The school year is nearly over, and Prince William County Schools (PWCS) Superintendent Dr. Steven L. Walts is calling for some major changes.
In a June 5 email to all PWCS staff, parents, students, Dr. Walts laid out his ‘action plan to combat racism,’ calling on the email recipients to actively pursue diversity and equity for the school division’s more than 91,500 students and to be vigilant in promoting antiracism.
Lisamarie Kane will take over as principal of Osbourn Park High School, just outside Manassas, on July 1, 2020.
Kane replaces Neil Beech, who was previously named the principal of the “13th” High School, planned for an opening in Gainesville next year.
The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy, paraphrasing Dr. King. In this moment of challenge and controversy, we stand with you. We are angry and grieved over the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and we are committed to stand with you as we all fight the racism, inequality, and systemic oppression that continues to plague our society.
And as African-American men who care deeply about our country and our city, we are especially affected by these events.
Germanna Community College is offering free zoom sessions for citizens in need of computer and career help over the Summer.
In an effort to help local people laid off due to the pandemic, Germanna Community College is offering a free “Summer Skillup” online class this summer called, “Computers and Career Planning- Your Path to Success.” The class builds an understanding of computer essentials, popular programs, and integrates this knowledge into resume creation for job searches, states Michael Zitz, of Germanna College in an email.
Three elementary schools in Prince William County will have their roofs replaced.
Earlier this year, the Prince William County School Board approved contracts for replacing roofs at Marshall Elementary School, at 12505 Kahns Road near Dale City, and Pennington Traditional School, located at 9305 Stonewall Road in Manassas, from the Northeast Contracting Corporation.
Nancy B. Weaver, a retiring second-grade teacher at T. Clay Wood Elementary School, has had a love of reading since she was a young girl, but she never imagined she would have a library named in her honor.
“I have always loved to read. I have fond memories of my mother reading to me when I was too young to read by myself, and I loved hearing the stories she read to my sister and me,” Weaver said.
Prince William County Sheriff Glendell Hill awarded three $1,000 scholarships to three students pursuing education in the criminal justice field.
The presentation was held in the Prince William County Sheriff’s Office Conference Room with Hill awarding the prizes to the students on Thursday, May 21, 2020. James Bocopani, Abigail Houchin, and Chloe Martin were awarded the beneficial prize.
The Stafford County School Board has unanimously approved a plan to provide compensation to secondary, or middle school teachers who teach over 150 students or 25 class periods a week.
This compensation was amended into the Virginia Administrative Code last fiscal year, stating that if a secondary and/or middle school ‘classroom teacher teaches more than 150 students or 25 class periods per week, an appropriate contractual arrangement and compensation shall be provided.’
In February, Prince William County Schools Superintendent Steve Walts submitted his six-priority budget proposal for the 2020-2021 school year. The proposal, unique in nature, included 2.1 million to support student mental health, 4.8 million to support college/career/military readiness, and a 2.8% raise for teachers and staff.
The budget, and many of the aforementioned parts of it, has been slashed, as the Prince William Board of Supervisors approved a decrease of $10 million during their meeting on May 19, and the school board adopted it during their meeting on May 20.
Three years ago the Prince William County Planning Commission approved the location for the unnamed “13th” High School, with plans for it to open in September of 2021.
Now, the new high school is one step closer to gaining a name, as during the May 20 school board meeting ten possible names were put forth.
