Prince William County Public Schools

School Board Meeting May 17, 2017

Select this link to view the agenda on the Electronic School Board webpage.

Presentation:

Mr. Ryan Sawyers, Chairman, and Dr. Steven L. Walts, Superintendent of Schools, recognized winners of the annual Business Partnership of the Year awards: Wells Fargo and Benton Middle School; C & A Scientific and PWCS Office of Science; USPTO Office of Education and Outreach and Mountain View Elementary School; Business Partner in Education: Dr. Robert Melvin (NSBE) and Graham Park Middle School; and Community Partner in Education: Prince William County Police Department and Minnieville Elementary School.

Public Hearing:

Citizens addressed the School Board on Lake Ridge and Woodbridge Middle Schools attendance area boundaries for the 2018-19 school year.

The School Board Approved:

• The Perkins Local Plan and Budget for Career and Technical Education;
• The transfer of assets of the CTE Foundation to SPARK, which will be used for grants to schools and departments and scholarships for students. The CTE Foundation has unanimously agreed to dissolve its corporation and transfer its assets to SPARK;
• The Memorandum of Understanding with Shenandoah University School of Education and Human Development regarding partnership for educator preparation;
• The Professional Development School Network a partnership Memorandum of Understanding with George Mason University to host interns at three elementary schools;
• Increasing the FY 2017 budget and appropriation for the distribution center fund due to higher-than-anticipated use of stock items from the warehouse;
• Boundary Plan 5 for Lake Ridge and Woodbridge Middle Schools attendance areas for the 2018-19 school year. Rising eighth grade students are permitted to remain at their currently assigned schools, if they provide their own transportation;
• Policy 664, "Guidelines for Parental Instruction Assistance";
• The confirmation of the School Board poll on April 28, correcting the title of the new school at Joplin and Aden Roads to Independence Nontraditional School; and
• The confirmation of the School Board poll on May 2, regarding a student representative to the School Board. The School Board approved extending the time for the Superintendent to present his recommendations for the student representative to the School Board and alternates until the second meeting in October 2017.

Policies and Regulations:

Policy 103.1, "School Board Requests to the Superintendent," first reading (no action is required on first readings).

Citizens' Comment Time:

Citizens addressed the School Board on the following topics:

• Fin Friends Club at Colgan High School;
• Forest Park High School's Suicide Awareness Walk;
• Middle school boundaries;
• School Board meetings and Robert's Rules of Order; and
• SOL testing.

Presentations and discussion on the following topics:

• Fred M. Lynn Middle School Corrective Action Plan Update. It was announced that the school has been authorized to offer IB-MYP for the 2017-18 school year.
• The 2016-17 annual report from the Safe Schools Advisory Council.
• Best Practices information on Minnieville Elementary School.
• Recommended revisions to the 2017-18 "Code of Behavior."
• Holding one or more School Board meetings at a school.
• Reclassification of school nurses.
• SMART Goals and streamlining the information load.

Superintendent's Time:

Dr. Steven L. Walts, Superintendent of Schools, made the following comments:

• Congratulations to Potomac High School senior David Haight, who won a gold medal in welding at the state SkillsUSA championships.
• The novice men's crew team at Forest Park High School has won both gold and silver medals at the Virginia Scholastic Rowing Championships.
• The School Division has received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. The certificate recognizes the quality of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016.
• The Environmental Protection Agency awarded a $31,000 grant to the School Division to build schoolyard habitats and other science-related projects at middle and high schools.
• The Virginia Cooperative Extension Office has awarded school garden grants to three schools.
• The Kilby Elementary School ribbon cutting and dedication for their new replacement school is on Tuesday, May 23 at 6 p.m. Parking is quite limited. We hope those who can, will walk; otherwise, there will be a shuttle bus from the parking lot of Grace Lutheran Church, across from Fred M. Lynn Middle School.
• Dr. Cherif Sadki, principal of Gar-Field High School, was just named the 2017 Outstanding High School Principal of Virginia by the Virginia Association of Secondary Principals. Dr. Sadki exemplifies our World-Class administrative leadership team. He will now move on for consideration at the national level.
• The Prince William County Expo fun and fitness event will be held on Saturday, May 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pfitzner Stadium, and the third annual Suicide Awareness Walk from Forest Park High School to Hylton High School will be held also on May 20, beginning at 9 a.m.
• Dr. Walts had the opportunity to attend several School of Excellence celebrations recently. He congratulated Gravely, Rosa Parks, Mountain View, Old Bridge, West Gate, and T. Clay Wood Elementary Schools on their outstanding achievements. The Superintendent visits each of our schools at least once every year to talk with students, teachers, support staff, administrators, and parents who may be there. The number is now approaching 1,600 school visits since 2005.
• Dr. Walts received the Educational Leadership Award from Today's Students Tomorrow's Teachers (TSTT) in honor of our 10-year partnership. TSTT is part of our Growing Our Own program to recruit our students to become PWCS teachers.
• Dr. Walts shared a brief year-end report, highlighting some of our biggest successes, and giving us the opportunity to celebrate them. A PowerPoint was presented listing the successes.

Volume 12, Number 17 - Publication Date: May 19, 2017