Prince William County Public Schools

The School Board Meeting November 30, 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:

• The 2017 Annual Internal Audit Plan;
• The agreement of license for the Outdoor Discovery Trail with Board of County Supervisors. The trail connects Coles Elementary, Benton Middle, and Colgan High Schools, and will eventually extend to the Prince William County (PWC) Landfill. The trail will allow students from the adjacent schools to conduct authentic field investigations;
• The agreement between PWC School Board and PWC to provide transportation support to the County for public purposes, with services to be rendered between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2019;
• The Memorandum of Understanding with PWC Community Services Board to provide assistance to PWCS students;
• The Memorandum of Understanding with Shenandoah University to continue its partnership related to the Teachers for Tomorrow Dual Enrollment Program for the 2016‒17 school year;
• The Memorandum of Understanding with Dumfries Police Department for duties and services performed by the School Resource Officer at Dumfries Elementary School;
• The payrolls for October;
• The School Board meeting minutes for November 15;
• The appointment of five individuals to the Career and Technical Education Advisory Council; and
• Revisions and changes to Policy 854, "Naming of School Facilities."

Citizens' Comment Time:
Citizens addressed the School Board on the following:

• Pennington Traditional School students spoke about We The People Team;
• Transportation employee concerns and adjustments to bus drivers' routes; and
• Physical education and recess for students.

Presentations and Discussions on the following:

• School Board Members Mr. William Deutsch and Mr. Justin Wilk presented a plaque to Eleanor Sigrest, an eighth-grade student from Benton Middle School, for winning a national middle school STEM competition, the Broadcom MASTERS.
• A summary on National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) and the inception of archery in PWCS. Ronald Wilson Reagan Middle School Archery Team was the 2015 NASP/IBO 3D World Champion.
• Leave adjustment implications relating to changing the teacher work hours.
• The BOCS proposal to fund the difference between the 13^th high school Battlefield Prototype and Patriot Redesign Increasing Capacity Effectively design.
• Dr. Walts gave a report on goals that the School Board established for him. He will update the Board quarterly on the accomplishment of these goals. Dr. Walts reported on class-size reductions based on the Expanded Five-Year Budget Plan FY2017-21.

Superintendent's Time:

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

• Occoquan Elementary School has won a National Title I Distinguished School award. Congratulations to Principal Hamish Brewer and the entire Occoquan Elementary School community. The award is based on the achievement of English Learners and students receiving special services, among other criteria. For more information, please see the story on the School Division website.
• Congratulations to Ethan Murphy, choral director at Freedom High School, who has received the Outstanding Early Career Music Educator Award from James Madison University's School of Music. Mr. Murphy graduated from Hylton High School and is in his third year of teaching.
• Five of our students earned invitations to perform at the annual conference of the American Choral Directors Association in March. This is one of the highest honors for vocalists in the country. The students will sing with the National Honors Choir. Congratulations to: Battlefield High Schools students Tanner Jaksa and Mary Cate Walsh; and Colgan High School students Adellaie Jung, Xavier Howard, and Maria Pittell.
• The School Division will be sending six teams to the state tournament for FIRST LEGO League robotics. Congratulations to all participating teams, coaches, and sponsors and especially to Cedar Point, Rockledge, Old Bridge, Rosa Parks, and Vaughan Elementary Schools.
• 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 11:20 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 or to the College and Career Planning website to register beginning December 1.

Volume 12, Number 7 - Publication date: December 1, 2016