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New leadership stepping in at Sweet Briar College

SWEET BRIAR, Va. (AP) _ Sweet Briar College is getting a change of leadership to take it into a new academic year.

Under terms of a mediated settlement, the resignation of the old governing board becomes effective Thursday evening and a new board steps in. That panel is then expected to name Harrisonburg lawyer Phillip Stone as its new president.

This week, Saving Sweet Briar Inc. said it had delivered a $5 million payment to the college. That sum represented twice the amount it was required to submit, and it was paid early.

The college was destined to close in late August after leaders said their financial challenges were insurmountable. But a group of dedicated former students responded swiftly, launching a national fundraiser to keep the women’s school afloat.

After boundary review, some Fairfax County students attending new schools this fall

This story is part of WTOP’s 2026 Back to School coverage. Nearly 1,700 Fairfax County, Virginia, students will attend a different school this fall as a result of the district’s first comprehensive boundary review in decades. The plan approved by the Fairfax County School Board in January called for 1,697 students to be reassigned to schools other than those they attended during the 2025-26 school year. Some affected students could opt to remain at their previous school, depending on the grade they’re entering this academic year, according to the school division’s FAQ page.
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