Warren County High School Prepares for New School Year with Community Events, Student Opportunities

As summer winds down, Warren County High School is gearing up for the start of the 2026-27 school year with a series of community events, a school supply drive and new opportunities for homeschooled and private school students.

Principal Ken Knesh recently shared updates on what families can expect before students return to class on Aug. 12, including Community Fun Day, the Fill the Bus school supply drive, a trading card show fundraiser and a new part-time enrollment information fair for students seeking access to public school programs.

One of the first events on the calendar is the “Into the Vault” Card Show, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Warren County High School.

Presented by Vaulted Cards, the event will feature more than 75 sold-out vendor tables with sports cards, Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, One Piece and other collectibles. Admission is free, and a portion of vendor table fees will benefit programs and student opportunities at Warren County High School.

The show will also include raffles, card breaks and a designated trading area where collectors can swap cards.

The following weekend, Community Fun Day will move to a new location.

Instead of being held at Warren County High School, this year’s event will take place Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Raymond E. Santmyers Student Union & Activity Center in partnership with Reaching Out Now’s annual block party.

Knesh said combining the two events will create a larger community celebration while introducing more residents to the Student Union and its programs.

The free event will feature inflatable attractions, a dunk tank, free haircuts provided by Blake & Company, hot dogs, fruit and water. A car show and other community organizations will also participate.

Another major effort underway is the annual Fill the Bus school supply drive, which collects classroom supplies for students across Warren County Public Schools.

Donations are being accepted through July 31 at the Raymond E. Santmyers Student Union, the Warren County Public Schools administrative office, Poppy’s Place, the Edward Jones office at 21 Lee St. and AutoCare Clinic on Winchester Road. Beginning Aug. 1, donations should be taken directly to the Student Union.

The drive seeks a wide variety of supplies, including backpacks, notebooks, pencils, crayons, glue sticks, tissues, hand sanitizer, headphones and other classroom essentials. Volunteers will sort and distribute supplies to schools before classes begin.

Open house for Warren County High School is scheduled for Aug. 10, with classes beginning Aug. 12.

Knesh encouraged families to complete registration before open house to avoid long lines and give students time to walk their schedules, locate classrooms and become familiar with the building before the first day.

One of the school’s newest initiatives is aimed at homeschool and private school families.

An informational fair will be held at 6 p.m. July 21 at Skyline High School to explain how students can enroll part time in Warren County Public Schools.

The program allows eligible homeschool and private school students to take one or more classes without enrolling full time. Opportunities include band, chorus, theater, art, selected dual-enrollment college courses and some Blue Ridge Technical Center offerings, depending on availability.

Students who enroll in classes may also have opportunities to participate in clubs and extracurricular activities.

Knesh said the goal is to expand educational opportunities for students whose current programs may not offer courses such as performing arts, advanced mathematics or specialized career and technical education.

“We’ve got the space. If you’ve got the interest, we’d love to have you come in and join us,” he said.

Knesh also said Warren County High School is fully staffed heading into the new school year, with all teaching positions currently filled. The school system continues to recruit substitute teachers, nurses and other support staff.

Looking ahead, school officials are also preparing for changes to Virginia’s Standards of Learning accountability system and gradually increasing passing benchmarks over the next several years. Knesh said staff members are reviewing student performance data and adjusting instruction to help students meet the higher expectations.

While there is still time left in summer, Knesh said the weeks before school starts are filled with opportunities for families to get involved, support local students and prepare for another school year.

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