposed lab school, which will focus on the in-demand fields of computer and data sciences.

“One of our goals is to provide meaningful post-secondary outcomes for every student, ensuring that each is prepared for life after high school. The award of this grant aligns perfectly with the desired outcome for our students, and is part of our overarching plans to Elevate Stafford. We are grateful for this partnership and look forward to the next steps in the development of this lab school,” said Stafford County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Thomas W. Taylor.

Initial ideas for the lab school include locating it in existing space at the University of Mary Washington’s Stafford Campus. As a regional lab school, it would seek to serve students from five school divisions, beginning with grades 9-12, with the possibility to expand to additional grades in later years. The planning grant will be the first step in determining feasibility of the lab school.

Future steps may include an implementation grant proposal to follow in spring 2023, with the school anticipated to open in fall 2024, beginning with approximately 400 students selected via a lottery.

“We are committed to working with SCPS and surrounding districts to further explore this over the next year,” said UMW Provost Dr. Tim O’Donnell. “The University of Mary Washington will leverage all three of our colleges to support the efforts of the lab school, providing content experts from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Business to consult on the development of curricular resources and field experiences in partnership with the College of Education. It’s an extension of what we do so well at Mary Washington, offering innovative field experiences, collaborative research design, and service-learning opportunities to add value to our students’ education.” Read more.

The University of Mary Washington is a premier, selective public liberal arts and sciences university in Virginia, highly respected for its commitment to academic excellence, strong undergraduate liberal arts and sciences program, and dedication to life-long learning. The university, with a total enrollment of about 4,000, features colleges of business, education and arts and sciences, and three campuses, including a residential campus in Fredericksburg, Va., a second one in nearby Stafford and a third in Dahlgren, Va., which serves as a center of development of educational and research partnerships between the Navy, higher education institutions and the region’s employers.