The state’s second-largest public school division, Prince William County, rolled back most of its coronavirus mitigation strategies.
When school starts Monday, August 22, schools will look and feel like the pandemic never happened, with a lack of masking, social distancing, and contract tracing requirements that were common last year.
Federal regulations require children in Head Start programs to mask up to participate in the program. The requirement is universal in Head Start programs across the U.S. However, the community’s smallest children, about 1,100, must continue to mask their faces.
It’s a policy mandated by the Federal Government, which along with the state, funds the program aimed at providing multiple educational activities for children aged four and older.
Prince William County unveiled a list of modified coronavirus mitigation requirements, telling parents there are no longer restrictions on after-school activities, classroom visitors, or lunchrooms.
“[Prince William County Public Schools] will be moving toward a return closer to practices in place before the global pandemic,” the school division states.
If a student or staff member is exposed to the coronavirus, they will still be asked to quarantine for up to five days. If the results of a COVID test are negative after six days, students and employees may return to school and not wear a mask. And the school division won’t seek the results of those COVID tests.
Last year, the school division reported an enrollment of about 90,000 students, about 2,000 fewer than in 2019.
The school division will welcome back 5,700 instructional staff and nearly 900 new hires. Prince William is working to fill 318 teacher positions in its schools, according to Dr. LaTayna McDade, schools superintendent.
“It is important to keep in mind that we have added more than 170 instructional positions to our Fiscal Year 2023 budget to better serve our students. PWCS is also experiencing student enrollment growth, which impacts the number of positions we need to hire,” McDade states.
In March, the school division approved a $1.4 billion budget, its largest in history, and $187.2 million larger than the previous year. The budget includes $80 million to provide teachers and staff with a 4.2% cost of living adjustment and a step increase, resulting in an average 7% pay raise.
