2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26105517D

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 58

Offered February 3, 2026

Commending Lafayette Elementary School.

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Patron—Cole, J.G.

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WHEREAS, Lafayette Elementary School, a distinguished institution within the Fredericksburg City Public Schools division, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025; and

WHEREAS, the original Lafayette Elementary School was open from 1908 until the late 1960s, when the integration of Fredericksburg City Public Schools (FCPS) led to changes in how facilities were used across the division and the historic building occupied by the school became part of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library system; and

WHEREAS, in honor of the legacy of the Marquis de Lafayette and the former Lafayette Elementary School, FCPS formally opened Lafayette Upper Elementary School on August 29, 2005, under the leadership of principal Dr. Jonathan D. Russ and assistant principals Lori W. Bridi and Dr. Andrea F. Bumbrey; and

WHEREAS, shortly after opening, Lafayette Elementary School was honored with a Distinguished Design Award from the Virginia School Boards Association, which recognized the school's innovative architectural planning and design by Moseley Architects; and

WHEREAS, after initially only serving students in third through fifth grade, Lafayette Elementary School expanded to offer classes from kindergarten through fifth grade beginning in the 2021 to 2022 school year; and

WHEREAS, following Dr. Jonathan D. Russ's tenure, Lafayette Elementary School has been led by a succession of visionary principals, including T. Matthew Terry from 2012 to 2019, Courtney Wheeler from 2019 to 2024, and Dr. Jacinta Calzada-Mayronne since 2025, each of whom have left a lasting mark on the school's culture of academic excellence; and

WHEREAS, the accomplishments of Lafayette Elementary School are the result of the tireless efforts of the school's faculty and staff, who strive every day to ensure their students' academic, social, and emotional well-being; and

WHEREAS, with an unwavering commitment to the students and families it serves, Lafayette Elementary School has helped to make Fredericksburg a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Lafayette Elementary School hereby be commended on the occasion of its 20th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Dr. Jacinta Calzada-Mayronne, principal of Lafayette Elementary School, as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the school's contributions to Fredericksburg and the Commonwealth.