High School Program & Pathways
November 19, 2025

π£ Announcing High School Discovery Nights! for 2026-2027 Programs
Dear Stafford Families,
Stafford County Public Schools will host five Discovery Nights! throughout December. These informative events will feature sessions and exhibits to explore the various high school programs and opportunities in all high schools, including all Regional Schools, Specialty Centers, and Hartwood High School.
Rising 9th and current high school families are highly encouraged to attend one of the events to plan for your student's high school experience. Registration for Discovery Nights! is highly recommended due to limited space and parking. Families should attend the location offering the program that best matches their studentβs interests, as not all programs are available at every school, or attend their zoned high school. Families may request a language interpreter during registration.
Content sessions will begin at 6:15 p.m. and repeat every 30 minutes throughout each evening. Sessions are led by high school counselors, teachers, and school leaders who will present options to explore numerous opportunities available in high school. Additional exhibits will showcase other high school offerings available for students.
Discovery Nights!
December 2 - Mountain View High School
December 4 - Brooke Point High School
December 8 - Colonial Forge High School
December 10 - Stafford High School
December 11 - North Stafford High School
Note: The Academy of Technology & Innovation at University of Mary Washington will host an Open House on Wednesday, December 3 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your studentβs counseling center or contact Academic Programs at academicprograms@staffordschools.net. The Secondary Offerings application system will open on December 2, 2025 at 5 p.m. and close on January 23, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.. Visit our website to learn more about this process.
Sincerely,
Stafford County Public Schools
β How is DSMS helping your student become informed?
Our counselors are visiting all 8th grade World Geography classes to help student learn what high school programs and pathways are available to them for next year.
A lot of information is being passed to students! π Be sure to ask your student to review the Canvas Modules: High School Programs and Pathways with you! π
Take a look at the information reviewed with your student below. If you have a question, please ask your student's counselor.
π 3 Secondary Offerings
#1 Specialty Centers
How are Students Selected for Specialty Center?
#2 Stafford Secondary Program Pathways
Program selection is based on application completion and evaluation.
#3 Regional High School Programs
ATI - UMW
Commonwealth Governor's School
π«Ά Support for those applying to CGS
In order to provide families with comprehensive guidance on the application process and the required portfolio components, GATES (Gifted and Talented Education Services) teachers will host a virtual support session on Tuesday, December 9th from 6:30PM - 7:00 PM.
Students who plan to apply to CGS and their parents are strongly encouraged to attend this virtual meet: meet.google.com/nat-ujer-gdk.
Please complete this Google Form to submit questions that you would like to have answered in the meet, or reach out directly to the GATES teacher at your childβs school.
Click here to check out CGS.
Stafford Schools Specialty Center Applications open Dec 2, 2025 and close Jan 23, 2026, including CGS. ALL parts of the application are due before the application window closes.
Program selection is based on application completion and evaluation.
