Stafford schools Superintendent Daniel Smith has been appointed to serve on the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, the county’s school division announced.
The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children works to support educational continuity for such students by addressing challenges related to enrollment, placement, attendance and graduation that often result from frequent moves and parental deployments.
Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointed Smith before Youngkin’s term ended Saturday.
“Stafford schools is proud to serve a community with strong military ties, and we remain committed to supporting students and families through every transition,” Smith said in the school division’s announcement. “I am honored to be appointed to serve on the Virginia Council and contribute to work that supports military-connected students across the Commonwealth.”
The Stafford school system maintains a strong, intentional partnership with Marine Corps Base Quantico, the announcement said, grounded in collaboration among base leadership, the military family liaison program and the school division to support academic and social-emotional success for military-connected students. The partnership is reflected in Stafford’s designation as a Virginia Purple Star School Division, a distinction achieved by only 10 school systems statewide.
Virginia enrolls nearly 79,000 military-connected students in its public schools, more than any other state in the nation, the Stafford schools said.
Smith’s appointment highlights the county’s role as a leader in supporting military families and strengthens the division’s ability to collaborate on state-level decisions affecting military-connected students throughout Virginia, the announcement said.
