A Message from the School Board

Dear PWCS Parents, Guardians, Staff, and Students,

The Prince William County School Board places the safety and health of our students, staff, and families as our highest priority. We fully support the Superintendent of Schools and his staff in their efforts to ensure Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) fulfills the mandate made by the Governor of Virginia in order to protect all citizens.

We know that the Governor's announcement to close for the rest of the school year places a hardship on many of our families and staff, disrupts student learning, and impedes supports for our most vulnerable students. As School Board members, we also know that the news is heartbreaking for our seniors, who have plans to graduate this year. Please know the School Board understands this, as does the Superintendent of Schools and his staff.

As the Superintendent of Schools works with his team to develop solutions to these many issues, please know we fully expect seniors who were on track for graduating to do so. We also support finding alternative means to celebrate graduations, to potentially include rescheduling in the future.

The School Board recognizes and very much appreciates the hard-working food services and school teams who are providing nearly 10,000 meals daily to students. We especially want to thank our custodial crews, who have worked to ensure all of our buildings are clean, and the secretarial staff, who are working hard to handle numerous inquiries. The School Board also greatly appreciates our teachers and administrators as they adjust quickly to new forms of teaching and learning, and we appreciate their efforts.

As guidance is provided by state and federal officials, we look forward to hearing more from the Superintendent of Schools and his team soon, as they find creative solutions to ensure students can continue learning and obtaining the knowledge they are missing. We understand this also must be done in compliance with all federal and state laws to ensure equity for every child. The School Board stands ready to make adjustments to policies and budget priorities as needed.

We know you have many questions, and we are working together with the school division to develop solutions and answers to the most pressing challenges. We are proud of the entire Prince William community pulling together in spirit, while remaining apart physically.

Thank you for your continuing support of Prince William County Public Schools.

Sincerely,
Prince William County School Board

Babur Lateef, M.D.
Chairman At-Large

Loree Y. Williams
Vice Chairwoman
Woodbridge District

Adele Jackson
Brentsville District

Lillie G. Jessie
Occoquan District

Diane L. Raulston
Neabsco District

Jennifer Wall
Gainesville District

Justin David Wilk
Potomac District

Lisa Zargarpur
Coles District