United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has approved the Virginia Board of Education’s application for a waiver from the No Child Left Behind benchmarks in reading and mathematics and the federal law’s mandate that all students, regardless of circumstance, achieve grade-level proficiency by 2014. Virginia will still hold schools "accountable for closing achievement gaps."

The soccer team at the new Patriot High School in Nokesville VA completed several service projects in addition to their daily practices and game schedule. Team coaches encouraged the working together on service projects in the community to build a sense of camaraderie among the soccer players both on and off the field. The high school opened in September 2011 and had no senior class for the 2011-12 school year.

The Manassas VA city school board was unanimous in its recent action to name a Georgia educator to be the next superintendent of schools.

Thirteen applicants, including a retired elementary school principal, a business owner and a former candidate for the Prince William Board of Supervisors, are among 13 Occoquan District VA residents, vying for the interim appointment to the Prince William County School Board to fill the seat of School Board member Grant Lattin, who resigned. The appointment will be for about four months until a special election is held to fill the seat.

Prince William County VA school officials have asked the Prince William County Planning Commission to defer the scheduled June 6 public hearing on a proposed school bus parking facility on US 15 in Haymarket VA. According to a news release, the school division needs additional time to consider the issues raised by the community at a May 22 public meeting.

The School Board in Prince William County VA reveals the process for filling a board vacancy created by the resignation of Grant Lattin last week. Details are provided for the short term solution and the long-term resolution of the issue. A person must live in Occoquan District and be a registered voter to be eligible for the post, in either case.

Students in the Prince William County Va. area who are thinking about attending West Point, Annapolis or other United States service academy can get all the particulars at an info session Monday, May 21. The session will be hosted by Rep. Gerry Connolly and Prince William County Schools.

Grant Lattin, a father of nine who had served 4.5 months of his third four-year term on the Prince William County Va. School Board, resigned suddenly last week, citing personal reasons.