Old Bridge, Yorkshire and Montclair elementary schools were recognized as state finalists for the Exemplary Reading Program Award given by the Virginia State Reading Association, the Virginia chapter of the International Reading Association.The awards were presented March 18 at the thirty-third conference of the Virginia State Reading Association. Principals Alison Nourse-Miller, Old Bridge; Susan Powell, Yorkshire; and Darci Whitehead-Scanlon, Montclair, presented their literacy programs prior to receiving the awards.

The following Reading Specialists from the schools also attended: Charlene Dunbar, Paula Powell, and Leigh Mayrhofer. The February 2000 edition of “School Focus,” the school division’s half-hour magazine format television program, which featured the literacy programs at the three schools, was shown as part of the presentation. 

One observer noted that it was obvious how school-based management, the school division’s system of management that grants a large measure of automaton to individual schools in designing their programs, permitted Prince William County Public Schools to implement programs. The literacy programs are similar and reinforce the goal of the Five-Year Instructional Plan of having every child reading on grade level by grade three.

On March 25, 2000, Graham Park Middle School was officially awarded the Virginia Student Council Association (VSCA) Achievement Award at the VSCA State Convention. This is an award given by the state for SCA achievement. To qualify, the school had to fulfill six requirements, including the completion of a project on the 1999-2000 state project theme: "Safe Schools...Got a Problem With That?" Graham Park also held an anti-violence forum, entitled People For Peace. This event included Carlton Mack, Human Relations Specialist, who gave his ideas on youth violence and how to stop it.