Dr. Steve Walts, superintendent of Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS), presented his proposed Fiscal Year 2021 budget to the Prince William School Board on February 5, 2020.
During the presentation, he shared that he is proud of the School Division accomplishments during the 15 years he has served as superintendent. He said the Division has experienced significant changes, and achieved major accomplishments, including an on-time graduation rate that has risen for the past decade to the current high of 92.4 percent and achieving 100 percent accreditation for all our schools.
He added that during his tenure, the student enrollment has increased from 65,000 to more than 91,500, the number of English Language Learners has increased from 4,900 to nearly 15,000, and students who qualify as economically disadvantaged have increased from about 15,000 to more than 37,000. However, despite these dramatic changes, he said, the per pupil spending has remained nearly flat when adjusted for inflation, and PWCS remains second to last among our peer school divisions in the Washington, D.C. region.
Dr. Walts presented a needs-based budget that is focused on six key areas aligned to PWCS' strategic priorities:
The School Board will hold a public meeting on Monday, February 10, at 7 p.m. and a public hearing at 7 p.m. on February 19, at the Kelly Leadership Center. The County Board of Supervisors will hold a public budget hearing on April 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the James J. McCoart Administration Building.
More information on the proposed budget can be found on the Budget Updates page.