Stafford County officials announced on Mar. 16 that all General District, Circuit, and Juvenile/Domestic Relations courts will close at noon because of forecasted severe weather. The county government offices, Regional Landfill, Belman Recycling Center, and the Voter Registrar’s Office will close at 2 p.m., with all early voting ending at that time. All Parks activities scheduled for the day have also been canceled.
The closures are intended to ensure public safety as hazardous weather approaches. Stafford County Emergency Management advised residents to make a plan, prepare emergency kits, and stay informed by signing up for Stafford Alert or enabling Wireless Emergency Alerts on mobile phones. Residents were also encouraged to review severe weather warning procedures and prepare for possible power outages by having safe heating options and backup power for medical equipment.
Power outages should be reported directly to providers such as Dominion Energy, NOVEC, REC, or NNEC using their respective websites or phone numbers provided in the announcement.
The early closures may affect families across the county. Stafford County Public Schools District enrolled 31,700 students during the 2023-24 school year according to the Virginia Department of Education. Brooke Point High School had the highest enrollment among the county’s 32 schools with 2,242 students according to state data. White students made up the largest ethnic group in local schools at nearly 39 percent of enrollment during this period; Hispanic students accounted for about a quarter of total enrollment as reported by state education statistics.
School enrollment increased by 1.7 percent from the previous year according to official figures. Rising Star Early Childhood Education Center at Melchers enrolled more than half of all pre-kindergarten students in Stafford County during this time state records show, while Rocky Run Elementary School welcomed the largest number of kindergarteners among elementary schools in the district according to state data.
Officials recommend residents continue monitoring local alerts and follow emergency preparedness guidance as conditions develop.
