Coraggio Consulting
Prince William County School Board Meeting, Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Place: Prince William County School Board, Virginia
Length: 2h 28m (video)
Official meeting video (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwD7_1WCp2w
Official School Board page (PWCS): https://www.pwcs.edu/about/school_board/

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-27. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:00] - Okay, good. I'd like to call the meeting of the Prince William County School Board to order. A motion is now in order for the approval of the meeting agenda. Vice Chair, Jesse. Oh, you don't have it here. Jesse, Dr., nobody has them. - I move the Prince William County School Board to approve the meeting agenda as recommended.

[00:00:18] - Do I have a second? - I second. - Any discussion? Please vote. All in favor, raise your hand. Any opposed, no opposition. Motion passes. Moving on. - The vote is seven yes, one not present. Vote Williams, motion passed. - Motion to enter closed session. Mr. Jesse.

[00:00:36] That pursuant to section 2.2-3711 and 2.2-3712 of the code of Eugene, the Prince William County School Board, in a closed session for the following reason. One, to discuss with staff the assignment, appointment, promotions, performance, demotions, salaries, discipline, or resignation of specific public officers, appointees, or employees of any public body pursuant to section 2.2-3711A-1 of the Code of Virginia.

[00:01:14] 2. To discuss with the division counsel and staff actual or prohibited litigation and specific legal matters pertaining to the collective bargaining staff, students, and other civil litigation involving the school division under section 2.2-3711A-78.

[00:01:37] Of the code of Virginia and three to discuss and receive briefing by staff members related to the security of the school Facilities the safety of the persons and using assist facilities and actions taken to respond to such matters Where discussion and open meetings would jeopardize the security of such?

[00:02:00] Facilities pursuant to section two point two three seven one one a 19 of the cold of Virginia you have a second mr. Chair. Yes, mr. Blake seconds any discussion Please vote all in favor raise your hands any opposed vote a seven. Yes Why not president vote Williams motion passed at this time the Prince William County School Board will enter closed session and return approximately seven o'clock

[00:02:27] This time the Prince William County School Board will reconvene in open session

[00:03:31] From closed session emotions in order for 7.01 closed session certification vice chair Jesse I move that pursuant to section 2.2-3712 of the Code of Virginia, the closed session of the Prince William County School Board meeting of May 6, 2026, be certified by adopting the following resolution.

[00:03:51] Now, therefore, be resolved that the Prince William County School Board hereby certify that to the best of each member's knowledge, one, only public business matter lawfully exempt from open meeting requirements were discussed in the closed meeting, To which the certification resolution applies and to only such public business matter as were identified in the motions Convenient a closed meeting were heard and discussed or considered by the school board. Do I have a second?

[00:04:21] Mr. Chairman I second. Ms. Wall seconds any discussion please vote. Vote is eight yes unanimous motion passed. All right moving on to closed session action items a motion is in order for 8.01 Vice Chair, Jesse.

[00:04:51] - I move that the Prince Mania County School Board approve the appointments and releases of specific points as presented in the closed session. - Do I have a second? - Mr. Chair. - Ms. Chair. - Any discussion? Please vote.

[00:05:19] - The vote is eight yes, unanimous. Motion passed. - Okay, well that concludes our closed session action items. Moving on to the Pledge of Allegiance. We'd like to introduce Karina Grover, our student rep for the evening from Colgan High School to lead us in the pledge.

[00:05:48] Ms. Grover, up next is Thriving Futures Focus And tonight, we have a lot of folks we're gonna recognize tonight. We begin by recognizing our students who've earned first place. Oh, well, hold on, what am I doing? Sorry, sorry, sorry. Thriving Futures Focus is our opportunity to highlight the exemplary work being accomplished in our schools that fulfills our vision that every student will graduate on time with the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to create a thriving future for themselves and their community.

[00:06:17] We dedicate this time during our meetings to recognize students, staff members, and schools that have earned an honor or an award at the state or national level. Tonight, the school board is honored to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of our student staff across several areas of excellence, including future educators, dual language immersion, visual arts leadership, career and technical student organizations, and advanced academic achievement.

[00:06:43] I will now turn the proceedings on to Ms. Jennifer Wall of the Gainesville District. Ms. Wall. - Thank you, Dr. Lateef. Tonight, we will begin by recognizing students who earned first place honors at the Virginia Educators Rising Student Leadership Conference and competitive events and qualify to represent both Prince William County Public Schools and the Commonwealth of Virginia at the Educators Rising National Conference.

[00:07:10] Educators Rising is a national career and technical student organization that supports students interested in becoming future educators through competitions, leadership development and hands-on learning students explore the teaching profession while building the communication leadership and service skills that strong educators need.

[00:07:31] I wish to acknowledge Sadiqa Turner coordinator of the growing our own teacher program who is orchestrating the next great generation of educators in Prince William County schools. I would now like to invite Ms. Lisa Zargarpur of the Kohl's district to introduce our first group of honorees.

[00:07:58] Thank you, Mrs. Wall. The Kohl's district is proud to recognize several students who have demonstrated excellence in this important pathway, and we certainly hope to see these outstanding educators as new teachers in a few years. First, from Charles J. Colgan Senior High School, congratulations to Martha Aguilar Hernandez for being a first place winner at the Virginia Educators Rising Student Leadership Conference and competitive events and for qualifying to represent both pwcs and virginia at the educators rising national conference unfortunately martha is not here with us tonight due to another obligation the coles district is also proud to recognize cd hilton high school students who were

[00:08:38] first place winners at the virginia educators rising student leadership conference and competitive events and who qualified for the national conference congratulations to mcleat osfall Kylie Cookson, Cadence Costello, Dana Nadel, Jenna Nguyen, Asil Osman, Camila Saguero, Nikki Trong, Jada Wells.

[00:09:04] Tonight we are fortunate to also have McLeet, Asil, and Cadence here with us. CD Hilton High School is represented this evening by Principal Cassandra Crawford, and family and consumer science teacher, Catherine Jackson. At this time, I would like to invite Ms. Jackson to share a few words on behalf of Hilton's honorees.

[00:09:24] - Okay, so I guess I'm going first. So I just wanna thank Dr. McDade and Mrs. Crawford and the Talent and Acquisition, I think that's what they're called now, department for supporting this amazing program.

[00:09:40] I've been getting to run it at C.D. Hilton for the last four years. So I get to do the Early Childhood Education, the Teachers for Tomorrow and Educators Rising. And I have a lot of outstanding students. We've been to nationals, this will be our fourth time. I have some repeat customers over here.

[00:09:56] We have some amazing students that are definitely gonna come back and be our growing, our own teachers. And so I just wanna thank everyone for our support and just wanna spotlight our amazing students that without them, we wouldn't be here. So thank you guys so much.

[00:10:18] - Thank you. Finally, the Coles District is proud to recognize Osborne Park High School students who were first place winners at the Virginia Educators Rising Student Leadership Conference and competitive events, and who qualified for the national conference. Congratulations to Lexmund Bamin-Mano, Isabella Carneiro, Gabriela Davis, Diana Najaro Zagero, Supriya Tamag, Arisha Wakas, Leah Zahir.

[00:10:51] Osborne Park High School is represented this evening by Principal Lisa Marie Kane, and family and consumer science teacher Christina Mullins. At this time, I would like to invite Ms. Mullins to share a few words on behalf of Osborne Park's honorees. - Good evening, thank you.

[00:11:06] After 21 years in education, it's students like these who remind me of my why. They are the reason I continue to love my job. I am so proud of them, not only for earning first place at the Virginia Educators Rising State Leadership Conference in March, but for the past they are choosing beyond this.

[00:11:21] Many are choosing to pursue an education, signifying the impact of Prince William County's growing our own program and dual enrollment, Virginia teachers for tomorrow, while others are simply keeping it open as a future option, because in the end, we are all teachers.

[00:11:37] This is just the beginning of their journey, and I am grateful to walk alongside them as they take their next step toward nationals in Portland this summer. Congratulations to you all. I'm so proud of you. I'm happy to be your teacher. - So I'd like to say congratulations to all of these fantastic students who will be hopefully coming and being our teachers here in Prince William County.

[00:12:06] in just a few short years. And what a great time to celebrate this during Teacher Appreciation Week. Congratulations to all of our Educators Rising winners from the Coles District. And I would like to invite Ms. Lori Williams of the Woodbridge District to continue our Educators Rising recognitions and to introduce our next honoree.

[00:12:25] - Well, I thank you, Ms. Zargarpur. The Woodbridge District is proud to recognize Laminatu Karoma of Freedom High School for being the first place winner at the Virginia Rising Educators Student Leadership Conference and competitive events and for qualifying to represent both PWCS and the Commonwealth of Virginia at the Educators Rising National Conference.

[00:12:47] LAMATU's achievements reflect leadership, preparation, and commitment to a profession that changes lives every day. Freedom High School is represented this evening by Principal Shavelli Smith, Administrative Intern and Supervisor of CTE Programs, Jason Allen, and Family and Consumer Science Teacher, Dr. Poway Karama Nezwa.

[00:13:09] Mr. Allen, would you like to share a few words on your accomplishment? And I'm sorry if I butchered some last names. - Greetings, my name is Jason Allen. I'm administrative intern at Freedom High School. It's a pleasure to serve as the administrator for Lamanatu Karama, an outstanding honor junior at Freedom High School.

[00:13:27] This year, Lamanatu achieved a groundbreaking and historic accomplishment around children's literature. She wrote and illustrated her first original children's book, Nadi's New Friend, a story that inspired, that was inspired by her own preschool experience that teaches young readers the values of kindness, empathy, and inclusion with a clear purpose.

[00:13:46] In addition to her literary achievement, Lamanatu made history for Freedom High School by earning first place at the state level in Educators Rising and the children's literature category, becoming the first student from Freedom High School to achieve this distinction. Through this achievement, she has qualified to represent our school in PWCS at the National Educators Rising Competition.

[00:14:07] Lamanatu also had the opportunity to share her children's book with students at Leesavania Elementary School, the school that she attended, where she read her story and inspired young learners through both her message and her example. Lamanatu exemplifies academic excellence, creativity, and leadership.

[00:14:24] She aspires to become an educator and is deeply committed to working with young children to build inclusive, supporting learning environments. Her accomplishments reflect both her dedication and the strength of our school community. Thank you for allowing me to recognize this remarkable student.

[00:14:45] - Congratulations again, Lamanatu. Amazing accomplishments. I also have the honor of recognizing an outstanding educator in the area of dual language immersion. Dual language immersion programs provide students with the opportunity to develop academic content knowledge, excuse me, develop academic content knowledge while also building bi-literacy and bilingual communication skills.

[00:15:07] These programs help students prepare to grow as global collaborators and prepare them to thrive in a world where multilingualism is an asset. Tonight, the Whippers District is proud to recognize Miss Nancy Davila of Featherstone Elementary School for being named the Virginia Dual Language Immersion Teacher of the Year by the Virginia Dual Language Educators Network, or VALDEN.

[00:15:30] This recognition honors Miss Davila's outstanding work supporting students, strengthening language learning, and helping to build a school community where culture, language, and academic excellence are celebrated. The Dual Language Immersion Program is represented tonight by Director of Student Opportunity and Multilingual Services, Dr. Linmar Colon, Supervisor of World Languages and Dual Language Immersion, Betsy Campena, Coordinator of Dual Language Immersion, Dr. Richard Pardo, and Specialist of Dual Language Immersion and World Languages, Clara Perez.

[00:16:04] Featherstone Elementary School is represented this evening by Principal Christina Treadwell. Ms. DeVilla, would you like, excuse me, would you like to share a few words about this extremely impressive honor? - Yes. Good evening, Dr. Matt Day, Dr. Sullivan, Dr. Latif and all the members of the board.

[00:16:24] Thank you for the support for this amazing dual language immersion program. I thank Dr. Pardo for the nomination for Badalyn Teacher of the Year and all my directors and supervisors with the dual language department.

[00:16:44] But I do think that I need to share this with every single DLI teacher in this county. This recognition belong to all of us. A little bit about me. I was born in Chicago and moved to Puerto Rico at the age of four.

[00:17:03] I was raised in a small town in the center of the island. I returned to United States when I was 25, and I'm the 11 of 18 siblings. So my home was a classroom.

[00:17:19] Some of my siblings were very well-behaved, and some were like me. I was blessed with an amazing dad and amazing mother. They value education, even when they didn't have the opportunity to attend to college.

[00:17:39] I wasn't known for six years. I have broken so many misconceptions. I had to fight to prove that an accent does not define my potential and my knowledge. I am a survival.

[00:17:54] My father repeated to me many times, you are no more important than others. You are no less. You are equal. And I grew up with that in mind. I thought that that was meaningful reflection for tonight.

[00:18:12] This recognition matters. Dual language immersion is about far more than language. It's about identity, access, belonging. It's about closing gaps. This award is for a child who does not have to wait to understand me because I speak their language.

[00:18:35] For the student that seem non-smart from others, simply because English is not yet theirs. For the families that finally feel heard and understood. For the child who smile when I read a book in Spanish, because they understand, because they belong.

[00:18:56] In DLI, students do not have to abandon their native language to feel successful. They shine immediately in my classroom. They learn English, but they can keep their native language.

[00:19:13] I taught monolingual classes before I became a DLI teacher, and I saw the struggle of my ESO babies. I call them chicken nuggets because they didn't understand me.

[00:19:29] We know language learning required two things-- the desire and the need. Bimeter school sometimes is too late. I really think that DLI is the solution to raise students bilingual.

[00:19:49] We graduate many students. We're about to graduate thousands of students and send them to the world, and minimal amount are bilingual because we start too late. I see DLI as a bridge. When that bridge is strong, it carries students to limit less opportunities.

[00:20:09] It's our responsibility to build a well. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, from Puerto Rico, of course, said, "When there's no room on the table and you care, bring your own chair."

[00:20:24] I always have props, and I teach with props, and I bring my own chair everywhere I go. I have some chairs for you guys to remember that when something is something that we care, we should just speak up, and we should be advocates.

[00:20:43] Teachers have conversations, advocate. We know our students' needs, because we walk with them every day. I'm asking the board for your continued support for this amazing program. Try to see ya, bring your own chair.

[00:21:01] My own quote for DLI said, Dual language immersion does not open just a window. It opens a house full of doors. Each language is a doorway into culture, connection, and understanding.

[00:21:20] Through being bilingual, the students do not just see the word, they walk into it. I am Nancy Davila, and I approve this message.

[00:21:41] - Well, that's definitely hard to follow. Congratulations, Ms. Davila, And thank you for your dedication to our students and whippers jerks are small, but mighty. And I appreciate all of you. And thank you to Ms. Treadwell. The community is closer because of our dual language program there.

[00:21:59] And it's an amazing thing to be a part of. Thank you. - Thank you, Ms. Williams. Next, I'd like to invite Mr. Justin Wilk of the Potomac district to introduce our next honorees. Mr. Wilk. - Thank you, Dr. Lateef. Congratulations to Dr. Ann Marie Ballino, supervisor of the arts for being named the 2025 VAEA Supervision and Administration Art Educator of the Year by the Virginia Art Education Association.

[00:22:27] This award recognizes outstanding leadership in visual arts education and honors administrators who support high quality arts instruction, advocate for students and educators and strengthen opportunities for creativity and expression.

[00:22:43] Dr. Bellino, your leadership has helped ensure that the arts remain a vital part of the student experience in Prince William County Schools. Your advocacy, your vision and support for teachers and students continue to make a meaningful impact across our division.

[00:22:59] And I appreciate you being a husband of an art teacher. At this time, I would like to invite Dr. Bellino to share a few words on this recognition. - Good evening, Dr. Lateef, Mr. Jesse, members of the board and Dr. McDade. It's always an honor to be here and it's an honor to be recognized.

[00:23:17] I think this award is particularly special to me because I was nominated by one of our teachers, right? And that's always, I think, the biggest blessing and honor that a person could bestow. And then I was doubly honored because our very own Cheryl Mill, who is also a teacher here in the division, she was the president of VAEA, and so I got to receive my award from one of our own.

[00:23:39] So super special for me. And I just really enjoy the opportunity to be here, to be in Prince William County Public Schools, to support our teachers and our students and this wonderful, brilliant community. So thank you for all you do, I appreciate it.

[00:24:00] - Congratulations again. Thank you, Mr. Wilk, and congratulations, Dr. Bellino. I would now like to invite Mr. Tracy Blake of the Neabsco District to begin our DECA recognitions. Mr. Blake. - Thank you, Dr. Lateef. The school board is proud to recognize students who earn recognition at the state level.

[00:24:15] Distributive Education Clubs of America competition, more commonly known as DECA. DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality management, and other business-related fields.

[00:24:31] Through competitive events, students apply classroom learning to real-world scenarios, developing communication, problem-solving skills, collaboration, and professional presentation skills. The Neabsco District is proud to recognize Alina Bakary of Garfield High School for earning recognition at the state level DECA competition.

[00:24:54] Unfortunately, Alina could not join us tonight due to a prior commitment, but we wish to congratulate her and the entire Garfield community. Next, I would like to call on Vice Chairman Richard Jesse of the Octoquine District to continue our DECA recognitions.

[00:25:12] - Thank you, Mr. Burke. The Octoquine District is proud to recognize several Woodbridge High School students who have earned recognition at the state level DECA competition. Congratulations to Sia Sharone, Ali Kahak, Isabel Ketchledge, Jackson Yarbrough.

[00:25:31] These students demonstrated strong preparation, professionalism and leadership through their performance at the state level. Woodbridge High School is represented this evening by Assistant Principal Brian Karnbach and DECA sponsors Mrs. Healy and Mr. Medley. At this time, I'd like to invite Mrs. Healy to share a few words on behalf of Woodbridge High School's DECA honorees.

[00:25:52] - Mrs. Healy about to retire too, very sad. - All right, good evening Dr. Lateef, members of the school board and Dr. McDade. Thank you so much for this opportunity to recognize these outstanding students this evening.

[00:26:11] Our Woodbridge Senior High School students recently competed at the DECA State Leadership Conference where they demonstrated exceptional professionalism, strong content knowledge and real world problem solving skills. Their success placed them among the top students in Virginia, qualifying them to compete on the international level at the DECA International Career and Development Career Conference in Atlanta, otherwise known as ICDC.

[00:26:40] This achievement reflects their dedication, hard work, and commitment to excellence. Jackson, who is not able to be here with us tonight, has been a DECA member for three years and also has competed at the state level for three years. This year, he challenged himself by switching a different competitive category all on his own initiative and that decision paid off by advancing him to icdc jackson also served in his leadership roles at woodbridge senior high school and after graduation he's going to be attending west virginia university we are incredibly proud of his growth

[00:27:18] and and grateful for his contribution that he has made to woodbridge decca since his sophomore year Allie and Isabel, who are here with us tonight, both competed at the state leadership conference over the summer, I mean last year, but over the summer they recognized that their skills would be even stronger as a team. So they partnered with this local small accounting business and competed in the financial operations research category. This is where they applied classroom learning to a real-world financial challenge. Allie and Isabel have also held leadership roles in our DECA

[00:27:57] chapter at Woodbridge and Isabel is going to be graduating in a few weeks and heading off to and attending Penn State University. We are proud of both of these young ladies and appreciate Isabel's lasting impact on our program. Sia competed at the state leadership conference this year for the first time. She earned three medals, two in her role play and one overall medal and she was competing in in the automotive services marketing category.

[00:28:27] Her strong performance reflects both her preparation and her commitment and her success at the state level is an impressive accomplishment, especially for a first time competitor. While Woodridge Deca has students advanced from the state leadership conference the last four years, this is gonna be the first time that we've had junior members who have also advanced onto the ICDC conference.

[00:28:56] So Ali and Saia's success this year will allow them to share their experience, leadership, and knowledge with our DECA chapter moving forward. We are incredibly proud of all four of these students and their achievements.

[00:29:11] Thank you again for recognizing them tonight and for your continued support of career and technical education and co-curricular programs. Thank you.

[00:29:27] - Thank you, Ms. Healy. And I think Woodbridge High School will miss you moving forward. Thank you for all the great work in your long commitment to Prince William County Schools. I take that as a chairman's privilege to say that I've known Ms. Healy for quite a long time and just, I think we're all incredibly lucky here in Prince William County Schools to have teachers like her, committed mentors like each of you who've helped these students really succeed at amazing levels.

[00:29:52] So thank you very much. Let's give her and everyone another round of applause. Ms. Zargarpur, you have our next deck honoree. - Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Coles District is proud to recognize Dylan Tobian of Colgan High School for earning recognition at the state-level DECA competition. Dylan, your achievement reflects the skills that DECA helps students develop: leadership, confidence, creativity, and readiness for the future of career up for the for future career opportunities. Colgan High School is represented this evening by

[00:30:27] administrative intern Carrie Brown and DECA club sponsor Rachel Bowden-Distel. Ms. Bowden-Dissel, would you like to share a few words on Dylan's accomplishment? - Yes, I would, thank you very much. I am honored to be here and I wanna thank Dr. McDade, Dr. Lateef and the school board members for taking this opportunity to recognize these students and especially Dylan because he has put in so much time and effort and energy because he set a goal for himself and he wanted to get that goal and he recognized that he needed to study more, he needed to practice more and he needed to do the things

[00:31:05] in order to reach his goal. So at the state competition, he participated in the principles of finance category, which you can imagine is not easy for a lot of us, let alone high school students who haven't really had that experience in finance and accounting and real world application.

[00:31:28] But Dylan was able to place in the top 10 in his role play as well as the, earn the coveted deck of glass. He was third overall in the state of Virginia. And we are immensely proud.

[00:31:44] And when he got called up on stage, everybody from Colgan just went crazy. And you could see the support for him and the love. And, you know, he knew that the dedication had really paid off in the hard work. It was also another honor because that was the first time we've had a Colgan student called on stage at the final awards, and he was also our first student to attend the ICDC in Atlanta.

[00:32:11] We don't have final scores yet. He wasn't called on stage for the final awards for that, but he is already looking forward to next year, talking about what he can compete in, what leadership roles he wants to take.

[00:32:28] We have grown immensely at Colgan in our DECA chapter. We had well over 80 members this year. So that's 80 students that we are working with in terms of real life skills, problem solving, being put on the spot and having to deal with issues and problems and develop a plan.

[00:32:50] So I really look forward to working with Dylan again next year, and again, I thank you for your time. - Thank you very much. I now invite Ms. Erica Trudenik of the Brentsville District to introduce our next DECA honorees and our final academic recognition.

[00:33:12] - Thank you, Ms. Zargarpur. The Brentsville District is proud to recognize Dylan Nguyen and Daniel Pabinito of Gainesville High School for earning the recognition at the state-level DECA competition. Through their participation and success, these students have represented Gainesville High School and Prince William County Schools with professionalism, preparation, and pride.

[00:33:32] Gainesville High School is represented this evening by Assistant Principal Isabella Yearwood and DECA sponsor Timothy Keenan. Mr. Keenan, would you like to share a few words on their accomplishment? - Thank you everyone for honoring these great students.

[00:33:47] We're a newer club, a newer chapter, only two years old. We've grown from 10 competing members to now 40. And these two did a great job placing second in the state, also earning the program's first ever DECA class. So that's in the trophy case, safe and sound, hopefully getting more students to compete every single year.

[00:34:07] I thank not only them for their hard work, but also allowing for me the experience to go to ICDC for the first time. I competed in DECA at the district level when I was in Prince William County Schools at Patriot, but I never made it to ICDC. So even as growing, it's giving me the experience and to be able to teach the kids things that I didn't even know when I was going through the program.

[00:34:29] So, thank you. Sorry, congratulations to you both. Thank you, and Ms. Trudenik, I think you have one more recognition. - Thank you. The Brentsville District is also proud to recognize an outstanding academic achievement from Brentsville District High School.

[00:34:50] The Cambridge program provides students with a rigorous international curriculum designed to strengthen critical thinking, communication, research, and academic independence. Cambridge assessments are recognized around the world and challenge students to demonstrate deep understanding and advanced skills in their subject areas.

[00:35:06] Tonight, we congratulate Steph Kubrick of Brentsville District High School for earning an A-plus on the Cambridge level exam and being ranked in the top 1% on the Cambridge exam.

[00:35:26] Steph is an exceptional accomplishment that reflects your discipline, academic excellence, and ability to perform at the very highest level. Brentsville District High School is represented this evening by Specialty Program Coordinator, Cheryl Meal. Steph, would you like to say a few words on your achievement?

[00:35:43] Yes, thank you all for having me here. I'm very honored to be here. And I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to take Cambridge classes and be in the Cambridge program at Brinsville. I feel like I have really gotten so much out of my time in my classes there.

[00:36:04] And I am immensely grateful to my teachers for supporting teachers, school administrators, for not only supporting me, but also all of my classmates as we learn, go out into the real world. Sorry, I write a little bit better than I speak.

[00:36:26] - Congratulations. - Thank you. - Thank you, Ms. Trudenik, and congratulations to all our tonight's honorees. I'd like to ask all those involved in supporting our honorees, including family members, to stand in recognition of their support.

[00:36:48] If there's family members here, please stand. Before taking a few pictures, I'd like to turn it over to Dr. McDade to share a few words, Dr. McDade.

[00:37:03] - Thank you, Dr. Lateef. Tonight's recognition really are wonderful reflections of talent, leadership, and excellence that continues to define Prince William County Public Schools. Congratulations to our educators rising, students from Kogan, Hilton, Osborne Park, and Freedom High Schools.

[00:37:22] Your success at the state level and advancement to the national conference show that the future of education is bright, and we're proud of your commitment to a profession that shapes every other profession. To Miss Nancy Davila, congratulations on being named the Virginia Dual Language Immersion Teacher of the Year.

[00:37:41] Your work at Featherstone Elementary School reflects the value of multilingualism, cultural understanding, and global collaboration. You are helping students build skills that will serve them for a lifetime. And to our very own Dr. Ana Marie Bellino, Congratulations on being named the VAEA Administration and Supervision Art Educator of the Year.

[00:38:04] Your leadership continues to elevate the arts across PWCS and I will tell you there is no one more enthusiastic about the arts than you are and it is infectious. So we deeply appreciate your leadership and we're so proud of you in this award. And to our DECA students from Garfield, Woodbridge, Colgan and Gainesville High Schools, congratulations on your state level recognition, accomplishments show the power of career and technical education to build confidence professionalism entrepreneurship and real-world readiness and then finally to Steph I think you did a great job speaking as

[00:38:41] well Steph but congratulations on earning an A plus on the Cambridge English AS level exam and ranking in the top 1% which is no easy feat on the Cambridge exam that's an extraordinary academic achievement and we are immensely proud of you. On behalf of Prince William County Schools, congratulations to all of tonight's honorees, and as I always say, we are PWCS proud. Thank you, Dr. McCade. At this time, I'd like to request our honorees to come forward for a photo with the school board. They'll take direction from

[00:39:16] our communication staff up front and receive a small token of our appreciation. Okay, thank you

[00:50:10] everyone. That was a great thriving futures focus. Now on up to the formal business section of the We're going to do the adoption of the consent agenda 11.01. Vice Chair Jesse.

[00:50:25] I move that the Prince William County School Board approve the adoption of the Acknowledgement and Recognition. No. Consent agenda 1101. Here. Just read this one.

[00:50:42] Okay. Now, I move that the Prince William County School Board approve the public meeting consent agenda as recommended. Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Jesse. Second. Ms. Williams. I second. Any discussion, please vote.

[00:51:12] - Vote is eight yes unanimous, motion passed. - Moving on next to 12.01, Mr. Jesse. - I move the Prince William County School Board to approve the adoption of the acknowledgement and recognition as recommended. - Do I have a second? - Mr. Chairman. - Ms. Williams. - I second.

[00:51:27] - I will, since we only have one tonight and it's a very, they're all very important, but this one, because this is part of the business of the board, I will ask Ms. Wall to read the resolution. - Thank you, Dr. Chairman. It is internal audit awareness month from May, 2026.

[00:51:46] And this is a really important behind the scenes function of the school division and the board are the activities of the internal audit. So I'm gonna read the resolution. Whereas internal auditing is a vital part of strengthening organizations and protecting stakeholders of both the public and private sectors by helping to identify and manage organizations risks and ensure policies, procedures and controls in place and working appropriately and whereas internal auditing is an established profession with a globally recognized code of ethics and international standard for professional practice

[00:52:21] of internal auditing and is an increasingly sophisticated and complex activity requiring specialized knowledge training and education and whereas internal auditors are independent objective professionals who help organizations improve their operations and achieve their goals by providing a systematic and disciplined approach to evaluating and improving the effectiveness of risk management controls and processes, and whereas internal auditors analyze their findings and advise organizations, board members, and management in ways to maintain correct or improve their operations, and whereas internal auditors can investigate, discover, and fix

[00:52:59] processes that may otherwise have risk of inappropriate reporting and even fraud to promote accountability, productivity and the improvement of management controls in public and private entities. And whereas internal audit awareness month is an opportunity to acknowledge the efforts and contributions of internal auditors to the success of organizations and the global economy at large.

[00:53:22] Now therefore be it resolved that the Prince William County School Board and the superintendent of schools recognize May as internal audit awareness month in Prince William County public schools and call this observance to the attention of all citizens. And I just want to add, we have an internal audit office and our internal office does an amazing job behind the scenes.

[00:53:43] And so very important gives us that evaluation, independent eyes, looking at everything we do in the board. As a board, we rely heavily on the office of internal audit and want to say thank you for all the efforts of our auditor. - Thank you, Ms. Wall. And I'll add that for the last eight years, I've served on the internal audit committee.

[00:53:59] I've served on the joint audit committee with the board of county supervisors. It provides an important aspect of making sure the work we do here is transparent, answers to the public, and ensures that we have, as stated in the resolution, making sure that there's no fraud and there's good management of all public dollars.

[00:54:18] It is critical. And I will say over the last couple of years, I've never been more proud of the work that Chair Wall, who's chair of our audit committee, Vice Chair Blake, or Vice Chair, well, it was Vice Chair Blake and Vice Chair Jesse, while they have served on the audit committee, it has been an extremely strong group of committed individuals working really hard on some of the toughest issues that the school division faces.

[00:54:41] And I truly appreciate that work. And I appreciate the board for taking this work very seriously and recognizing this month. Please vote.

[00:55:05] - The vote is seven yes, one abstained. Tridentic, motion passed. - Up next is citizen comment time. Those citizens who sign up in advance with the clerk may address the school board this evening when they are called to the podium. The citizen comment period for regular school board meetings is one hour and citizens may speak on agenda items or other topics germane to the operations and policies of PWCS.

[00:55:22] please use proper decorum and manners while at the podium or you will be asked to step aside. We ask that the audience please be respectful of each speaker and refrain from any clapping, cheering, or jeering to avoid disruption of the meeting. If you do not do so, the board will recess. I will ask the room to be cleared to restore public order.

[00:55:37] Tonight, we have six citizens signed up to speak. When I call your name, please come to the podium and state your name and address for the record. Let me go ahead, I'll call all the names so everybody knows the order you're in. And there will be these six. Kaitlin Weston, Blake Herra, Rina Stapp, Sanam Jawad Khasmi, Troy Harris, Kimberly Melman Orozco.

[00:56:01] Kaitlin Weston, Kaitlin Weston, okay. Blake Herra.

[00:56:20] - Ms. Mills, once they get there, preferably.

[00:57:23] Oh, sorry. Good evening, board members, chair, Dr. McDade. My name is Blake Herra, my address is on file.

[00:57:39] So the hours were released next year, not the most logistically sound addition to the teachers because it's gonna harm a lot of our high school teachers specifically, and just teachers overall in general with young children.

[00:57:56] I'm not sure if anybody on the board is aware that the average daycare time in Prince William County opens at 6:30, and with high school teachers, you're expecting them to be there at seven o'clock. Not a lot of people, the west side of the county is not as populated as the east side of the county, and a lot of the specialty programs the west side of the county and now expecting to travel from someone who's going to be in woodbridge drops her kid off at daycare and then they got to make it over to somewhere around gainesville whatever i don't know anybody who can make that drive in 30 minutes because again it's not geographically possible so what i've handed to you was the chart that i've done was for every single

[00:58:35] for every single school in each of your districts in a city across a teacher choosing a particular to daycare and going to that daycare so a month ago a member on this dais told me that i'm not going to name a teacher if the teachers want a paycheck they'll have to figure it out hundreds of teachers also emailed hr um and got a similar message but i'm not going to kind of read that one either but under these under these conditions teachers just can't simply figure it out when

[00:59:10] you geographically you physically cannot make it to ie i can't make it to dumfries to gaming to gainesville in like less than an hour unless i'm like driving like 100 miles an hour so i can't that so there's a lot of logistical challenges that you didn't take into account as far as when you're doing this and a lot of these things are clearly open to clearly open to the board because they're on bus routes you have the new one two thirty four the one route one two thirty four loop road the gav you have the miniville uh whatever the miniville intersection that they're redoing and another thing too is if you pay attention pay attention uh to the hiring website

[00:59:48] way if you look at the biggest jump in open positions it started the day those hours were released there's a six percent vacancy rate within dwcs right now and if you look at it it's gone up like almost two percent in i think there's probably something i don't know how to write down there's probably like 80 positions that have opened up among certified teachers the teacher portion not just overall trainers etc stuff like that so i would ask you guys that you reconsider this decision because you're going to put a lot of teachers at harm To where they're going to potentially have to quit and that's not you you have a vacant these vacancy and a retention problem

[01:00:28] Begin with you don't don't put yourself in that position. Thank you, mr Rena staff. All right. Good evening superintendent mcdade Dr. Lateef and members of the school board. My name is rena staff and my address is on file with the clerk I would like to talk tonight about teacher appreciation week Teachers in this county and all across the nation are some of the most hard-working people That I know they work far beyond their contract hours spend their own money to make their classrooms amazing for the kids and they're there every day for our children they deserve all the accolades

[01:01:07] we can possibly rain down upon them last month the board of county supervisors proposed a large budget cut to pwcs and i was disheartened to see that the first thing on the list of proposed cuts from this group was a well-earned pay raise teachers are the backbone of the education system and i don't think anyone can argue with that i'm hoping that the list was sent out of of potential cuts talking about pay raises and extracurriculars was meant to fire up the community to push back against the Board of County Supervisors.

[01:01:37] Obviously it worked and PWCS received nearly all of the expected funding. But teachers should not be bargaining chips. Their raises are not to be on the chopping block as the first thing to be cut when budgets get tight. So please let's show appreciation to the teachers by respecting them and not toying with their future planning.

[01:01:54] Thank you.

[01:01:59] - Sanam Jawad Khasmi.

[01:03:19] - Good evening, everyone. My name is Sanam Khasmi. apologize I'm a little unprepared I'm here because I am a mother of a nine-year-old daughter who was a victim of a bus driver forcefully putting her hands on my child on the bus unprovoked with force and I have put in complaints with transportation I have put in complaints with CPS I've put in complaints with I mean ombudsman I've gone everywhere and I haven't made a lot of headway

[01:03:52] i've been ghosted by transportation they originally did give me a verdict of no abuse when i asked for documentation or what they deem as abuse and whatnot they haven't gotten back to me they have not told me they haven't even acknowledged the fact that she was actually physically touched or not i did go to the school and review the video the video did show my daughter was indeed grabbed by the shoulders stood to her feet with force the excuses that it was an open hand gesture instead of a closed hand gesture so it doesn't show abuse regardless like i said i've been

[01:04:32] ghosted by transportation they have the coo has started another investigation the bus driver is now back on duty cps did confirm that there was protocols broken the driver protocols that shouldn't have been that were in place and they said that she shouldn't have done certain things that she did on the bus the school did acknowledge that the touch was unwarranted again i haven't gone any far with this topic as far as with transportation and the investigation

[01:05:05] i'm asking you guys to look into it further to bring it to you know light give me the justice that my daughter deserves i had recorded the altercation because this wasn't the first incident with the bus driver in the video she is she threatens to run me over with the bus two times she's very aggressive she's shouting at the top of her lungs route manager experienced the same aggression that i experienced there's three other parents at the bus stop i'm representing multiple parents today so i have signatures i'm just not done getting it signed by everybody so i will email

[01:05:39] that to the clerk when i get a chance i guess we're here today because we want transparency we want liability we want accountability and we want this bus driver not to be on route especially right now while the ceo is still investigating this she should be taken off the ceo did tell me that there's no guarantee in the future that she could be any of my kids bus driver middle school elementary high school substitute since there's no guarantee the only way you're able to give me that guarantee after this abuse is to remove the bus driver she's not safe for my

[01:06:11] kids and she's not safe for anybody else's kids thank you thank you troy harris good evening board as i stand here before you this evening i come to you asking just for your ear my child attends osborne park high school i have gone through the proper steps of with the administration as far as

[01:06:49] getting a meeting with the administration I was denied as a parent I inherently have rights to discuss my child with the administration and have been denied that I took it over to this associate superintendent the associate superintendent has denied me the right for meeting an in-person meeting with my child now I am here today asking you the board especially dr. Lateef dr. McDade to you as an elected official as a community member I'm asking you to hear my words personally and a personal meeting with you dr. McDade I'm asking

[01:07:27] the same I sent an email out to you directly and I have not heard back from you I have not received any other communications and asking and about my meeting through your Sophie associate superintendent the Osborne Park basketball boys coach has been retaliating against my child for months i have written documentation from the principal of that school from the coach told her explicitly i don't want anything i want to be have myself removed or distanced from my son this is the coach

[01:08:03] that oversees who participates in the basketball program my son seeks to participate in the basketball program but he has told the administration I don't want to have anything to do with this child he does not speak to my child any longer he does not look at my child any longer they walked side by side in a stairwell six feet wide he won't even acknowledge my child and he has done so prior to me coming here speaking to you for a coach to be able to say that work to any student in that school you should be disgusted to have somebody that is in

[01:08:38] the school system that can say a particular kid they don't want to be around because they disagree with the thoughts and the opinions that their parents have and that's what we're dealing with here the administration of the school has been disgusting towards it because they try to turn the table and say these are learning curves that this coach is learning to to to coach and to deal with this program a learning curve does not say i don't want to have anything or i want to distance myself from a child. A learning curve does not see that child and not speak to them anymore and does not acknowledge that child when they used to.

[01:09:15] So McDade, Lateef, I am asking you to hear me personally. I'm not asking you to agree with what I'm saying. I'm not asking you to act on what I'm saying. I'm asking you to hear what I'm saying. I believe the information that I have from the administration that shows that this teacher had said this directly to her, you will see that what I am seeing here today I appreciate your time thank you

[01:09:43] Kimberly Melman Orozco my name is dr. Kimberly Melman Orozco and my address is on file Prince William County Public Schools is engaged in systemic violations to special education law they're violating the IDA they're violating the ADA they are violating the basic fundamental civil liberties of children and as you've heard two parents just now talking about other violations that

[01:10:20] occur but I know what this board is going to do I've experienced it over the last few years I've talked to dozens and dozens of parents who have experienced it when anyone brings anything to your attention this is the procedure that you follow first you'll say it didn't happen then you'll say if it did happen it wasn't that bad next you'll say if it was bad it's not that big of a deal then you're saying if it is a big deal it's not our fault then after that you say if it is our fault we didn't mean it and if we did meet it you deserved it that's a

[01:10:56] page out of the narcissist prayer that's what Prince William County Schools does in response to parents bringing legitimate concerns systemically affecting kids with disabilities and that's what you all are doing case in point the last time I was here I heard a prepared presentation from Dr. Ryer or your Associate Superintendent for Special Education.

[01:11:19] She stood up here with smiles and a PowerPoint saying how, yes, there have been an increase in complaints, but there's also an increase in settlements, 58%, I think she said. I was one of the parents you guys tried to settle with. You offered me $20,000 if I signed an NDA with Teeth.

[01:11:39] I spoke about this last month, and I'm sure, Dr. Lateef, Your little speech about transparency and internal auditing is in response to the fact that my speech amassed 2 million views within a week and the thousands of comments called for investigation into this county for what you're doing, because instead of wielding your $2 billion budget to help kids to remediate your failures, instead of doing that, you're placing the blame on parents because Dr.

[01:12:09] ryer last time said that parents are quote-unquote electing to file complaints do you really think any parent wants to file a complaint i was a parent in this county for over a decade before i filed my first but this is what happens in response to anyone who has advocated for civil rights this is what happened in the 1960s and the reason why dr martin luther king said our nation's summer riots follow winters of delay no one's rioting we're filing complaints because we want a difference and with that in the last 15 seconds i want to make every parent aware that there is a

[01:12:46] law firm by the name of whitbeck begless they're taking cases they're going to bring suits against you if you don't remediate what you're doing contact liz fuller get your rights for your kids because this board will not do it for you okay that um complete citizen comment time for this evening we're moving on next to what are we moving anyway 14 14 code of behavior proposed 26 27 code

[01:13:21] of behavior up for information dr mcdade all right thank you mr chairman at this time i would like to invite our associate superintendent daryl sampson to the podium and he is accompanied i do believe by the by teresa while the director of student hearings department and they will be bringing for the code of the annual code of behavior amendments thank you dr mcdade and chair latif vice chair jesse and members of the board appreciate the opportunity tonight to share

[01:13:56] our proposed updates for the prince william county public schools code of behavior for 2026 and 27. our goal today is to highlight feedback received clarify some recent updates and share how this work supports fair consistent and transparent disciplinary practices i do want to give a special thank you before we start to start to miss kathy porter lucas and dr charmel atkins who have led much of this work particularly prior to my appointment and i really appreciate their continued partnership and collaboration as we work as a whole team across the division

[01:14:34] to support the implementation of the code of behavior it truly is a team effort and this work reflects all of the many leaders that contribute every day to its implementation okay so today we'll cover these key objectives during the presentation and i want to ground us all in our code of behavior is uh really part of our fpwcs strategic plan elevate 2030 really in the area of commitment 2 which is in supporting positive climates and culture particularly in its

[01:15:14] establishment of our safe and supportive school environments a reminder for those that are watching it is a requirement under Virginia code that school boards regularly review the school divisions code of conducts in terms of adoption so the purpose of our pwcs code of behavior is to clearly communicate and establish guidelines and expectations for our students conduct during the the school and school activities.

[01:15:47] We really try to emphasize in our code of behavior universal education as well as supports that are available for our students. And we want to highlight that positive school climates are partnerships between schools, families, and the community.

[01:16:05] This truly is a collaborative effort with all of those in our community. The last year, just as a quick refresher, we fully adopted the student behavior and administrative response framework that is supported through the Virginia Department of Education.

[01:16:25] And that really seeks to address student behavior from a holistic perspective, and that it provides both disciplinary consequences for student behaviors and also at the same time really tries to support that students should get interventions and supports to address the root cause of student behaviors and then teach them new skills to try to make different choices in the future.

[01:16:51] Our interventions and disciplinary responses are not mutually exclusive, okay? So they are both used together to be able to address incidents that occur in our schools. You know, so for example, students may engage in a physical altercation that is determined to be a fight.

[01:17:09] The students may be assigned suspension as the disciplinary response, And with the suspension may also participate in a restorative conference or a small group intervention to build some new skills to better understand the impact of their behaviors as well as repair harm. It is not. It is both versus being or okay. So and a reminder that our administrators really are responsible for the assignment of our disciplinary consequences.

[01:17:40] and when we look at interventions a variety of staff roles do have the ability and the skill set to be able to help our students learn new skills and new ways of thinking okay I will now turn this over to miss Teresa Duvall our director of student hearings evening so we had the opportunity to gather a lot of feedback here's our timeline we had a variety of the superintendent's advisory councils that we spoke with and gathered feedback from them in addition to that

[01:18:16] we spoke with students in a variety of different settings as well and this year was our first time that we focused on our alternative education locations we had student focus groups both at computer-based instruction and also at our independence non-traditional school and gathered their input as well to get feedback so from those stakeholders just kind of roll through the the main themes and threads that we saw with the administrator feedback the definition and looking more into restorative practices and aligning those with our tiered

[01:18:52] student behaviors similar to what dr. Samson was just speaking to also our code of behavior at a glance inquiring about having the opportunity for a kind of a shorter version, so to speak, that is something that we would consider without losing the integrity of what our code of behavior has and everything that we bring to the table with that.

[01:19:16] In addition to that defining and clarifying distribution of substances, you'll see that kind of teased out in here as well. We did have 100% of our administrators said that they were very familiar or somewhat familiar with our code behavior along with a hundred percent agree that it creates a safe learning environment and a hundred percent of our administrators also feel that it supports an equitable environment this year was the first year we went to the leveling system aligned with our sbar codes and 75 felt that the leveling helped provide guidance and they appreciated that

[01:19:52] our advisory and community feedback that we received a greater emphasis needed on cyber bullying and we have enhanced that as well and clarified that also adding developmental context around pre-k and kindergarten students are persistently dangerous codes were at the very back of our code of behavior they are now embedded alphabetically within our code and also a definition page that will go into a little bit more detail as well as moving through the presentation our student feedback always appreciate the opportunity to hear from our students

[01:20:30] we had the opportunity to have 134 student responses we look forward to gathering even more next year 63% of those were at the high school level and 37% were at the middle school level 95% of our students felt very familiar or somewhat familiar with the code of behavior 99% felt that it was easy to understand and 73% voiced that they felt with their experience that it was fair and that they understood the Code of Behavior this consistent enforcement is ongoing this year we've had monthly trainings with admin as well as we

[01:21:09] appreciate our deans that were added this year our discipline deans and reviewing disciplinary scenarios with them and working with our documenting and addressing student behaviors workgroup which is a multi-tiered group across multi-disciplines areas of focus that you're going to see in our 26 27 Coda behavior this is a comprehensive list and I'm going to highlight and go into more detail in the following slides highlighting on a couple of these is we've enhanced and added language around artificial intelligence intelligence student activism to provide greater clarity and balancing the needs

[01:21:47] for safe and orderly activism in our schools and also our definitions at the appendix so our artificial intelligence just to expand on that we've included it in our regulation 295.5 in addition to that under cheating including plagiarism and you also see it under our misuse of technology highlighting the use of artificial intelligence to impersonate the likeness of others will be more specific to students and helping them understand we are excited about AI but we also need to provide guidance around it as well we added a

[01:22:25] clarification of discipline regarding truancy there are four codes under Virginia code related to truancy that students may not if you look at the legal guidance no ISS which is in-school suspension OSS out-of-school suspension or class restriction can be assigned for those violations so those are our objective is working with our principals our student support teams our counselors or social workers to identify the why behind these actions and help to provide those supports for students so that way we can help motivate and move

[01:23:00] them in a better direction so not all of those we have now aligned all of those within our new document education for first-time prohibited substance abuse violations all secondary students who receive disciplinary consequences for prohibited substances will be provided a substance abuse educate education program to give them guidance on what their choices are doing to themselves and their bodies and helping them make better choices.

[01:23:32] So we're excited to have that opportunity to offer. We've expanded on our derogatory language and images, so focusing on our slurs and symbols and noting the use of derogatory slurs and symbols that demean or intimidate an individual group and how that will be investigated underneath of harassment.

[01:23:53] So our clarification with student activism finding this very important to make sure while we recognize our students right to their first amendment. There's also a focus on making sure while exercising their free speech that we balance this with the right of all students to a safe and orderly school experience.

[01:24:12] This language clarifies the guidelines for students who wish to engage in peaceful activism and the requirement that they should work with their school administrators to ensure that it does not disturb the learning environment and that students safely and can all safety can be maintained at all times.

[01:24:31] So this is clear guidance that's been provided. We also have highlighted clarification on grades pre-k to three regarding suspensions. This is state code. No students in grades preschool through three shall be suspended for more than three school days unless.

[01:24:50] So those aggravating circumstances must exist. So conduct that causes or poses a credible threat of serious physical injury or death. Also creating or an ongoing or unreasonable risk to the safety of students and staff.

[01:25:07] And the third under aggravating circumstances that involves the use of a weapon or reflects a pattern of behavior that is persistent and unresponsive to documented interventions like to hand it back over to Dr. Sampson thank you so as we talked about before we got a lot of feedback even last year from some members of the board about really wanting a specific definition section that was very clear and so we've been able to put that in the back as well as make sure that the definitions when they're presented in the body of the text are aligned so a few highlights

[01:25:47] we got a lot of comments and questions from our administrators over the course of the year about what is the difference how are we differentiating between assault battery and fighting and so really here trying to look at these differences where you know assault is can be gestures and words but it's really those actions that are taken by an individual to be threatening they are they are seeing those actions as potentially being a threat of violence to themselves they're in real danger of being physically harmed battery is when they are then

[01:26:23] making physical contact so you often see both in our code here but also in virginia code outside of schools is really often assault and battery together battery is when you have made that physical contact and it does align those two definitions do align with state definitions in other places fighting however is when there are mutual there's mutual decision to participate in that physical violence so there's that mutual choice for that level of physical engagement and so i think that that's really helpful for administrators when they're trying to determine

[01:27:00] what code applies to a particular instance they now have that clarity when we talk about distribution this is another area that our administrators were really looking for clarification we have to clarify that the distribution of prohibited substances is not solely confined to selling of prohibited substances or trading in kind for those but it is inclusive of simply sharing substances between peers within the schools it also reflects that distribution includes both the student

[01:27:36] who may be providing the substances as well as the student who is receiving the substances or asking for the substances all over though when we talk about prohibited substances this also is inclusive of any look-alike substances so even if a substance does not turn out to be something that in the end is prohibited it would still be considered distribution if there was a strong belief that it was was one at the time across the document we had really tried to look at all of our the pieces of it and try to reduce redundancies where

[01:28:15] possible. We've placed all the applicable resources and policies at the very front of the document to try to provide clarity as well as then we can refer to those policies and resources throughout the body of the document without having to restate them throughout. We also put information on bullying harassment that is often one of the things we get asked about the most right at the front of the document altogether so that those updated and clarified definitions are present as well as the multiple ways that our families and students can report concerns that they have in those areas overall then due to the feedback we got

[01:28:54] on the scope of the document the size of the document we did look through and try to remove places where we had truly duplicative information so we're talking about situations where one section at the very front would have a section on bullying and then three pages later there would be another section on bullying that was almost in most cases literally verbatim.

[01:29:15] And so trying to really take out some of the bulk where we could, however, without losing any of the required information or information that is really required for legal purposes. Last week we did review the leveled responses.

[01:29:31] We did not make substantive changes to the leveled responses. We know that there was a lot of work done last year when the 2526 code of behavior was drafted and adopted. But we did do a review just to make sure that we were still consistent and that we had clearly delineated those leveled responses that exceeded those that were present within the model policy.

[01:29:56] The code of behavior will continue to be mainly accessed through Clean Catalog. online that is available through all of our school websites as well as the district website and it is available in the nine most prevalent languages that are spoken across the district and families of course if they would like a hard copy can request a hard copy from their school in their preferred language as Ms. Duvall spoke about earlier we're going to continue to work on calibrating those administrator responses we know that that was something that we certainly heard from our students but there has been a lot of work that has

[01:30:34] been done this year and we can continue to do through our regular professional learning opportunities with principals but also with our deans of students we continue to meet regularly with the documenting addressing student behaviors group and that's really to make sure that as leaders we are aligned in our interpretation of the code of behavior as well as ensuring that we're not just looking solely at disciplinary consequences but that we're also looking at making sure we have those interventions and supports in place to help students have the skills they need to make different choices in the future and then once adopted we will be updating our student facing materials

[01:31:13] those presentations that get made by the schools in the fall so that it reflects any updates that we make and then of course we are always continuing to think through and work through Dr. Ryer's team and Dr. Darwin Barker who is our director of multi-subsidism of support to make sure that we continue to have layers of education as well as these interventions up and down the school continuum so that our students can get what they need in terms of being able to behave as we expect in our schools I'm looking ahead as we start to even think

[01:31:48] about the 27 28 code of behavior we do want to look at revisions to ensure that we have streamlined and consolidated content whenever practical and possible of course it's always appropriate to make sure that we continue to be aligned with state guidance and model policies and we're not looking to make substantive changes necessarily to SBAR coding and leveling but we'll of course continue to review that on an annual basis and we were really excited to have such an opportunity to get robust feedback this year and we want to make sure that we continue that so that we do use the feedback from our students

[01:32:23] our staff and the community as we consider what revisions might be needed for the future and with that uh miss duvall and i are available for questions mr denning thank you all very much i um i appreciate the changes i appreciate um in your presentation that you note where to find that exact thing that you're talking about that's excellent for us when we're getting your presentation looking back at things um i appreciate that it's no secret i've not been a fan of the

[01:33:00] the code of behavior as it is in some parts um i've said that prior to this i really do appreciate the changes that i'm seeing the way that we're trying to simplify getting rid of things that were redundant because that's something that i also pointed out a lot of um and trying to simplify it down so that when you're reading it it's easier to to comprehend um there are still some things that i'm not a huge fan of but i think a lot of it is um you know down to human behavior and human choice is is a little bit you know we don't get to control how humans are going to respond but you

[01:33:36] know the the word recommended um i just looked on here and this might be wrong because it's a computer who knows but it's it's mentioned 17 times um and i think that that's one thing that i struggle with a little bit because you can recommend a certain uh consequence to me and recommend a certain consequence to mr wilk and the way that we choose to respond is going to be different because we're different humans um so that's also that inconsistency that you're still going to see in different schools because of that so um again that's just another uh concern of mine

[01:34:11] i do appreciate that assault battery and fighting clarifying further i think that's great um we talked about that a little bit of course a big thing that parents have talked to me about this year is truancy and how that's defined um and so i appreciate that i still think there's some clarity there that i'm struggling with as a parent too and again you know that's when you um when you get those letters especially to um non-english speakers english is not their first language um i get a lot of questions from these parents asking what what happens next you know what's going on what's what

[01:34:48] goes on should i not go home and see my family these kind of questions that you're getting at different levels my daughter's in kindergarten you know that kind of thing or is she not going be allowed to go to first grade you know those kind of clear questions um i also really appreciate the uh the changes that make it more clear on behaviors that occur outside of the school too i i liked those changes that i saw in there and i know another thing that parents bring up a lot is the ai um talking about that and and those things so i think that that's great that you added that in here um and i don't have any questions those are my comments for now if i have any other

[01:35:27] questions i'll be sure to send those to you guys as well over the next couple of weeks as we can continue to review. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Trandenik. Ms. Williams. Thank you. The code of behavior has come a long way. This might be my my favorite addition yet. I think it's very clean. I love that you can search because I always tell people to go to a little box in the corner. Most people are much more comfortable with that. It's I don't have any questions. I do have a suggestion moving forward similar to I think I've heard expressed from some of of the board members and various things that we do now is sort of like a cheat sheet to kind of explain it simplify it a little bit the things that I hear most

[01:36:07] from parents is when their student gets in trouble there's even in here there's really only one line for appeals and I think that's something that's not a process it's not very well understood because it's changed our smacked SDH we keep getting new initials so it gets hard for I think parents understand what when your student gets in trouble at that moment what do you do and I think we don't really guide them as well as we could we we're focused on the rules so much but as a parent that's the one time where you you just don't think you're like my child so I think if we could note something in there moving forward I'm I'm not the person to wordsmith it but I think it may be easier on the

[01:36:44] administration as well as our families and dealing with that situation and I am so excited about the focus groups from our non-traditional students I think that's a voice that we really could capture and specifically with to go to behavior. I like the updates. I don't have anything else to say, just great job.

[01:37:01] And I really appreciate all the hard work that's gone into this. Thank you. - Thank you. - Okay, Mr. Jessie. - Yep, I just have a couple of questions. One on the definition of assault and batteries and fighting.

[01:37:19] I'm having trouble trying to figure out with a fight. I always see a fight if somebody started the fight. And so if Dr. Lateef here and I getting into argument and I push him then we both start fighting so what's the definition what's the difference between assault in the fight in that situation right I think in general when you're looking at something like assault and battery that other person is often not in a position where they are also up and

[01:37:57] engaging per se they might be doing something that's more self-defense in nature I think really the fight is when you've got people often really you know engaging physically together I think we also have situations where students agree to engage in that sort of physical altercation mutually which is where I think we see a lot of that definition coming into play questions I ask I think

[01:38:29] every time this comes up I see you have the definition situation where if I take a drug from another student I'm also about is the punishment generally recommended the same for the two sure I think what we really tried to do with that definition of distribution is clarify distribution and those consequences apply similarly to the student who is requesting the substance or getting the substance as well as the student who is receiving the substance

[01:39:05] yes sure I mean the level of response from the administration you know they would be able to look at that and determine based upon that scenario but we would view those two students that the distribution takes two people yes because my concern has always been you know we have a tendency to want to punish the person that brings the drugs in but then we feel sorry for the person

[01:39:42] particularly if they go to the hospital for taking the substance but if they weren't there to encourage somebody to bring it in it's a really catch-22 sure as a minority I know that the situation we have jails fill and prison fill with with people with drugs and using and it's a difficult situation but it is a thing that I think very difficult to deal with thank you sure thank you mr.

[01:40:18] - Mr. Wilk. - Thank you, I appreciate your time and the information presented. I'll start with like the positives and lauding certain things. I do believe adding the deans of students has provided consistency across the board.

[01:40:36] I do like how you've gone through more so than ever with the redlining and stuff and truncated kind of the verbiage that's almost repetitive, like you said, duplicative. I found that a lot of that made this a lot more streamlined when reading the documents. So the consolidation was good.

[01:40:52] I like the organization of the coding. You know, just simple things, you know, alphabetizing. Just, it was real quick to find things much easier looking in the document. I do have a, you know, a suggestion, unless I was doing something wrong with the functionality of the webpage that you showed on slide 22.

[01:41:11] I was playing around with it today, using that search bar on the left side. It didn't seem to do really much difference with searching words. So if I search, for example, pepper spray, nothing changed on the right. That was more granular.

[01:41:27] But then if I search the word fighting, nothing changed on the right. And so I was wondering, is that maybe me? Or if we could look into that and find a situation. I know we have a pretty sagacious, savvy tech team that we could make sure that we link it.

[01:41:44] Because if I'm a parent and I'm looking for a keyword or pepper spray actually in the beginning of this year in one of my middle schools was dispersed. And I'm a parent and right away I'm like, oh my goodness, what is this child gonna get for doing this or whatever? 'Cause I find that's actually a lot of times what the parents are looking for is how are you gonna punish the perpetrator?

[01:42:03] I understand. But if I'm looking for pepper spray or something, I couldn't find it. I have to open a document and do a control F and then try to find it that way. So if we can make it and look into that, that would be really helpful. I have a question.

[01:42:19] So I really kind of focused in on the younger grade bands when I was doing my overview of it. Relatively satisfied, at least I am, with the 6-12 leveling in the tiered intervention. I think we've come a long way. A lot of suggestions and collaboration that we made with that.

[01:42:37] A keen focus of mine has been in that pre-K to two range. And I know we are in a sense, what's the right word now? limited i guess in a sense by the general assembly um and restricted on some of the policies that we can do for that level pre-k to two but is there something that says that every almost i'm going to say a good portion of the infractions for pre-k to two offers a level one tiered intervention really no matter what the severity is sure i think we base a lot of that leveling initially off what

[01:43:15] is presented in the model policy which is supposed to be the guide that divisions use again you can absolutely shift it particularly up um so i think we use that as a guide i think the other thing that we think about when we think about pre-k students and the fact that we are looking as a division to expand the presence of pre-k students within our our schools is that at that age so much of the curriculum but so much of the focus is on helping kids learn behaviors and they they may not have all of the skills yet or the background to be able to make the same types of

[01:43:54] choices that we would expect even a 10 year old or certainly an 18 year old to be able to make. I think what the leveled responses do is they provide administrators based upon the specific incident and the specific student context for that incident to include four-year-olds versus even six-year-olds and expectations it allows them that flexibility to look at that behavior within that developmental range as well as that specific attributes of the case and then make a decision that could be a level one but I think most of the time

[01:44:30] we have level one two level one two three as options understanding that how an administrator may assign discipline in that case may look different for a a younger student than an older student even within that band no I appreciate that I definitely concur about the pre-k I guess in my issue is almost I feel like breaking it apart and saying I think there could be a lot more expectations on a second grader or even a first grader than a kindergartner or a pre-k student um and and and you know some of the worst bullying

[01:45:03] situations that I hear about are at the actually elementary level um and so that concerns me and And if I'm looking, a couple specific areas that I did look at, given some of the situations that had arisen this year with like, for example, harassment, racial, gender, sexuality, harassment, you know, pre-K to two offers a level one as an option, three to five offers a level two.

[01:45:31] Again, just my opinion, but I think it's almost too lenient, in my opinion, depending on the racial, and again, this is just me, and I'm not really asking a question, I'm just saying some of the concerns I have, especially like if you go to the next one, repeated harassment starts at a level two for pre-K to five.

[01:45:50] And again, I would say that almost it's two different grade bands there because if I have a fourth or fifth grader saying a racially derogatory word over and over again to another student, I don't think a level two would be even an option, at least for me.

[01:46:08] And I understand the flexibility of it, but it gives me the appearance that that is a first option to choose from to do that if it's like the first or second time that they do repeated offenses, whereas I don't really feel like that should even be an option for repeated racial offenses and verbally, that type of stuff, in my opinion, again.

[01:46:32] And bullying, of course, is another big one that we tackle and we wrestle here and all divisions do. It's a growing concern. know you guys mentioned cyber bullying um you know being an important topic um with cyber bullying i also noticed that it is a tier one option to start with cyber bullying for the younger grade bands i guess again i can see if you're breaking it apart with a preschooler a three-year-old again versus a second grader i don't know i guess i just see major kind of differences between

[01:47:08] that age range sure i mean i think when we think about the developmental nature of children and how behavior in many instances for them is communication and our goal as an educational body to try to teach them and reteach them so that we really try to head off in the future i think our goal particularly with those younger grades is let's try to get at some of these issues and concerns early so that we prevent them continuing to occur when they're in middle school and high school and suddenly sometimes there are bigger

[01:47:43] things at stake I certainly understand that perspective and I think we are our goal was to provide a range of options for students at those age bands to really reflect the wide swath of human development we see in those ages just just to kind of close this particular topic out because i know that um mr wilk has some other things that he wants to to address here we also don't want to get too far away from the model guidelines either um we also want to make sure that discipline is fair and just to remind the

[01:48:18] board that we we do have accountability metrics from the state in terms of exclusionary discipline and so you know we have to be reasonable if it is a it's a baseline right it's a place to start and when we're talking about young children who are still in the developmental learning stage where they are learning right from wrong we don't want to at that young age start at the top you you want to have a baseline that people can work up from which is why i do think that having the deans in place having the regular calibration sessions and then having the process where if a primary student

[01:48:57] is being recommended for any kind of you know discipline especially that will be exclusionary it goes through an approval process that goes beyond just the school and so that's the checks and balances to make sure that if there is something egregious that it is addressed in the appropriate way but also protecting that we do have young learners and for some of those students their first time in formal education and so we don't want to start so high that we create a situation where we are issuing discipline that to students that are unfair for their developmental stage so we'll take what's being said under advisement but I

[01:49:34] do I do want to put out publicly that you know we do not want to get too far away from the model guidelines and we also do not want to ignore the research around child development a hundred percent I get the model guidelines again we are you know limited to what we can do and I understand the importance of following those, I guess my experience with the bullying, even with improvements that we've seen, and there have been major improvements in this area, is that especially in the elementary schools, it seems like from the conversations that I've had with parents of childs who are the victims, that it's repetitive and nothing is happening

[01:50:14] to the students who is the perpetrator, the repeat offender. I understand we are limited in suspensions and things like that. And I do agree about the importance of educating them and teaching them. I just feel like sometimes there's too many chances.

[01:50:32] - I think, well, I think we need data for that. I think we have to actually show that that is true. And this year we are collecting data to bring forward to say like how many infractions were in a particular code. So towards the end of the year, we will be bringing that forward.

[01:50:47] I do wanna make sure that whatever we are positing it is rooted in some form of objective data as opposed to just saying that it's happening all the time and comparing what has changed from prior versions of the code of behavior to the to what we've implemented now and what we've done with report we've made significant changes to reporting we've also with the deans we've gotten a lot more norming happening across the system certainly it It is not perfect, but I would rather that we first assess where we are with the changes that we've made and then use that data to analyze what adjustments

[01:51:25] need to be made rather than making the statements to be true across the board that something has increased or that things have not happened when we don't actually have comparative data to look at to say whether or not the things we put in place are working.

[01:51:42] - Understand, and I'm just expressing concerns of specific constituents over time. I'm, you know, no suggestion that this is a, you know, a rampant issue across the county. These are just me conveying concerns of things that I've seen, and again, not looking at the data, but just firsthand accounts of families coming to me about that.

[01:52:03] Last thing about bullying, and maybe it's something I missed, and I'm not asking to go to, but it's on like the page 47 of the document. It talks about the reporting procedures for a student who is being bullied and something like that. I notice there's really no mention of the educator in there.

[01:52:21] Like there's no mention that if a child is a victim and may not feel, may not have, they're not compelled necessarily to go on their own and make the report, but maybe there would be an intermediary that they could go to their teacher, that the teacher would have to report the bullying, especially if we're talking like that pre-K to five area.

[01:52:43] I don't know if it's because it's a different area, like what the teacher should do with bullying or something. But when I looked at the procedures, I didn't see any step or an option for the student that could go to the teacher who then would be responsible for reporting the bullying.

[01:53:00] - Sure, happy to clarify. So on page 48 of the clean copy, where it says, how can I report bullying? It says, any student can report bullying by talking to an administrator or a trusted school staff member, or by completing the bullying complaint form, any school staff member who receives a report of bullying must tell the school administration.

[01:53:22] Okay, and then students, it gives the link there. - Perfect, I missed it. Then I don't know what section I was looking at, but mine was 47 of the red lines, but no. I appreciate that solves that because I thought it was odd. I was like, wait, there's no mention of like adult intervention or anything at this point.

[01:53:37] - Sure, absolutely. - What I saw. - Yeah, absolutely, and I'm happy to state that publicly that if staff had a report of bullying or harassment, it must be reported to school administrators. - Perfect, and I'm gonna last one of concern and everything else I'll just talk to you or send it to you offline.

[01:53:54] The interference of classroom instruction, I think it's BAPI or whatever the coding of it, it says for a K-5, it only can be a level one and a 612, it is only a level two for interfering with learning in the classroom.

[01:54:11] Can you explain a little bit more about that escalation? Where do we go after that point? Especially with the 6-12 students, it is-- - Corruptive, thank you.

[01:54:33] - Sure, I think the goal there is thinking through like initially, like if a kid is talking too much, what does that basic intervention look like? If you've got a student who's out of their seat, what does that look like in terms of a basic first level of intervention?

[01:54:52] think what we would sort of say is you know there are additional codes as we get farther down you know about causing more substantial disruptions that we would also be able to look at if we had true concerns I think if we're looking at the SBAR model we would also say is if a student is really struggling with excessive talking or is up and moving about the classroom what is fueling that behavior that perhaps we need to also be addressing through some of these supportive measures or interventions through counseling through skill

[01:55:30] building groups that we could do you know potentially is there some sort of learning challenge that we haven't looked at that perhaps we should so I think there are codes where if the behavior continues to increase we might not continue to look at a BAP1 or a BAP2 but we would start to look at other codes but I would also say that SBAR in addition to providing those disciplinary responses we would want to see the school also begin to examine what is behind that behavior and try to put some of those interventions in place as well I do appreciate I didn't mention I do like when I read the bullying area that it says this could constitute as for example harassment and then you jump to

[01:56:09] that chain or if you look at harassment it could be constitute as assault and so So I did see the escalation depending on, again, where we're going or what the infraction was with that. But the classroom disruption or interference one has always been just an item of mine and kind of looking at really the process and the next steps, especially from a classroom teacher's eyes on where do we go if this is a repeated thing.

[01:56:34] - Absolutely. - But that's it, thank you so much. Like I said, a lot of compliments, a lot of good things, we're moving in a positive direction. And again, I think as Dr. McDade emphasized, a lot of the concerns I have are, you know, based off guidelines that we're following that are not our guidelines in a sense, and not going too far off the range with the disciplinary tiered intervention.

[01:56:55] So thank you so much. - Thank you. - Tracy Blake. - Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you for the presentation. I really appreciate this continued work to ensure the code of behavior reflects both, you know, the compliance with the state rate requirements and the involvement needs of our student in our community.

[01:57:15] What stands out to me in these proposed updates is the intentional shift towards the clarity, consistency, and prevention. So I really appreciate that. And I'm really encouraged to see stronger alignment around the restorative practices, interior responses, as well as efforts to reduce reliance on exclusionary discipline, you know, and instead focus on interventions that keep students connected to learning.

[01:57:43] So I really appreciate that from our community all of our kids up here the emphasis on student voice and feedback is also really important hearing directly from students about bullying in the reporting system and consistency across schools that reinforces this work so it must both be clear and accessible and not just for staff but also for students and family as well so I really appreciate that I'm I'm really happy with the code of behavior so you know I appreciate the focus on the education based responses

[01:58:23] particularly with the for the first time session substance abuse related incidents which aligns with our responsibility of supporting support learning and growth not just consequences you know so I appreciate that as well and at the core of all this work is you know with our shows and it aligns with our commitment to creating a positive climate and culture and and community here in Prince William County.

[01:58:50] So one where students feel safe, supported, and they're able to learn. And I just finished with, as we move forward, it will be important that we, that implementation remains consistent across schools and that families clearly understand both expectations and support.

[01:59:06] But just thank you again for this work that has gone into these proposed revisions. And like Ms. Williams said, I think this is the best version so far. So good job. - Thank you. - Okay, thank you guys, appreciate it.

[01:59:24] Up next is Student Representative Matters, Karina Grover of the Colgan High School. - Thank you so much, good evening everyone. I hope you're all doing well and have successfully accepted the fact that it is somehow already May. I'm not entirely sure how we got here so quickly, but we are here entering the season of exams, final projects, events, and students suddenly becoming deeply interested in grades.

[01:59:49] This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, which is a meaningful opportunity for us to recognize everything our teachers do for our school communities. Teachers are essential to every classroom. They do far more than just teach lessons. They mentor students, support us through challenges, create opportunities for growth, and help shape our futures every single day.

[02:00:09] At the same time, I think it's important to acknowledge that teachers are human. No teacher is perfect just as no student is perfect. They make mistakes, have difficult days, and are constantly balancing responsibilities that often go unseen by students. I know many students sometimes feel frustrated when they believe they're not being taught in the way they need, or when communication in a classroom feels difficult.

[02:00:31] If that is the case for you, I encourage you not to immediately give up or let frustration build. Instead, reach out to your teacher, start a conversation, share your concerns respectfully, and work together to figure out what support or adjustments may help you move forward more effectively.

[02:00:48] As we move further into exam season, everyone's favorite, I also want to remind everyone to prioritize both their academic and their well-being. This is naturally one of the most stressful points of the year with exams, SOLs, final projects, and all the end of year deadlines all happening at once.

[02:01:06] While it can feel tempting to survive purely on caffeine, I strongly recommend a different strategy. Please remember to prioritize your mental health, get enough sleep, stay organized, and make sure to reset when needed. Additionally, I know we already spoke the code of behavior thank you for that presentation but i want to remind everyone of the importance of the student voice bill of rights as these conversations take place it is critical that students continue to have meaningful voice in decisions that directly impact their daily school experience student voice should not be treated as an afterthought but rather as an essential part of creating policies that are fair effective and reflective of the needs of students

[02:01:45] across the division. I encourage everyone, especially students, to stay informed, engaged, and involved. Lastly, I'm excited to announce that fellow student representative Biolo Sarza and I will be presenting at the final school board meeting on June 3rd on the state of SVCs. This will be the first time this type of presentation has been giving, making it especially meaningful, great opportunity to highlight the incredible work of the student voice committees this year.

[02:02:12] We will be sharing accomplishments from throughout the year, discussing the impact SVCs have had on our community and emphasizing the importance of continued student leadership moving forward. We encourage everyone to attend, whether that's in person or virtually, so we can celebrate, reflect, and share all that our SVCs have accomplished.

[02:02:30] Thank you all again for being here tonight and for your continued dedication to students, staffs, and our school communities. As we head into the final stretch of the year, I hope everyone gives themselves a little grace, a little rest, and slightly fewer overdue assignments. Have a great evening.

[02:02:47] - Thank you, Ms. Grover. Dr. McDade, superintendent's time. - Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and yesterday May 5th was Teacher Appreciation Day. Across Prince William County Public Schools, we are grateful to our educators who bring our mission to life every day.

[02:03:04] Our teachers do so much for our students, families, colleagues, and community. I want to send my sincere gratitude to all PWCS teachers for your dedication, your resilience, your creativity, and your unwavering belief in our students. are central to the success of our schools and to our vision for every student. This week we also recognize National Nurses Week which runs from May 6th through May 12th and today is National School Nurse Day. Our school nurses provide care, comfort, expertise and a calming presence in moments that matter deeply to students and families. They support student wellness, they help manage health

[02:03:41] needs, respond to emergencies and ensure students are ready to learn. We are so appreciative of their compassion professionalism and essential service to our schools may is also national mental health awareness month a time to reaffirm that student well-being is foundational to student achievement i want to thank our school counselors psychologists social workers nurses teachers administrators and families who work together every day to support the mental and emotional health of our students and finally may is also better hearing and speech month and on may 18th we will recognize

[02:04:17] National Speech Language Pathologist Day. Our speech language pathologists and hearing specialists help students build communication skills that are essential for learning, confidence, relationships, and independence. I also want to remind families that kindergarten registration is open for the 26-27 school year.

[02:04:39] Starting kindergarten is a major milestone for children and families, and early registration helps our schools plan for staffing, class placement, transportation, and a strong start to the school year. Families can learn more and begin the registration process by visiting the PWCS website and selecting kindergarten registration.

[02:04:59] As we continue through testing season, as Karina just reminded us, I want to encourage our students to do their best, trust their preparation, and remember that these assessments are one measure of their learning, not the full measure of who they are. We are proud of their effort, growth, and determination that they show every single day.

[02:05:17] To our families, thank you for keeping students encouraged, engaged, well-rested, and present during this important time of the year. Your support makes a meaningful difference. And to our teachers and staff, thank you for helping students approach testing with confidence, focus, and a sense of purpose.

[02:05:36] Together, we will finish this school year strong. Grounded in care for our students, appreciation for our staff, and a shared commitment to helping every student thrive. Mr. Chairman, that concludes superintendent's time. - Thank you, Dr. McDade. Committee updates, Jen Wall on Governor's School.

[02:05:55] - Thank you, Dr. Lateef. The joint board of the academic year 2025-26 Governor's School met on April 16th for a regularly scheduled business meeting and Dr. Lateef and I were both in attendance at that meeting.

[02:06:12] Dr. Calhoun informed the board that the school year has gone well and he provided some updates for us. We also heard student presentations from the physics and engineering students, which was mind-blowing how smart those kids are.

[02:06:28] A couple of, like, I summarized their titles. They had one on Project Aetherion, Aerocool, Flares and Stars, Liquid Metal Cooling. I mean, smart, kids are smart, and their projects were cool. And it's always neat to hear directly from the students what they're working on.

[02:06:44] The seniors had finals last week, So they're all done. I heard some juniors saying, it's so weird. We're not going to see them anymore. It's really cute. I know the State Science Fair is done. And we have two student groups who are going on to International Science and Engineering Fair.

[02:07:00] So we wish them the best of luck. The VDOE evaluated our governor's school back in March. That was completed. And that is by state requirement. Governor's schools are reviewed every six years, I believe. And that report came back with a lot of commendations and a few suggestions for improvement, which I know we're in the process of implementing those.

[02:07:22] Our internal office of internal audit here in PWCS, we also conducted an audit of some of the aspects of Governor's School, and there was also a report that came forward, and those are also being followed up on. But great results overall.

[02:07:39] We're thankful for that process of evaluation and continuous improvement. It's really important that we do that at every level, even our high-flying governor's school. The class of 2028 admissions process is underway. It might even be decided at this point.

[02:07:56] We were told that we had 166 students with 82 juniors and 84 seniors, so really good balance. And we, a bunch of us attended the research symposium on May 1st, which was at the Freedom Center on the GMU campus, sorry, whatever campus, the SciTech campus of GMU.

[02:08:15] And it was great. and I saw a number of kids just go above and beyond with their presentation skills, describing their projects and just, they were so enthusiastic and they jumped right in and they're really, really smart.

[02:08:30] I'm saying it, I can't emphasize it enough how impressive these kids are and what a great program this is that we have here. Graduation is May 16th, graduation for Governor's School and that is hosted by Osborne High School, that's Manassas City Public Schools.

[02:08:47] we rotate this, we take turns. Last year it was our turn. This year it's Manassas City. That's a 10:00 a.m. begin date, or begin time. Again, that date is May 16th. So I'm looking forward to that and celebrating the accomplishments of these outstanding class of 2026 students.

[02:09:06] Yeah, so if you find any of them, it's a tough, rigorous program. Very tough, very rigorous. And they're all college bound to, they're just gonna fan out and take the great things of PWCS across the country, like literally all corners of the country.

[02:09:22] So congratulations to the class of 2026 Governor's School. - Thank you, Ms. Wall. Up next is board matters. We will start with Mr. Wilk this week. - Thank you, Chairman, Dr. Lateef. I'll be succinct with this.

[02:09:38] I know I talked a lot for the code of behavior. I did have a couple events that I did attend, a couple bingo nights, flashback bingo at Covington Harper, general bingo, oh my God, I can't talk. Bingo night at PADI. I was a caller, so you can see how well I was doing.

[02:09:58] Forest Park had their annual suicide awareness walk. That was a really compelling event. It was great to see so many students there attending the event. Potomac High School, I attended one of their choir benefit concerts, also with band and orchestra as well.

[02:10:17] Potomac also, a couple days ago, had one of their performances of "Evil Dead," the musical. It was definitely unique. I never knew it was a musical, but it is. And I can't say I've ever seen it before, but they did a really nice job.

[02:10:35] School-appropriate nice job, too. It is a zombie-killing musical, but it was fun. So that was good. Graham Park had a career day that I attended and kicked it off with Supervisor Bailey.

[02:10:51] Potomac Middle School had their own musical, nothing like Evil Dead, it was The Wizard of Oz. No death there, generally. So The Wizard of Oz was really good, it was Potomac Middle School's first real musical performance that I can remember in years, and it was phenomenal.

[02:11:10] And let's see, Henderson had their strings concert last night, and then one of my other favorite annual events at Mary Williams. They have their Storytellers Day. Dr. McDade, I think you came with me a couple times a few years back. This year it was rained out, so they had their event in the gym, and so the kids were having a good time.

[02:11:30] It's basically a summary, it's a celebration and an opportunity for students with special needs to do games and play in stations and different things like that, and in this case, go outside a little bit, even with the rain and the bubble machines and different things like that.

[02:11:46] And so it was really great. And I love that they do this every year. This was the fourth annual one and I love attending that as well. And I reserve the remainder of my time for Lori Williams. - Mr. Dranick.

[02:12:04] - Thank you. Happy May-cember as they call it. I know our teachers are feeling it because it is down to the wire and our seniors are definitely feeling it with their senioritis and all the fun things that are happening.

[02:12:22] I encourage our seniors to enjoy those moments and the last of being in your school for the last time, soaking it up 'cause you'd never get to go back to it. So truly enjoy it. I encourage you all to be super safe at prom and have a lot of fun.

[02:12:39] Enjoy your last moments on the field and be kind to your parents. They're trying to, okay, personally. I also just wanna thank you, Mr. Sampson, Dr. Sampson? Dr. Sampson, I think you did an excellent job presenting tonight.

[02:12:55] I don't know if that was your first presentation or not, but we'll say it was here, but I think you just did a great job. I really appreciate all the hard work and time that you took and the changes you made, so I just wanted to say thank you for that.

[02:13:11] - This is Ari Farr. - Thank you. So I did go to a few events. I came here to see the art show, which was amazing. It was, I think, the west part of the county is what was here on the last weekend. I also went to the SEAS event over at Woodbridge High School to look at the kids' projects and to-- just so many different kinds of ways that the students were talking about or sharing their ideas about the environment, improvements we can be making, or questions and curiosities they have.

[02:13:46] So that's one event I always look forward to. Straight hot off the press from Ms. Mills, I wanted to say congratulations to our Prince William County Cappies nominees. So this year we have seven nominations from Colgan High School and one from Osborne Park.

[02:14:03] Schools district, love you. Colgan has one for sound, but Chase Chapman, Leo D'Angelo, Jared Marquez, and Caitlin McCourt. Choreography is Charlotte Elliott. Orchestra is the Colgan Pitt Orchestra. Dancer in a female role is Charlotte Elliott.

[02:14:20] Comic actor in a female role is Maya Vilchik. Comic actor in a male role, Jeremiah Gates, and lead actor in a female role, Erin Rigby. Osborne Park's High School Between the Lines. Special effects and technology was Lillian Grace L.G. Branko, so she is our Osborne Park nominee.

[02:14:36] I am, and I get to go to the cafes this year, I'm so excited, so I can't wait to see all of our kids there. It is, today is Nurse Appreciation Day, so all of our school nurses, Thank you for everything you do, all the minor boo-boos and the major things that you help take care of in our schools.

[02:14:57] Thank you so much for everything you do to keep our students safe and maybe even sometimes some of our staff. It's also Teacher Appreciation Week, and it is Star Wars Week as well. Our teachers are mentors.

[02:15:13] They are problem solvers. They are counselors and innovators, and sometimes miracle workers. often before lunch and without a bathroom break. In many ways, teachers are the Jedi's of our community and they challenge our students and guide them, help them to discover their strengths and give them hope.

[02:15:35] And in return, students give us hope as well. Thank you teachers for your patience and wisdom that you have with our students and the care that you bring every day in our schools. In these last weeks of school, may the force be with you.

[02:15:52] - Ms. Zargarpur, yeah, the force, yeah. - I will say, I thought of you. - Jen Ball. - The fourth camera. No, I did think of Ms. Zargarpur when it was May the 4th. I was like, may the 4th be with you.

[02:16:08] I just really thought of you that day. - Today is revenge of the Sith. - Even better. Okay, happy school nurse day. My family, we had a very direct relationship with school nurses over many years because my son had type one, has type one diabetes.

[02:16:27] never get rid of it um and so i just want to give a huge shout out to all of our school nurses because you were so essential to our experience here in pwcs from grade kindergarten through grade 12. um teacher appreciation i want to thank our teachers for everything you do to help students of principal and kenny learn grow and thrive and if i had time i could identify by name the teachers who have made an influence had an an outsized influence on my children i will save that for another time because I always have time problems so anyway generally thank you to all of you who

[02:17:02] work so hard who prepare every day who is laughing because we have the same room who deliver lessons and assignments who meet with parents who stay after to meet with students who host clubs who volunteer on advisory councils who listen to concerns take the phone calls take time to email with parents meet with them when needed and go the extra mile in so many ways I thank you for your impact rather than run through everything I've been to I wanted to highlight just a few key events I enjoyed battlefields a little mermaid it was a there was so a lot of talent on that stage I loved bull run Shrek and I

[02:17:39] was really impressed with the quality of this middle school performance and I'm looking forward to Reikon middle schools Spongebob and Mountain Views show as well which at the moment I'm forgetting what it is but I'm excited about it I I went to the regional science fair for middle school this last weekend, and it was really rewarding to visit with all of the middle school students that I was able to get to.

[02:18:00] I didn't get to all of them, but I also appreciated that their level of science is more where I am in my understanding of science compared to the high schoolers. I was like, I got you. I understand your project. This is awesome. And they were brilliant. They were brilliant. Not that I'm brilliant, but they were brilliant.

[02:18:17] And it was so fun. I was so impressed. I'm like, you guys are 12, 13 years old. and you're talking to me in this manner with this amount of confidence and knowledge. So it was really great. So thank you to all the science teachers who helped prepare kids to compete in the science fair at the school level so that they could qualify and compete at the regional level and then earn a spot to go on and compete at states.

[02:18:38] These kinds of learning experiences are so crucial for students to take ownership of their learning and explore what topics they're interested in. And that just goes so far for student engagement, and it pays dividends exponentially.

[02:18:54] Another school and community event that I attended was an event at Willing Warriors Retreat in the rolling hills just below Bull Run Mountain. It's as beautiful as it sounds. Along with Mrs. Johnson, the principal of Alvey Elementary, Melissa Hedrick, the parent liaison there, school counselor, and a group of students.

[02:19:12] These students connected with military veterans, and we raised the flags for all of the armed forces at the site and this organization is just oh we also had taps and a national anthem it was just a really special event for students that's a very that's one of our school community partnerships that is thriving and benefits our military connected families i'm going to skip ahead um let's see uh to paraphrase the secretary of state we want america to continue to be the place where anyone from anywhere can achieve anything a place where you can overcome the the challenges and achieve your full potential.

[02:19:51] And I wish to point out that importantly, here in Prince William County Schools, we are working to make that true for PWCS as well. We are a school division where anyone from anywhere can achieve anything, whatever their heart desires, whatever their heads and hands are willing to work for, we strive to provide the opportunity to achieve those goals and dreams.

[02:20:09] And I leave you with that thought and to all a good night. - Lori William. - Thank you, Chair. I also want to say happy School Nurse Appreciation Day. Our definition of what a school nurse does is different depending on your context of interaction, but if you haven't talked to a school nurse or those who are anyone in that vein, since you were in school, you should probably go in and say hi and find out all of the wonderful duties that they have now in schools.

[02:20:41] It's more than putting on Band-Aids. I also wanna say happy Teacher Appreciation Week. It is an honor and a privilege to serve with a former teacher, Mr. Wilk, And a current teacher, Ms. Zargarpur. It's something that I have never had as a profession, but respect highly.

[02:20:59] It is where we all begin. Even our administrators and our Kelley Center leader, Kelley Center shit, Kelley Building Leadership started as teachers, most of them. So it's just an honor. I come from teachers and principals.

[02:21:16] One side of my family, so surprise. I know some teachers who yell at me, but I really do all the time support you know it sounds weird but from our end a lot of the things that we do are on the policy and on the system side and so I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart you don't get thanked for all the nights that you stay for back to schools or the five-minute phone calls or that is not in your nine to five hours and without that we wouldn't be here and I really do appreciate it I'm gonna shorten my my end even though mr. will gave me some more time by saying I also went to the governor school and I bring this up because it is one of my favorite things to do is go to the research symposium. I bring my student and

[02:21:53] it keeps his love of science alive. I hope as a division we can utilize some modern technology maybe one day live stream those to our science room students because math and science students are interested and they get a lot of opportunities but we have students in general ed science or our science teachers who don't know that there's a research symposium and one of the things that I found effective interacting with young people is when young people teach other young people. It's an exciting event and if you have not been, it is open to the public and it's just for me about building those existing pipelines utilizing the resources that we have because if you love science and you're not a master science program or you just want to see

[02:22:29] what other students are doing and what the possibilities are it's amazing ASL there's a student who had a cube that translated ASL without a human person there's another student last year that did a rail gun and they followed up on it this year there was a student and invented a machine that returns her soccer ball to I mean he I think he has two or three patents miss wall and mr.

[02:22:52] Blake were there or I told him you should get some it's just an amazing opportunity for our students and I'm going to end with saying please check out our summer programs there is tuition is a can be waived if you have financial hardships that goes for our programs here and I know the county also does that as well so please don't not register your student if you don't think you have the money there are ways to get that done and I also want to say to to our CTE students, please be on the lookout for scholarships, unions and other places.

[02:23:20] It's not just students who are going to four-year colleges. There are opportunities for you as well. And Ms. Zargarpur and Ms. Wall, I'll do the quote this time. Do or do not try, do or do not. There is no try, Yoda, that's it.

[02:23:38] - Mr. Blake. - Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As you've heard quite a few times already this evening, this week is Teacher Appreciation Week And our educators continue to show up with consistency, care, and commitment to our students and our families every single day.

[02:23:57] And their impact goes far beyond instructions. They're shaping lives, and they deserve to be recognized. So please tell the teacher thank you this week when you see them. May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. Supporting the whole child means prioritizing mental and emotional well-being alongside academics.

[02:24:16] this work is essential and it must remain a focus in how we support our students and staff. And I know this board up here places a great emphasis on mental health. And I also want to emphasize, as Ms. Williams did, the importance of summer learning.

[02:24:34] And summer school is an opportunity, and I wanna take away some of the stigma from that summer school. It provides academic support, enrichment, and a pathway for students to stay on track and even get ahead.

[02:24:49] I encourage families to register before the deadlines. The Discovery Enrichment Camps and the elementary and middle school summer school close on May 22nd. And high school summer school closes on, applications close June 5th.

[02:25:07] I've been all over the place. I'm not really, I'm just gonna tell Ms. Ellis, my principal at Minnieville, happy birthday. Today's her birthday and then I'm gonna sign out. So, have a good night to all. - Mr. Jessie.

[02:25:24] - Thank you everybody, and again, I'd like to thank our teachers and our nurses. You know, it's a great profession to be in, and it's a enjoyable one, particularly when you help a kid that you didn't expect to achieve, achieve.

[02:25:43] There's nothing like it in the world when you do that. I wanna thank my high school teacher, told me if I didn't pass this English exam I wasn't going to graduate and so I got on the ball and graduated on time so you know teachers help you and do a lot of things also like to thank and ask that we might consider something for the schools of name that mr. Braxton who is at a Braxton middle school his wife the

[02:26:21] name he is 101 and will turn 102 uh in july and he's still walking around and looks a lot younger than 101 so that's a great thing and it's great that we have opportunity for him to see and visit the schools uh we got out a little bit this month uh the last between laughing i went to the environmental program over at Woodbridge High School and that was a great event and uh my wife

[02:26:59] and I went to the Future Kings which I think the Future King organization is a organization that is a member of Sparks with the school system here but they take kids from first from middle middle school at the high school and they teach them stuff like drones and engineering and stuff it's a very they give the kids advanced training and a lot of just and for this discipline areas that they are competing so that they can compete with

[02:27:36] college kids when they come out of school so it's a great program and something I'm glad that Prince Rainey County also support it's again I want to thank everybody my wife is getting better and we're beginning to go places together and uh hopefully see some more things at the different schools thank you thank you mr jesse um happy teacher appreciation week happy nurses week nurses day um you're very proud of the school division

[02:28:11] having uh you know for most of the time a nurse in every school all 100 schools over the last um almost seven years, I believe. So that's been pretty incredible. Thank you to all of our students and to Karina this evening.

[02:28:26] Great comments today, Karina, and best wishes for AP testing season, SOL testing season, graduation season, and externship season for those students doing it at some of our high schools.

[02:28:43] And with that, I just wanna say good luck to all of our students who are still competing in sports this spring, and best wishes. Thank you everyone, board meeting adjourned.

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