Prince William County Public Schools

Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) announced today that Neil Beech has been selected as the principal of the 13th high school, effective July 1. Beech has served as the principal of Osbourn Park High School since 2010.

"I'm fortunate to have had so many rewarding professional opportunities in Prince William County, throughout my career," Beech said. "I've loved every minute of my time at OP and will always have fond memories of being principal of such an outstanding school. I'm excited to have the opportunity to be involved in opening a new school. It will be a different type of work, initially, and a new challenge for me. I'm looking forward to being able to work with the community to develop the culture and characteristics of the 13 high school, to make it the most positive learning environment that we can for generations of students to come."

The 13th high school, which will be formally named later this spring, will open by the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. It is located at 13150 University Boulevard in Gainesville, near Jiffy Lube Live.

While serving as principal at Osbourn Park High, Beech led efforts to increase the graduation rate, improve scores on the SAT and ACT, reduce disciplinary infractions, and increase participation in the Advanced Placement program. He served as assistant principal at Osbourn Park High for three years prior to being named principal. He was also the testing coordinator and a biology teacher at Brentsville District High School.

In 2019, Beech was named the Virginia Association of School Librarians Administrator of the Year. He is also a Milken Educator Award recipient, and Visiting International Faculty Cultural Education of the Year. He was also a finalist for the Washington Post Agnes Meyer Teacher of the Year.

Beech and his wife Jess have two children who attend school in PWCS.