Prince William County Public Schools

School Board Meeting of December 4, 2019

View the agenda on the Electronic School Board webpage.
Watch the School Board meeting on PWCS-TV.

Positively PWCS:

Each School Board meeting begins with presentations about the good things that our schools are accomplishing. These presentations are intended to focus on how we are preparing our students academically and socially for success in college and careers.

• Matt Mathison, principal of Gar-Field High School, presented what Gar-Field High School is doing to ensure students are prepared for college, the military, a career, or a trade through the many unique career-focused programs offered at the school.

The School Board Approved:

• The 2020 Annual Internal Audit Plan and direct internal staff and management to work cooperatively and in partnership to fulfill the 2020 Annual Internal Audit Plan (PDF);
• Adoption of New Policy 341 (PDF), "Fund-Raising Activities";
• Adoption of New Policy 382 (PDF), "Employee Reimbursement";
• Deletion of Policy 220 (PDF), "Establishment of an Administrative System," Policy 220.01 (PDF), "Administrative Organizational Plan," Policy 220.02 (PDF), "Organizational Chart," and Policy 221 (PDF), "Line of Responsibility";
• Memorandum of Understanding (PDF) between Prince William County Public Schools and the Virginia Career Works - Northern Region and its partners, and further authorize the Superintendent of Schools to enter into the same on behalf of the School Board;
• Revision of Policy 810 (PDF), "Facilities Planning"
• October 2019 Payrolls (PDF) in the amount of $62,151,243.95;
• School Board Meeting Minutes for November 19, 2019;
• Approval of Guidelines for the Office of the Ombudsman (PDF), as provided by Policy 180, "Office of the Ombudsman."

Citizens addressed the School Board on the following topics:

• Accolades to several teachers and central office staff members;
• Fossil free and net zero schools;
• Prince William Education Association presented plaques to outgoing Board members;
• Woodbridge High School director of student activities; and
• Request for a new academic program at Woodbridge High School

Student Matters:

• Eliana Black, alternate student representative, expressed her gratitude and anticipation of being able to participate with the School Board.

Superintendent's Time:

• Seventy-one schools in Prince William County have earned the 2019-20 School of Excellence distinction based on academic performance during the 2018-19 school year. The School of Excellence award is the highest honor bestowed by Prince William County Public Schools. Last year, 56 schools earned the award.
• Congratulations to our students, teachers, staff members, leadership team, and community for this improvement. We remain committed to continuous improvement for all students. A comprehensive list of School of Excellence award-winners can be found on our website at www.pwcs.edu.
• One of the highlights in my job as superintendent is having the opportunity to witness the amazing talents of our students. I recently had the pleasure of attending three outstanding student productions. The Colgan High School Center for the Fine and Performing Arts sold out ALL of their "CLUE: On Stage" productions. The lighting and sets were incredible, and Student Director Jay Carter Williams did a fantastic job. Kudos to the Clue cast and crew.
• I also attended the Patriot High School Players' presentation of "The Misanthrope." The period costumes were absolutely elegant and the actors' command of their lines was outstanding. Congratulations to Director Kathryn Facemire and everyone involved in this production.
• Potomac High School tackled Shakespeare with an updated version of MacBeth. Under the direction of Taryn Lane and Ednali Figueroa, this tragedy was very well-done, and even included a thrilling sword fight. I am continually amazed by the talent demonstrated by our students across the Division.
• I want to commend the students and staff at both Tyler Elementary School and Bull Run Middle School for their cooperation and collaboration this past Monday. We were informed early Monday morning that Tyler Elementary School did not have any power and was not expected to have power for most of the day. Bull Run Middle School generously opened up space to accommodate the students from Tyler. Despite the inconvenience, the students and staff from both schools cooperated to ensure the elementary students were fed and well taken care of during the school day. I sincerely appreciate the collaboration on behalf of our students.
• Tonight's meeting marks the last for three of our school board members - Mrs. Satterwhite, Mr. Trenum, and Mr. Deutsch. I want to personally thank each of them for their countless hours of service to our students, our staff members, and our community. I appreciate your dedication to improving the educational experiences for our students, and for your commitment to our community. I wish you the very best in your future endeavors.
• This meeting is also the last meeting before our holiday break. In closing, as the winter break nears, I wish everyone a wonderful and safe holiday season. I hope our staff members enjoy their time off spending quality time with their families and getting some rest. I also wish our staff, students, and their families best wishes for the New Year.