October 5, 2012

 

In preparation for the 2013 Virginia Legislative Session, the Prince William County School Board approved the School Division’s annual legislative priorities at the October 3 Board meeting. The School Board will be working with the Prince William delegation on these items, which include both those that require continued state funding and those that do not.

 

Of the three priorities requiring continued funding, the School Board’s number one issue is to maintain the implementation of the Standards of Quality (SOQ) at appropriate levels (including realistic, adequate funding for support personnel and restoration of the inflation factor on non-personnel expenditures) and/or suspension of SOQ mandates to save school divisions money.

 

The second item is a request for continued funding for annual teacher salary increases and the cost-of-competing allocation (COCA) for Region 4 school divisions. Region 4 includes Prince William County and 19 other counties in northern and eastern Virginia.

 

“It is essential to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers,” said Dr. Steven L. Walts, Superintendent of Schools.

 

Based on the 2012 legislative session, PWCS would lose $6.6 million for the 2012–13 school year in reduced COCA funding.

 

The third item is continued annual funding to PWCS to coordinate the statewide implementation of a computer refurbishing program, VA STAR, which provides opportunities for high school students to earn information technology certification and provides free computers to students and schools in need of technology.

 

Additionally, the School Board supports legislation that would provide the necessary funding to pay for the additional days (including the employer share of Virginia Retirement System funding), should the 200-day teacher contract that was part of proposed 2012 legislation become a reality.

 

The official 2013 “Legislative Priorities” brochure for Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) will soon be available. Please go to the School Division Web site, pwcs.edu, for continual updates regarding legislative efforts.