Prince William County Public Schools

School Board Meeting November 15, 2016

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

Select this link to view the School Board meeting on PWCS-TV

The School Board Approved:

• December 5‒11 as Computer Science Education Week;
• December 5‒9 as Inclusive Schools Week;
• The Memorandum of Understanding with Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board;
• The Sanitary Sewer Easement to Prince William County Service Authority at Freedom High School;
• The School Board meeting minutes of November 2;
• The Revision of Policy 403.10, "Hazardous Materials";
• The appointment of Andrea Bailey to represent Chairman Sawyers on the Safe Schools Advisory Council;
• The Superintendent to proceed with a recommendation on the process of appointing a student representative to serve in a non-voting, advisory capacity to the School Board; and
• That the School Board adopt a code of ethics for School Board members.

Policies and Regulations:

Revision of Policy 854, "Naming of School Facilities" - first reading (No action is required on first readings).

Citizens' Comment time:

Citizens addressed the Board on the following topics:

• National Book Festival and students meeting Mr. Gene Luen Yand, author of "Secret Coders";
• School Board matters and political parties; and
• Consideration of closing school on Inauguration Day.

Presentation and Discussion on the Following Topic:

The calculation of elementary school program capacity versus the currently utilized planning capacity. Select link to see PowerPoint.

Superintendent's Time:

Deputy Superintendent Rae Darlington represented Superintendent Steven L. Walts at the School Board meeting. Dr. Walts was attending a school event as a parent. Deputy Darlington made the following announcements:

• We will not let election-related divisions fracture our PWCS community. Any efforts to minimize or disrupt the safety, the comfort, or the inclusion of any individual, be they student, teacher, or staff, within our PWCS community, will not be tolerated. We have too much work to do to continue to build World-Class student achievement. We need our students in our classrooms, we need our teachers laser-focused on teaching, and we are committed to keeping quality within our school system.
• Two community meetings are scheduled on the proposed boundaries for the new eastern Prince William elementary school, currently referred to as "Potomac Shores." The first is scheduled for Tuesday, November 22 at 7 p.m. in the Potomac High School auditorium. The second meeting will be Tuesday, December 6 at 7 p.m. in the Freedom High School auditorium.
• The Virginia Department of Education nominated Occoquan Elementary School for recognition under the National Title I Distinguished Schools Program, and will represent Virginia in the "Excellence in Serving Special Populations of Students" category at the National Title I Conference in February.
• Theatre Festival awards earned during the Virginia Theatre Association annual conference included a Silver medal for Gainesville Middle School and Bronze medals for Reagan and Woodbridge Middle Schools. Gainesville was ranked among the top three middle school winners in the festival. Talented students and musical directors at Battlefield and Forest Park High Schools received invitations to perform at the Virginia Music Educators Association's annual conference on November 17.
• Parents of eighth-grade and high school students are invited to a High School Parent Summit on Saturday, January 7 at Hylton High School from 8 to 11 a.m. This is an opportunity for parents to hear expert presentations on graduation requirements, financial aid and scholarships, college admission, and much more. Attendance is free, but space is limited. Go to our high school webpages to register beginning December 1.
• The admission process for the School of Practical Nursing at Osbourn Park High School begins December 1. See the Practical Nursing website for information sessions from 9 to 10 a.m. at Osbourn Park, Stonewall Jackson, and Freedom High Schools. In addition, Osbourn Park will hold an evening session on all its specialty programs, including the School of Practical Nursing, on December 6 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
• An information session for current 10^th-grade students on The Governor's School @ Innovation Park will be held on Saturday, December 3 at 9 a.m. in Bull Run Hall on the George Mason Campus in Manassas.
• Dr. Walts attended the Mary Williams Elementary School's Salute to Our Veterans tribute. The performances by all grade levels, led by music teacher Timothy Wilson, were outstanding.
• On behalf of Dr. Walts, Deputy Darlington wished everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

VSBA Academy Awards:

Mr. Ryan Sawyers, Chairman, presented Virginia School Boards Association Academy Award certificates and pins to the School Board members, Superintendent, Clerk of the Board.

Ms. Rae Darlington, Deputy Superintendent of Schools, presented a certificate and pin to Chairman Sawyers.

Volume 12, Number 6 - Publication date: November 16, 2016