Schools

Prince William County, Va. –– In a memo released June 1, Prince William County Public School officials said the implementation of the Standard Technical Diploma for graduating high school seniors would be delayed by one year due to recent legislation. PWCS named Virginia General Assembly House Bill 1554 and Senate Bill 810 as the cause of the delay.

In a Virginia Department of Education report, however, it is noted that neither House Bill 1554 or Senate Bill 810 prohibits a school division from making the standard or advanced technical diplomas available to students who entered high school prior to 2012-2013 –– the year Prince William County Schools plans to begin offering them ––as long as the requirements have been met. 

Contestants wrote a 300–400 word essay based on an annual patriotic theme, which was evaluated by veterans who have a deep personal connection with the idea of patriotism. This year students wrote an essay on the theme, “Does Patriotism Still Matter?”

Top national winners each receive a savings bond anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000. The first place winner receives a $10,000 savings bond and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington D.C.  Scholarships are also awarded to students at the local level.

So were the additional Prince William police officers called in for extra security during the school’s day-long celebration for achieving high scores on standards of learning exams.

Everyone hopes were dashed, however, as the pop star was never scheduled to appear at the school.

The budget is $11,000 less than Prince William County’s 2012 operating budget approved last week.

With the Prince William County School Board’s approval of its $879 million FY 2012 budget on May 4, the construction of a new elementary school planned for western Prince William will be begin a year earlier, employees will see a small raise, and many schools will get technology upgrades. The cost of school lunches will increase by 5 cents.