Superintendent celebrates an energizing start to the 2025-26 school year

Dear PWCS Families, Employees, and Community,

What an energizing start to the 2025-26 school year!

From welcoming our teachers back to greeting our students on the first day of school, I visited 33 schools this week and have been inspired by the joy, curiosity, and warm community spirit across our classrooms and campuses. Thank you for helping make opening week a success.

We are grateful for the patience and understanding shown by our families as transportation and arrival routines continue to improve each day. I continue to stay abreast of the progress made this week in our Transportation Department. Bus routes are steadily stabilizing and, while some technical issues with our vendor’s bus tracking system remain, our Transportation Department and vendor partners are actively working toward a full resolution. If you have any unresolved concerns about your bus route or stop, please submit them through the form linked on our transportation page.

Our instructional focus for the 2025-26 school year includes continued implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act and updated math standards. Students will see more hands-on, discussion-rich learning that is designed to build problem-solving, collaboration, and computational thinking. Thank you to our teachers for the planning and professional learning that make this work possible.

A few reminders as we head into week two:

• If you have not done so already, please take a moment to complete the Annual Back to School Packet available in ParentVUE.
• If your child has outstanding immunization documentation, please work with your school clinic to submit records promptly.
• Middle school iPads and other student devices are being distributed with a focus on purposeful use. Thank you for reinforcing our expectations, including our bell-to-bell cell phone policy during instructional time.

Back to School Nights are underway across PWCS. These events are a terrific opportunity to meet teachers, learn about classroom expectations, and understand how you can partner with us to support your child’s growth. Please be sure to check with your child’s school for additional information about Back to School Night.

Finally, a heartfelt thanks to our Food and Nutrition Department, school security officers, custodial teams, school bus drivers, office staff, and all support professionals who made this week run smoothly—often before sunrise and long after dismissal. Your dedication keeps our schools safe, welcoming, and ready for learning.

It is an honor to serve this community. Together, we will continue building a school year defined by high expectations, strong relationships, and joyful learning.

Sincerely,

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