Dear PWCS Families, Employees, and Community,

Happy New Year to our students, families, staff, and community. As we begin 2023 and approach the close of the first semester of the school year, I encourage you to continue engaging with our school community and to ensure daily attendance for your students – every day in school matters. Together we will succeed in 2023.

As you may have seen in The Scoop!, the Parent Resource Center continues to offer Family Engagement Series sessions. As always, our sessions are free and provide crucial information to keep you and your family up to speed on the latest in PWCS. Our two January sessions are:

• Say Something Anonymous Reporting for Middle and High School Students in PWCS
  Tuesday, January 10, 2023 – 7 p.m.
  Live Virtual Session Registration
• Understanding Mental Health provided by National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI)
  Tuesday, January 24, 2023 – 7 p.m.
  Live Virtual Session Registration

Now that we have entered January, inclement weather may occur, and we know how critical it is for everyone to be in school to the greatest extent possible. The safety of our students and staff is always our highest priority when making decisions to change our operations due to inclement weather. School closings are determined in consultation with multiple sources including the weather service, transportation agencies, and regional government agencies and will only be called when a safety risk for school operations exists.

We will continue to make decisions on delays and closings the night before, to the greatest extent possible, to ensure families have time to make proper arrangements. Once decided, any change will be sent immediately via social media, text, and email. Please be sure your contact information is up to date in ParentVUE.

This is also the time of year that PWCS begins preparations for the 2023-24 school year, including the budget. The Superintendent's Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Proposed Budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) will continue to support the Vision 2025 Launching Thriving Futures Strategic Plan. The School Board will consider final approval in March.

The proposed budget aligns investments in PWCS’ strategic commitments that delineate the priorities and initiatives we pursue to better serve our students, families, teachers, and support employees. Our four commitments are:

• Commitment 1: Learning and Achievement for All
• Commitment 2: Positive Climate and Culture
• Commitment 3: Family and Community Engagement
• Commitment 4: Organizational Coherence

The CIP is a management tool for planning the projects needed to house students adequately. Annual review of the CIP enables the division to address changing enrollment patterns and utilize facilities in ways consistent with sound educational practices. Thus, the CIP provides a blueprint for new construction, renovations, and specific projects in response to our growing student body.

We will provide regular updates on the budget process and communicate additional information so we may continue to create transparency and engage our families and communities as authentic partners in education. Thank you for your continued support and participation.

Sincerely,

LaTanya D. McDade, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Prince William County Public Schools