Dear Families,
Thank you for helping us start the 2026–2027 school year on such a strong note. We truly appreciate your support and the joy your children bring to our schools each day. I also want to thank our dedicated staff, whose commitment and care make a difference in the lives of our students every day.
I have two important reminders to share this afternoon:
1. Emergency Drills
Virginia public schools are required to conduct a variety of emergency drills throughout the school year, including fire, lockdown, tornado, earthquake, and bus evacuation drills. These drills are required by the Code of Virginia and are designed to help students and staff know how to respond safely and appropriately in the event of an emergency.
You may notice that drills occur more frequently during the first 20 days of school as we work to meet state requirements and ensure that students and staff are familiar with our safety procedures. If you have questions about emergency drills at your child’s school, please contact your child’s principal.
2. Waynesboro High School Athletic Event Reminders
As we begin the fall athletic season, please keep the following expectations in mind:
Children who attend schools other than Waynesboro High School must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all Waynesboro High School athletic events.
The accompanying adult must remain at the event with the child for the duration of the event. Our staff cannot provide supervision for children attending athletic events.
Waynesboro High School students may attend without an adult.
Unaccompanied children who are not Waynesboro High School students will not be permitted to enter.
Thank you for helping us ensure that our athletic events remain safe and enjoyable for our students, families, and community.
3. Weapons Detection Systems at Waynesboro High School Athletic Events
As part of our continued commitment to safety, all spectators entering Waynesboro High School athletic events will pass through our weapons detection system.
To help keep the entry process moving smoothly, please have the following items out and ready as you approach the entrance:
☂️ Umbrellas
👓 Glasses cases
💻 Computers
Thank you for your continued support of Waynesboro Public Schools. We appreciate your partnership in creating safe, welcoming schools and events where our students can learn, grow, and succeed.
Have a wonderful evening.
Sincerely,
Ryan Barber
Assistant Superintendent
Waynesboro Public Schools
It means students from racial and ethnic groups historically categorized as minorities collectively make up more than half of WPS enrollment. Reported enrollment figures show the three largest groups at approximately 46% White, 23% Hispanic and 18% Black.
It does not mean that one minority group is the majority, or that students within any category share the same experiences. It means our next superintendent must know how to lead a diverse community so every student is seen, supported and challenged.
https://www.waynesboro.k12.va.us/page/superintendent-search
Virginia school divisions are required to make information about Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes available to the parent or guardian of each enrolled student at the beginning of the school year.
Please review the Diabetes Information for Parents resource developed by the Virginia Department of Education and Virginia Department of Health. It includes common signs and symptoms of diabetes, along with additional resources for families.
Families are encouraged to maintain regular well-child visits and contact their child’s healthcare provider with any health concerns.
School readiness is about more than schedules and supplies. At the Back-to-School Bash, community partners offered haircuts that helped students begin the year feeling confident, cared for and ready to learn.
By bringing practical support together in one welcoming place, WPS helps remove barriers before the first bell. This is what support looks like.
Learn more about the division our next superintendent will serve: https://www.waynesboro.k12.va.us/page/superintendent-search
We want to make families aware of a transportation delay affecting Bus 696, which serves William Perry, KCMS, and WHS. The bus is expected to run approximately 25 minutes late this afternoon, Friday, August 21, 2026, Bus 621 will be pick up elementary students on this route and Bus 698 will cover the secondary run.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
Fresh. Colorful. Delicious. Our students are loving the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables we're offering right here at Waynesboro Public Schools.
From vibrant strawberries to Homemade Black Bean & Corn Salad, we're committed to serving meals that nourish our students and fuel their day. Because healthy eating starts in the cafeteria.
Waynesboro Public Schools staff, families and community members are invited to share the qualities and qualifications they believe are important in our next superintendent.
Complete the superintendent search survey by Friday, August 21, 2026:
🔗 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2026WaynesboroCitySearch
Paper copies are also available at the School Board Office and each WPS school. Your voice matters!
Dear Parents and Guardians:
We are pleased to partner with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank again this school year to offer the Family Backpack Program. The purpose of this program is to provide nutritious food to families who may need additional support with their household food needs. Bags of food will be distributed to participating students on the last day they attend school each week.
The food bags are designed to supplement family meals and help support household food budgets. Bags may contain items such as oatmeal, pasta, fruits and vegetables, peanut butter and jelly, beans and rice, and other nutritious foods that can be used as part of family meals. All participating families will receive the same amount of food.
All children in our elementary schools are eligible to participate in the program, and there is no cost to you or your child. Participation in the Family Backpack Program does not prevent your family from receiving assistance from local food pantries or other community resources. To locate a food pantry in your community, please visit the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank's pantry locator at https://www.brafb.org/find-help/pantry-locator.
If you would like your child to participate in the Family Backpack Program, please complete the form below and return it to the school by August 28, 2026. If you have any questions about the program, please contact the school office.
Please complete the form found at this link: https://forms.gle/4g5Qt43N8r6zRf5U8
Sincerely,
Ryan Barber, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent
We want to make families aware of a transportation delay affecting Bus 696, which serves William Perry, KCMS, and WHS. The bus is expected to run approximately 25 minutes late this morning, Friday, August 14, 2026, for KCMS and WHS students only. Bus 617 will be picking up students on this route.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
We want to make families aware of a transportation delay affecting Bus 676, which serves Westwood, KCMS, and WHS. The bus is expected to run approximately 25 minutes late this afternoon, Wednesday, August 13, 2026.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
We’ve had a great first day! Thank you for all of your support, patience, and help in making the start of the school year a success.
We want to make families aware of a transportation delay affecting Bus 676, which serves Westwood, KCMS, and WHS. The bus is expected to run approximately 25 minutes late during:
Afternoon routes today, Wednesday, August 12
Morning routes tomorrow, Thursday, August 13
As you might expect on the first day of school, transportation may be a little slower than usual this afternoon as everyone settles into new routines. Our top priority is the safety of our students, and our transportation team will work hard to get each child home safely and as efficiently as possible.
Thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued support. We appreciate you!
Waynesboro Public Schools will offer FREE breakfast and lunch to ALL students for the 2026-2027 school year! 🎉
✅ No applications required
✅ Healthy meals every day at no cost
💳 Need to add money for extras? Visit linqconnect.com
📞 Questions? Contact our School Nutrition team:
📧 kshomo@waynesboro.k12.va.us | lcash@waynesboro.k12.va.us
#WPSStrong #FreeMeals #HealthyKids
Volunteers are still needed: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044AA4A92EA0FFC52-64191534-2026
Our Transportation team is working hard to finalize routes for the 2026–2027 school year. Information will be shared as soon as it is ready.
Thank you for your patience as we complete this important work. Please continue to check https://www.waynesboro.k12.va.us/page/transportation for updates.
