Fredericksburg City Schools Profile

• Number of Students: 3,762
• Number of Teachers: 252.50 (FTE)

Dr. Marci Catlett isn’t charting a new course for the 2024–25 school year. Instead, she’s building on the foundation she has laid since becoming superintendent.

“We’re going to continue our teamwork in terms of doing what’s best for the children and moving forward in our work to make this the best school division,” she said.

Catlett acknowledges that’s a lofty goal but adds it’s the standard she has always held herself to. “I’m looking to create a better situation all the time.”

The division is taking a significant step forward this year with two new initiatives. In the spring, Fredericksburg City Public Schools announced it would join the Comprehensive Instructional Program (CIP), a consortium of Virginia public schools that has achieved notable academic improvements under the leadership of Matt Hurt.

“We will be aligning with the four points that Hurt identified as affecting learning outcomes,” Catlett said. These are:

• Keeping the main thing the main thing.
• Data-driven decision-making.
• Setting high expectations.
• Supporting people, not programs.

The fourth point — supporting people, not programs — means the city will “empower our staff to build the program” using all the tools CIP provides. Teachers will also have a seat at the table with Catlett and her leadership team, contributing ideas about how the program works and what improvements can be made.

While this change alone is significant, another initiative announced this summer — one of the region’s most comprehensive cell phone programs — has garnered even more attention.

Students in middle and high school will be required to store their phones in Yondr pouches when they enter school and will not have access to them during the day.

The district had a “no cell phone policy” last year that limited phone use to lunch periods, but it was largely ineffective.

This year, the division is taking a stricter approach. Deputy Superintendent Matt Eberhardt said students who violate the protocols will be sent home.

“We are not going to argue with students,” Eberhardt said. “We are serious about this policy.”

Catlett emphasized the move is not punitive but rather an effort to “encourage human interaction.”

“We all need to learn to put cell phones away for our own mental health and engage person-to-person,” she said.

Other priorities for the school year include implementing the Virginia Literacy Act and the James Farmer Scholars program.

Additionally, the district will take significant steps toward converting Walker-Grant Middle School into the city’s third elementary school and plans to strengthen its Career and Technical Education offerings.

For now, the focus is on spreading the word about the new cell phone policy as the start of the school year approaches.

“We’re in the people business,” Catlett said. This year, the district aims to ensure that everyone — from administration and teachers to students and support staff — is working together.

A cell phone ban that applies to everyone underscores how serious the district is about fostering student success.

Key Dates

• Transition Day: August 5
• School Begins: August 6
• Thanksgiving Break: November 27–29
• Winter Holiday: December 23–January 3
• Spring Break: March 24–31

Last Day of School: May 23