Prince William County School Board Meeting - March 4, 2026

001Okay, Prince William County School Board is called to order and we have a motion is now in order for the approval of meeting agenda as amended. Vice Chair Jesse, >> I move that the Prince William County School Board approved the meeting agenda as recommended. Do >> I have a second? >> Mr. Chairman, >> Mrs. I I second. Wow. >> Any discussion? >> Okay, please vote. Uh, all in favor? I hands up in the air. Any opposed? No opposition. >> Vote is uh six yes, one not present at present at vote traden. Motion passed. >> Okay. Motion to enter close session. Mr. Vice Chair Jesse. >> Pursuant to section 2.2-3711 and 2.2-3712 of the code of Virginia, the Prince County School Board enter close session for the following reasons. One to discuss with staff at the

002assignment, appointment, promotions, promotion, performance, demotion, salaries, discipline or resignation of specific public officers, appointees or employees of any public body pursuant to section 2.2-3711 A. one of the code of Virginia, two to discuss with division council and staff actual or probable litigation and specific legal matters involving staff, students and other civil litigation involving the school division under the section of 2.2-3711A7 2-3711A7 and 8 of the code of Virginia and three to discuss the award of public contract to employees exclusive representative with involve the expenditure of public funds and the turn of scope of such contract where discussion in an open session will adversely affect the bargaining position of negotiation strategy of the public body pursuing to section 2.2-3711 A29 of the code of Virginia and four to consult the division council regarding specific legal matters

003pertaining to a school board policy 854 and B school board non-discrimination regulation pursuant to section 2.2-3711A 2-3711A 3 of the code of Virginia and 8 and five to discuss and receive briefing by the staff members related to the security of the school facility, the safety of the person using such facilities and actions taken to response to such matters. where discussion in an open meeting would jeopardize a security assist facility pursuant pursuant to section 2.23711 A19 of the code of Virginia. My god. >> Do I have a second? >> Mr. Chairman, >> Mrs. Araport, >> I second. >> All right. Any discussion? Please vote. All in favor, raise your hand. I Any opposition? No opposition noted. Motion >> vote seven. Yes. Unanimous. Motion passed. >> At this time, the Prince William County School Board enter close

004session returned in approximately 1 hour. Heat. Heat. The Prince William County School Board will now reenter uh open session from close session. Uh motion is in order for 7.01 close session certification. Vice Chair Jesse. >> I move that pursuant to section 2.2-3712 of the code of Virginia, the close session of the Prince Williamian County School Board meeting of March 4th, 2026 be certified by adopting the following resolution. Now therefore be it resolved that the Prince William County School Board hereby certify that to the best of each member's knowledge one only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements were discussed in the closed meeting to which this certification resolution applies and two only the public business matter as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting was were heard and discussed or considered

005by the school board. >> Do I have a second, >> Mr. Chairman? >> Mr. uh Miss Arcore, >> I second. >> Any discussion? Okay, please vote. You have a vote. >> Vote a seven. Yes. Unanimous. Motion pass. >> Moving on to close session action items. A motion order for 8.01. Vice chair Jesse. >> I move that the Prince William County School Board approve the appointment and releases of specific employees as presented in close session. >> Do I have a second? >> Mr. Chairman. >> Miss Wall. >> I second. >> Any discussion? Please vote. >> Vote is seven. Yes. Unanimous. Motion passed. >> Okay. Thank you. At this time, um that uh concludes our close session action items. Moving on to the pledge of allegiance. I'd like to invite our student Karina Grover of Kan High

006School to lead us in the pledge. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you Miss Grover. Next up is the adoption of consent agenda that is 11.01. Vice Chair Jesse. I move that the Prince Marian County School Board approve the public meeting consent agenda as recommended. Do you have a second? >> Mr. Chairman, >> Mrs. Argapore, >> I second. >> Any discussion? Please vote. Vote of seven. Yes. Unanimous. Motion passed. >> Moving on to acknowledgements and recognitions. Yeah. >> Oh, fantastic. Well, very good. Okay. Sorry about that, folks. All right. Um, thank you, counselor. Uh tonight we have u so this is our time for thriving futures focus an opportunity to highlight the

007exemplary work being accomplished in our schools that fulfill 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. We dedicate this time during our meetings to recognizing students staff members and schools that have earned an honor and award at the state or national level. Tonight the school board is honored to acknowledge three outstanding accomplishments. I invite Mr. Justin Wilk of the PTOIC District to acknowledge and introduce our first group of honores. Mr. Wilk. >> Thank you, Dr. Latif. Coach Marshall, I told you guys would be up here. Uh, it is my pleasure to recognize the PTOIC Shores Middle School varsity and junior varsity boys basketball programs for continuing an undefeated program and reaching the 100 win milestone. 10

008and zero. That's pretty awesome. Historic This achievement reflects outstanding teamwork, discipline, and dedication from our student athletes and coaches. The teams are supported this evening by assistant principal Cassandra Delacito, athletic directors, coaches, managers, and their families. On behalf of the teams, I would like to ask Miss Dlacceto to introduce the team and coaches and share a few words about this historic and outstanding milestone. Good evening everybody. I want to take this time to thank the school board for honoring this achievement. Going 100 is no small feat and speaks to the dedication, hard work, and teamwork of every player that has been a part of this team over the last 5 years. While this accomplishment on the court is special, what I want to recognize even more is the dedication that the coaches have to making

009these students great, both on and off the court, and the importance they put on being a student first. To our players, we are not only proud of you for this accomplishment, but for how you represent our school on a daily basis. Thank you again for honoring this team and the coaches who guide them. This is more than a 100 wins. It's 100 examples of excellence. >> Um, wonderful. >> You know, I'd love to know the names of every kid on the team. Can you introduce them or they can say their names for us? >> I'm going to have them say their names, what grade and how long they've been on the team. >> Great. >> Um, my name is Tyrese Sims and I'm in the eighth grade and I've been on the team for three

010years. My name is Tyler Pumitan. I've been on the year I've been playing on the team for three years. My name is Wesley Watson. I've been on the team for two years. My name is Dominic Delansancy. I'm in eighth grade and I've been on the team for two years. >> My name is Christopher Alan Crank. I'm in eighth grade. I've been on the team for three years. My name is Julio Magayan. I'm in eighth grade. I've been on the team for one year. My name is Jayen Mitchell. I've been on the team for one year. >> My name is Byron Wilson. I've been on the team for one year. >> My name is Eli Walker. I've been on the team for two years. >> My name is Brandon Ashley. I've been on the team for

011one year. >> My name is Gabriel Tart and I've been on the team for one year. My name is Terrence Bradley and I've been on a team for one year. >> My name is Amari Sanders. I've been on this team for one year. >> My name is Ken Ivers. I've been on the team for one year. >> My name is Jackson Davenport. I've been on the team for one year. >> My name is Joe Ortiz. I've been on the team for one year. >> My name is Eli Falls and I've been on the team for one year. >> My name Travis and I've been on the team for two years. >> My name is Carell Jordan and I've been on the team for one year. >> Mr. Chairman, with your permission, can can I have

012the coach say a few words? introduce the coaches calling you up if you can come up and say a few words. Coach, >> have the coach say a few words and introduce the other coaches. Please, >> I'll let you say the uh actually it's coach Marshall and this is my brother, Coach Marshall, so I'm going to let him say a few words. All right. >> Um my name is uh Coach Marlon Marshall. I've been on the team for five years. Uh but um it's been an honor and a privilege privilege sorry to um be able to teach and coach these young men, fine young men. We we strive on making sure that they are um definitely successful on and off the court and so far that's what they have been doing. >> You got something?

013Say my name. >> Ditto. And thank you. Thank you for this. Thank you. >> Congratulations. And thank you, Mr. Wil. And congratulations to these amazing athletes and coaches. And can I ask the parents and the teachers and those in support of this fantastic team to please stand in the back to be recognized if you are here. Amazing, amazing achievements. Thank you so much everyone. All right. And the next part of the meeting we are proud to recognize. We'll move on to some different honores and then we'll we'll take some pictures with the team. Is that what I'm doing right now? Yeah. Okay. Um present our final two honores this evening. We're proud to recognize Danielle Meyer, PD Prince William County School's career and technical education workforce development coordinator for being selected by the association for

014career and technical education for its national leadership fellowship program. Miss Meyer is one of only two educators chosen from Virginia for this year for this year-long national leadership initiative that develops experienced CTE leaders across the country. Miss Meyer joins the experienced CTE professionals cohort representing ACTE's administration division. Fellows from across multiple divisions including agricultural education, business education, counseling and career development, CT for all, and engineering and technology education will participate throughout 2026. Miss Meyer will take part in monthly virtual meetings, leadership training sessions, and advocacy and policy activities at the local, state, and federal levels. The fellowship also includes attendance at two national events, ACTE's national policy seminar in March and Career Tech Vision Conference in December. Congratulations. Let's give her a round of applause. It is also my privilege to recognize Shaunell Carmichael, a

015career in technical education instructional specialist for PWCS, who has been honored with the 2026 VATLL impact award by the Virginia Association for Teaching, Learning, and Leading. This award recognizes excellence in teaching, learning, and leadership and honors educators who make a meaningful difference for colleagues and students across the Commonwealth. Miss Carmichael oversees curriculum development and instructional support for two state required courses, career investigations at the middle school level, and economics and personal finance at the high school level. Her work ensures that 5,55 high school students and 6,717 middle school students receive highquality standards aligned instruction that prepares them with future ready skills. Christine Good, supervisor of CTE, explained in her nomination letter, "Miss Carmichael exemplifies the qualities celebrated by the VATLL impact award, visionary leadership, instructional excellence, and a relentless focus on student success. Her influence

016resonates not only in the classrooms, but across our entire school community. Miss Meyer and Miss Carmichael are supported this evening by our director of career technical education, Dr. Sarah Martin along with members of the CTE department. Dr. Martin, will you share a few words on behalf of our two honores? >> Yes, thank you Dr. Biv, members of the school board, and Dr. McDade. Thank you so much for taking the time this evening to recognize Miss Carmichael and Miss Meyer. On behalf of our career and technical education team, I want to express our sincere appreciation for your continued support of CTE. The recogniz the recognitions you heard about tonight reflect the deep knowledge, dedication, and professional expertise that these leaders bring to their work every day. And more importantly, they represent a commitment to the community

017we serve, our students, our teachers, and our community. Their instructional leadership helps our programs grow to continue to be stronger, ensuring that students have meaningful opportunities to explore careers, develop real world skills, and graduate prepared for college careers on life. We are incredibly proud of Miss Carmichael and Miss Meyer and the work happening in our CTE classrooms every day. We are grateful to work in a division where career and technical education is valued and provides multiple pathways to post-secary success whether our students aspire to enroll, enlist or seek gainful employment. Thank you again for recognizing their contributions to the work this evening. So I'm I'm gonna I'm going to put you on the spot. I I think we'd love to hear from Miss Meer and Miss Carmichael. Miss Meyer They respectfully declined. >> I see.

018Fair enough. Fair enough. Well, anyone here who's um with Miss Carmichael and Miss Meyer, please stand to be recognized. For all those supporting our wonderful teachers and administrators, thank you for being here. Amazing. Great CT departments back there. Good work. Outstanding. Congratulations to you all. I'd like to ask um uh before we take a few pictures, I'd asked I'd like to ask our esteemed superintendent, Dr. McDade, would you please share a few words? Doc, >> thank you so much, Dr. Latif. Uh Danielle and Shael, congratulations. Your recognition at both the state and national level really represents the strength of career and technical educa uh career education in Prince William County School. So, I want to thank you for your leadership, but more importantly, thank you for your commitment to ensuring that every student graduates prepared

019for college, career, and life. Job well done. And to our PTOIC Shores Middle School basketball team, I want to congratulate you on an undefeated season. And this 100 win milestone really represents more than athleticism. It really represents your commitment to perseverance, teamwork, and excellence. Job well done. We are PWCS proud. Congratulations. >> Thank you, Dr. McDade. At this time, I'd request our honores to come forward with a photo with the school board and receive a small token of our appreciation. Excuse me. Okay, I'll save your spot. Come on back. Okay, >> I think so. Yes. Everyone big smiles. I was right behind you. >> Everybody keep going. >> Okay, good. >> All right, we're good. Let's go all night. I don't want to I don't want to describe as like All right. Congratulations. Okay, moving

020on to acknowledgements and recognitions. 12.01. A motion is ordered. Vice Chair Jesse. I move that Prince William County School Board approve the the adoption of the acknowledgements and recognitions as recommended. Do >> I have a second, >> Mr. Chairman? >> Um, Mr. I second. >> Any discussion? Please vote. Vote is six yes, one abstain. Tradenic. Motion passed. >> Okay, moving on to citizen comment time. Those citizens signed up in advance with the clerk may address the school board this evening when they are called to the podium and citizen comment period for regular schoolboard meetings in 1 hour and citizens may speak on agenda items or other topics gerain to the operations and policies of Prince William County Schools. Please use proper decorum and manners while at the podium or you will be asked to step

021aside. We ask that the audience please be respectful of each speaker and refrain from clapping, cheering, or jeering to avoid disruption of the meeting. If you do not do so, the board will recess and I'll ask that the room be cleared to restore public order. Tonight we have 12 speakers. Citizens sign up to speak. When I call your name, please come to the podium and state your name and address for the record. I'll call the first five so you know the order and then we'll call that first one. Blake Hera, Ronnie Cerone, Roman Cerone, Julian Pervvis, Yubo Jang, Blake Hera. Good evening, board members, chair, Dr. McDade. My name is Blake Hera and my address is on file. I'm here tonight to address an immediate governance concern. Lack of clear standards for operations during hazardous

022weather, which creates safety and liability risks. On December 5th, the superintendent's decision to open on a 2-hour delay placed students and staff at risk. Despite widespread ice and snow, PWCS proceeded to operate. And that morning, a bus scaring students on route to Osborne Park High School was rearended on icy roads. On January 28th, despite the forecast 9-°ree temperatures and ice on bus routes, conditions that closed all neighboring divisions, the superintendent announced delay. Following community opposition, that decision was reversed at 9:22 p.m. Keeping students in schools matters, but not at the cost of repeating the December 5th event or the January 5th, 2015 bus drainings in Dale City. Last January, the superintendent told this board and PDO assist officials told media that the division was developing snow emergency bus routes for historically hazardous areas. Yet, there

023is still no public evidence that these routes exist or have ever been used. I'm advocating for stronger oversight of authority that has been overdelegated to the superintendent. Uh, under regulation 405-1, the superintendent may make weather decisions under vague as deemed appropriate language with no requirement to consult any department within PWCS or outside organization. Offering excused absences does not relieve the division of its duty of care. It shifts the safety decision to parents who may have no choice but to send their children. I call on the board to adopt three changes that preserve the superintendent's operational control but require clear criteria and expert input for these calls. First amend policy 405 to establish weather safety criteria. The superintendent shall apply for any delayed closure including road and walking conditions physically inspected by transportation and facilities beyond

024school property prior to a decision. Second, further amend policy 405 to require that the superintendent shall formally consult with transportation facilities and risk management on their findings. Additionally, the superintendent shall provide a written decision summary to the board before any closure or delay and a postevent assessment within 48 hours comparing anticipated conditions with the actual outcomes. Third, before the end of the school year, I ask you to place this issue on a meeting and agenda and adopt a motion directing the superintendent to complete and publish the emergency snow and ice bus routes PWCS committed to last January. Every student, family, and staff member deserves to know that weather decisions follow clear, consistent standards and put safety first. Thank you. >> Thank you, Ronnie Cerone. Okay, Roman Cerone, Julian Pervvis. My name is Julian Pervvis and

025my address is on file. Our nation credits Thomas Jefferson as being the main drafter of these words. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. that they are endowed by their creator with sudden unaliable rights. That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Yet our African-American sons and daughters who attend Prince William County schools, who by their constitutional rights are endowed by their creator with certain unalable rights, chief among them being life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And yet at Prince William County schools, they are being bombarded with racial slurs which are against the Title 6 and the Prince William County School of Conduct. We, the concerned fathers of Prince William County, stand here before you not oblivious or naive to the culture of America or

026to what the perpetrators of these racial epits may hear or learn in their respective homes. We realize that each of you has no governance over what happens in a student's home. What we do indict each of you for is what occurs during school hours at Prince William County Schools. Every African-American student is endowed with their fundamental right to a safe, non-discriminatory, and stellar education, which is free of racial bigotry and racial attacks. And this is the responsibility of the Prince William County School Board and Dr. McDade to ensure that this is the culture of Prince William County schools. When you take a look at the Mlen family case in which young Jefferson Mlen spoke so eloquently before this same school board, you will find that four separate title six infractions were reported to Miss Abigail

027Scentman, the assistant principal of Gainesville Middle School. All four of the separate incidents were reported to the DEI and compliance office. What troubles me and the concerned fathers of Prince William County who sit in the audience beside behind me is the next step in the workflow that in each incident in which the Title Six infraction occurred, the DEI and compliance office made a subjective decision, the operative word is subjective, which pushes disciplinary responsibility to the local school, Gainesville Middle School. I am asserting as a concerned father of Prince William County that the DEI and compliance office has to instill a rubric and/or a framework that removes all subjectivity when evaluating title six offenses and base the decision on what is handled at the DEI and compliance office and what is handled at the local school

028off of an objective rubric or a methodology to remove subjectivity. In closing, Dr. Latana McDade, we want you to know that you that the concerned fathers of Prince William County are here for you and we support you. We are publicly acknowledging that it took a long time for us to wake up, but we are now awake. We are present and ready to support you and your team. We want to publicly thank you for your stellar job that you have done over the past four and a half years and also say that the concerned fathers of Prince William County have your back and we are here to make Prince County Schools a thriving environment for every student. >> Thank you, sir. >> Yubo Jean Good evening, Dr. McDade and school board members. My name is Yubo

029Jang. My address is on file. I'm parents of two students at Battlefield High School. Tonight, I'm here to praise the division's shift towards using PO quantity points for second grading because it benefits all students based on their most critical needs. Let me elaborate on why and how. First of all, our student been trapped in a point grabbing culture where the difference between and 89% and 90% is treated like a life or death crisis. As an educator and parent, it's painful to see the stress of our most talented and high performing student. We raise a generation of students who are good at playing the game of school, but we're losing the joy of learning in the process. Policy makers like you have the responsibility to reduce this kind of toxic stress at the system level. Second,

030some beliefs that student with failures this system waters down our standards when actually it's doing the opposite. Let me illustrate with simple analogy master chef. In the old percentage system, if a student burns the tooth on the first day, this failure is mathematically averaged into their final grade forever. Whereas by the end of the school year, this student could cook a fivestar Michelin star meal, but burn the toast from week one, drag their average down forever. This isn't a measurement of their skill. This is punishment for the learning process. Whereas the quantity point system evaluate the final dish and ask a question did a student master the craft. It allows our students to be a whole child to take risk to fail and to recover without a single bad day defining their entire GPA. However,

031I support policy. I must address the communication because why behind this shift was not clearly shared with our community. A vacuum was created and the vacuum was filled with twisted stories, misunderstandings from parents and student who feel left behind. Many believe we're lowering the standards but when in fact we're raising the bar how we value actual meaning for mastery of learning. I urge the board and superintendent to launch a clear and transparent communication. Let's tell the real story of this shift. Not a technical change in the math, but a more moral commitment to student mental health and authentic academic excellence. Let's stop measuring students in decimals and start valuing their degree of mastery because at the end of the day, we don't need a generation of just calculators. We need a generation of creators. Thank

032you. >> Thank you, Raymond Bell. And then uh the the five or four after him will be just so you know the order. Malcolm Owens, Jen Donnelly, Troy Harris, Ellen Bowman. My name is Raymond Bell. My address is on file. Good evening, Dr. McDade and the members of the school board. Prince William County Schools Regulation 733-1 and the Code of Behavior align with Virginia Code 22.1-276.01 define bullying as a aggressive and unwanted conduct involving a real or perceived power imbalance that is repeated or causes severe emotional harm. This definition includes verbal harassment, cyber bullying, and discriminatory conduct. Racial slurs clearly fall within these classifications under PWCS policy and the district's non-discrimination statement. District policy requires prompt administrative action, preventive measures to ensure student safety, and disciplinary responses consistent with the code of code of behavior.

033Yet parents are increasingly concerned that reports of racial harassment are not being handled with the urgency, consistency, or seriousness required by the policy. These concerns were underscored by the recent public comments of an eighth grade student from Gainesville Middle School. He described repeated racial harassment over time, being called monkeys, subjected to racially charged remarks and and silenced with slurs. But he spoke with clarity and courage. Following the students testimony, multiple parents share similar experiences involving their own children across several schools. A troubling pattern emerged. Students report racial harassment. Little action follows and the behavior continues. Some students have said they no longer report incidents because they believe nothing will be done. A particular concern is the apparent disparity in discipline. In the case referenced, the students who reported racially based harassment received a three-day suspension

034while the conduct that precipitated the situation appeared to receive delayed or insufficient response. We the concerned fathers of Prince William County uh want to bring you or highlight this this note. When a student reaction is is addressed more swiftly than the underlying misconduct, trust in the system eros and policy intent is undermined. The student's closing words should give us pause. At 13, he said, and I quote, "I'm not bad. I'm not threatening. I'm not aggressive. I'm not lesser. I'm just a kid who wants to go to school and feel safe." End quote. No child should have to publicly plead for dignity and protection. Accordingly, we respectfully request that the board and the district administration one conduct a comprehensive review of how reports and racial harassment are handled at Gainesville Middle School, include administrative action. Report

035the findings to the comm community. Evaluate whether policies of bullying, harassment, and discrimination are being applied consistently and equitably across all schools. Identify necessary corrective actions, train accountability measures at the school and corrective district levels. I'm at that's the end of my time. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Bell. >> Up next, >> please refrain from any clapping, cheering, or jeering, folks. Malcolm Owens up next. Good evening, chair, vice chair, and members of the Prince William County School Board. Our names are Malcolm Owens, >> Victor Bonia Santiago, >> and Cavon Shepard. And we are proud members of the Omega U monitoring program. We are here tonight to say thank you for creating the opportunity for students like us to participate in a program that is truly changing lives. First, we want to say thank you

036to Superintendent Dr. Latana McDade for supporting programs that helps students grow, not just academically, but as young men and future leaders. >> Can you swing the microphone over towards you a little bit more? Speak closer in the mic. >> We also want to thank uh Mrs. Rose Moore, Mr. uh Patrick Garland and Mr. Cornelius Young for believing in us, investing in us and constantly uh constantly reminding us that we are capable of excellence because of their leadership and the mentorship we receive through Omega U. We are becoming better students and better people. Since joining Omega U, our grades, our behavior, and our attendance have all improved. We feel more confident, more supported, and more motivated. The program pushes us to set goals, treat each other with respect, and hold ourselves to a higher standard. Omega

037U has shown us what it means to have role models who look like us, understand us, and expect the best from us. It has helped us focus on our futures, and realize that our dreams are possible. We believe that Omega U could be the program that other schools need. A support system that lifts students up and moves them closer to the life they imagine for themselves. On behalf of all the boys in Omega U, we want to say thank you for giving us this opportunity. Thank you for investing in us and thank you for helping us grow into the young men we are becoming. We promise to continue making you proud. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you very much, Jen Donley. Let's go outside. >> Good evening. My name is Jen Donnelly and my

038address is on file. Today, I stand before you as a parent of a track athlete and advocate for a vision that not only addresses the immediate needs of our students, but also serves the long-term interests of our community. The establishment of an indoor facility on the site an indoor track facility on the site of the canceled 14th high school. Imagine a space where our athletes can train year round regardless of weather conditions. An indoor track facility would provide our students with the opportunity to hone their skills, engage in healthy competition, and foster a sense of camaraderie. Currently, our athletes face significant challenges, having to practice outdoors in the winter, and travel to locations like Liberty University and Virginia Beach for competitions. This travel not only consumes precious time but also places an unnecessary financial burden

039on our families and our schools. By building this facility right here in our community, we can eliminate those travel expenses and maximize our resources. Not only would this facility serve our local athletes, but also attract schools students from schools across Northern Virginia. Hosting track meets and events would create a new revenue stream for our county and our schools. Imagine the economic boost as teams and their families visit, eat at local restaurants, and shop in our stores. This facility would not just be a benefit for our students, it would help our local economy. The benefits extend beyond athletics. An indoor track facility would serve as a community hub, offering programs for all ages, promoting health and wellness and providing a safe space for our residents to engage in physical activity. It could host events, fundraisers, and

040community gatherings, further solidifying our commitment to fostering a positive climate and culture. Building an indoor track facility is not just an investment in our athletes, it's an investment in our community. It saves our county from unnecessary travel expenses, creates new revenue sources, and strengthens our commitment to health and wellness. And let's be honest, it's a million times better than another data center. So, I thank you for considering this vital initiative, and together we can make our vision a reality. >> Thank you, Troy Harris. Good evening. My name is Troy Harris. My address is on for on file with the clerk's office. I'm here in regards to concerns about the boys basketball program at Osborne Park High School and especially to enforce the policy of 503.01-01 conflict of interest. I filled a formal complaint outlining actions

041by the boys basketball coach that appear to violate this policy, specifically involving outside activities connected to student athletes. uh while also holding decision-making authority and school team selections. I submitted um I submitted I'm sorry I submitted documentation I lost my place. I'm sorry I'm nervous. I submitted um documented evidence to support concerns. However, from my pers concerns, however, my perspective of those the matter has not properly been investigated, nor has the policy been meaningfully enforced. It is extremely disappointing to take time to gather and submit evidence, follow the proper process, and raise the concerns in good faith only to feel that the information was overlooked, minimized, or dismissed. This response undermines trust in the system and in the policies this board has adopted. I am equally disappointed that equally disappointed as a constituent I was

042unable to receive clear and substantial um information or responses for my question from my school board representative. They relatively went nonanswered when reached out to. Accountability includes when legitimate concerns are raised, families deserve answers. This issue is not about one individual. It is about fairness and integrity. I am asking that all parties, the athletic department, school administration, and this board to address this issue directly and assure that the try out process at Osborne Park High School is transparent, equitable, and free from conflicts of interest. We have coaches there that take their selected teams over the summer from children that are go to the school and sponsor and finance teams for those selected kids. trains those kids which also moves them through the tryyout process. During that tryyout process, they also select those same children for

043the teams, negating the equal opportunity for the other students that are coming forward to have an equal tryyout without them being uh knowledgeable of plays that they are granted to within this team. I ask you to take a look at this, review it, and have a heartfelt, meaningful look into a resolution to this problem. Thank you. Thank you, Ellen Bowman. And after Ellen Bowman will be Ha Ansari and Reena Stap. >> Good evening. My name is Ellen Bowman, retired teacher, administrator, coach, and my address is on file. I urge the board to consider building an indoor track facility similar to the indoor swimming facility at Kolgan High School, which serves our community, reduces outside rental costs, and generates revenue through event rentals. Although called indoor track, most of the PWCS winter track season is held

044outdoors. And this year, extreme weather and heavy snow further limited practices as well as meets. We appreciate the new outdoor upgrades to our PWCS high school tracks, but indoor space remains a need. As a parent of a track and cross country captain at Patriot High School, I've learned that each of the 13 high schools spend over $4,000 per meet at Liberty University, the nearest well-built and maintained indoor facility. Other options for high school indoor meets in Prince George's County, Maryland, and Virginia Beach are rarely available. Due to high demand, an indoor facility at the new 14th high school could allow PWCS to host 12 to 13 meets per season, potentially generating up to $400,000 annually while reducing the costs for rentals, buses, drivers, and long travel up to 145 miles each way from Patriot to

045Liberty alone. The figure of $130,000 was generated at a well constructed, sought after indoor track facility at Boston University at one event on entry fees alone. This does not account for the any of the revenues that could be gained by the AAOU track and field community or neighboring school districts in the DMV. I hope these figures support consideration of an indoor track facility at our newest PWCS high school. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, Henna Unsari. All right. Thank you to the school board for letting me come back and speak again. Always a pleasure, Dr. McDade. And my address is on file. So, I'm going to take a little bit of a left turn at Albuquerque here for my usual stuff. I want to talk to tell you a couple of stories within

046stories. So, try to follow along. It's going to be like Golden Girls, but a little bit different. Okay. Okay. So, after the last schoolboard meeting, the very next day, I was substitute teaching for Jared Pew, who was advocating here against your draconian theater policies that you were putting in, but I'm not going to talk about that. So, I was in Mr. Pew's classroom and at the top of his walls, he has all the posters from the previous productions from Osmo Park. And imagine my surprise when I saw posters that I had seen when I was in school there, as I like to tell the kids, last century. So, uh, one of the schools, the posters up there, I was like, you know, that one's not right. We didn't do two shows. We only did one.

047And the kids were surprisingly interested in my story. So, I'm going to tell you the story that I told them. Uh, so it was uh the spring of 1995 and I actually did win one election in my entire life. It was in high school. Um, it's okay. And, uh, I ran for junior class president. And back then you had to, uh, the junior class had to, uh, fundra for the senior class prom. I don't know when they changed it. Do you remember that, Lisa? No. Come on, man. Anyway, so we came in with like $5,000 worth of debt that we had to clear from the previous administration. And uh so we did that and then we cleared it and then we hosted the prom in the spring of 1996 and everything I thought went wellish.

048Um and then uh I got a call the next day from and either an admin or a teacher. It's been 30 years. Don't don't you know get mad at me because I can't remember. And I was terrified cuz I was like, "Oh god, did we burn the school down? Did the gym go bust? I mean, what happened?" But it was far far worse than I could have thought of. A student had died in a drunk driving accident the previous night and it's the 30-year anniversary of that this year. So, uh, what I kind of wanted to talk about, and I think I went through it too fast, was, um, the substance abuse issues. I mean, the student's name was Grant Denhurder, and he wasn't doing drugs. He wasn't drinking. He wasn't doing anything wrong. He

049was just getting in the car, going from one after prom party, I think, to another after prom party or possibly home. But somebody else, obviously, probably an adult like one of us would just decide they were okay. You know, you just have one drink and you're going to be okay and you're going to get home and you're going to be fine. But, and she might still be alive and well. I don't know. But she plowed her car through his beater old like American Cadillac or something like that. I don't remember now. But I mean it's just I look at the kids nowadays and I think that they don't take it seriously how substance abuse issues you can do all the drugs you want to yourself. You don't realize you're going to get on the road

050and you're going to knock somebody else out and then what? You're going to have to live with that for the rest of your life. Anyway, so with the 30-y year anniversary, I hope that some the PCS maybe can take advantage of, and I don't mean to exploit the tragedy, but I think it's a good reminder for students to realize that a fellow student died because of somebody else's irresponsibility. His whole life just like that. I mean, he was going to go to school. He was a track star. He was a theater kid. That's why we only did one show. So, the the show could not go on. But anyway, thank you. >> Thank you, Reena Stap. All right. Um, good evening, Dr. McDeade, Dr. Latif, and members of the school board. Um, I was here

051to second what the concerned fathers of Prince William County have talked about. Um, that there should be no subject subjectivity with regards to racial slurs in schools. Um, I attended the uh, NAACP PWC meeting last week and I was appalled by the stories that shared about how often and how awful some of the racist behavior that is happening in our schools. Um, additionally, it was mentioned that the western side of the county has more instances of this experienced by the attendees and expressed by them than on the eastern side of the county. One family had moved from the eastern side to the western side and said that this was the first time that their stu their son had been treated this way. Um, as a parent of students in the Brentsville district, it's extremely disheartening

052to know that where I live and where my kids go to school is where this is more prevalent. I know many schools in the area have a no place for hate pledge, but more needs to be done than an annual assembly reminding the students about bullying and harassment. We need to do better. I ask that you work with the area schools and counseling departments to address this behavior and craft more effective anti-bullying um procedures and practices because there should not be subjectivity when it comes to racism in our schools. Thank you. >> Thank you. That concludes citizen comment time for this evening. We'll move on to student representative time. We have tonight Karina Grover from the Charles J. Kan High School. Miss Grover, the floor is yours. >> Thank you. Good evening, members of the

053school board, superintendent Dr. McDade, and everybody here today. I will be honest, I'm a little bit salty today. Even though there was no snow on the ground, I would have loved a snow day. Anyway, juniors and seniors, applications for the student representative position are now open for the 2026 to 2027 school year. That sounds weird. Being a student representative is so much more than just sitting up here at meetings. It's about collaborating with students K through 12, building relationships countywide, and ultimately advocating for over 90,000 student voices. As a student representative, I've had the privilege of working alongside our incredible school board members and the superintendent. This experience has been truly invaluable, especially if you're interested in leadership, public service, education, or just making a change in your community. Be on the lookout for application

054help sessions hosted by a staff member in your building. These sessions are incredibly helpful and will guide you through every step of the application process. Remember, there are only three student representative positions available, so be sure to take advantage of all the resources provided. To access the application, check your Canvas announcements or visit the PWCS student representative web page. If you have questions, please feel free to contact viola mappc.edu or reach out to your school student voice committee. We are here to support you every step of the way. Now, 10 years after the Supreme Supreme Court declared segregated schools unconstitutional in the landmark 1954 case Brown versus Board of Education, PE Prince William County began desegreg desegregating its schools. Four black female teachers, Fanny W. Fitzgerald, Mary G. Porter, Zella Brown, and Maxine Coleman, later

055known as the Courageous Four, were assigned to four previously all-white schools. At a time when tensions were high and resistance to integration was real, these women stepped in into an unfamiliar and unwelcoming space with professionalism and strength. Their presence challenged barriers and helped pave the way for more inclusive and equitable learning environments in Prince William County. I bring this up because March is Women's History Month and their story shows the power of women to create change even in the face of adversity. Their impact reminds us that progress in education did not happen automatically. It required individuals, especially women whose voices were often overlooked to step forward and lead. Because of their courage, generations of students like me, have benefit have benefited from more inclusive classrooms. Their legacy challenges us to continue advocating for equity, opportunity,

056and student voice in our own time. Here we go. Dr. Sullivan. Now, I know we are having a presentation on advanced academics, but I'm here as student representative to raise a question that has been frequently asked. How can Prince William County School ensure that advanced courses are truly equal countywide? The issue comes up when students see that Forest Park High School, for example, has nine dual enrollment courses offered while CD Hilton High School only offers five. They see that and they want to take these classes. And I'm going to skip this because apparently Prince William County Schools already took care of it. So this January, February, they recently implemented the College and Career Ready Virginia, also known as the CCRV, which is a program where students can actually take dual enrollment courses online, no matter

057their school. And this is amazing. I was I just found this out. I would have benefited from this. I know students across the county will continue benefiting from this. And I just wanted to say that this is accessible for all students around the county and high school. So use this, talk to your counselors. Uh I know academic advising is happening right now. So talk to your counselors, reach out. This is an amazing opportunity. I'm kind of sad I'm graduating surprisingly. No, I'm not. But yeah, let me not lie. But use the resources available because, you know, I had all my remarks prepared and I found out Prince William County School is already doing a great job of supporting us. So I'm going to end this. Thank you for your time. Don't forget to submit your

058student representative applications and remember your voice has the power to create change. Thank you. >> Very good. Thank you, Miss Grover. Moving on to superintendent's time. Dr. McDade. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As we begin the month of March, I would like to take a moment to recognize several important observances across our schools and community. March is Women's History Month, a time to honor the contributions, leadership, and achievements of women throughout history and within our community. Across all classrooms, students are engaging in meaningful learning that highlights the impact of women who have shaped our world and continue to inspire future generations. Throughout this month, look for special features from our communications department. March is also developmental disabilities awareness month, an opportunity to reaffirm our our commitment to inclusion, dignity, and access for every learner in

059Prince William County Schools. We believe that every student brings strengths, talents, and potential that enrich our schools and strengthen our community. Which is another reason why for the fiscal year 27 proposed budget, we are investing $2.2 million in 50 new teaching assistance for special education. Every student deserves the support that they need to thrive. Additionally, March celebrates the month of youth art, theater in our schools, and music in our schools. These observances remind us that creativity is not an add-on to education, but essential to the development of a child. There is extensive research linking arts education to positive academic and social outcomes. In PWCS Elevate 2030 strategic plan, our school division is committed to increasing the number of students participating in arts related student showcases, competitions, and public performances by 3% annually over the next

060four years. We are proud of the exceptional work happening in our visual and performing arts programs across all schools and we want to support our students in their multiple competencies. As part of our continued focus on student achievement and post-secary support, I want to highlight an important academic milestone taking place this spring. On Wednesday, April 15th, all grade 11 students across PWCS will participate in school day SAT. Providing the SAT during the school day ensures equitable access for all students and supports their college and career planning, whether they are preparing for college entrance exams or exploring other post-secary pathways. This effort reflects our commitment to meeting students where they are and equipping them with the tools that they need to succeed beyond graduation. To support student preparation, PWCS high school students do have access to

061Khan Academy through the PWCS portal. This is a free resource that offers instructional videos, personalized practice, and full SAT preparation aligned with College Board standards, which includes support in SAT math, reading, and writing. I want to encourage students and families to take full advantage of these resources as we continue to work together to support strong academic outcomes and future opportunities for every learner. This evening we will continue our focus on academic excellence as we highlight advanced academics. In this presentation you will learn how advanced academics connects to the enrollment employment and enlistment enlistment framework which is also known as the 3E readiness framework. This this is the state of growth and achievement in courses and programs that they'll talk about tonight as well as a look toward elevate 2030. So, at this time, I would

062like to introduce our associate superintendent for teaching and learning, Dr. Stephanie Sullivan, and our director of student learning, Dr. Ashley Cramp. And they will provide an overview of advanced academics in the current state of advanced academics in Prince William County Schools. >> Thank you so much. Thank you, Dr. Latif, Vice Chair, Mr. Jesse, members of the board, Dr. McDade, and of course, Karina. You've put a lot of pressure on me today and I am ready to deliver. I am so pleased to share an overview of advanced academics in Prince William County Schools, highlighting our programs, participation, growth areas, and systemwide accomplishments. Our student learning department within teaching and learning is led by director Dr. Ashley Cramp, who will be co-presenting with me today. I'd also like to recognize Dr. Alyssa Frasier. She is the assistant

063director for the student learning team that directly leads our advanced academics team. They are experienced educators within the Commonwealth who share our passion for growing opportunities for all students. Through their leadership and our collaboration with our skilled teachers and administrators, we are working to ensure that all student needs, including those for acceleration, are met at every school. Our work supports the priority of learning and achievement for all by expanding equitable access to rigorous opportunities. We aim to ensure that every student is challenged, supported, and prepared for future success while also equipping our staff to meet the needs of our students in these rigorous pathways. our team that leads the work for advanced academics who also oversee specialty are also the ones who oversee specialty programs within PWCS. It is a small and mighty team led

064by supervisor Jennifer Kavanaaugh who's here today and two coordinators Dr. Laura Evans also in the room today and Amy Hart. They are the direct connection to our schools and our families and are truly the right people in the right seat at the right time. Advanced academics in PWCS includes a range of rigorous programs designed to both challenge and engage our students. Our offerings include advanced placement, Cambridge, international balorate, dual enrollment, and gifted education services in addition to the many programs in our CTE department that you heard about at our last meeting. These programs provide students with access to accelerated instruction, enrichment opportunities, and college level coursework. Our goal is to ensure that all students based on their interests, readiness, and aspirations have meaningful pathways to pursue advanced learning. Advanced academics play a key role in

065supporting Virginia's 3E framework. Specifically, the goal for students to be prepared for success in their postsecary education, not just access to a post-secary education. Through these programs, students have opportunities to earn direct college credits, which reduce the cost and time required for a degree and often allow students to explore other interests while in college without the pressure of a full load. They are exposed to college level rigor that strengthens their academic skills. In addition, the coursework builds essential research, writing, communication, and problem solving skills that prepare students for success in any of the three e pathways. Access is the first step in strengthening student opportunities. Over the past four years, we have dramatically increased student access to rigorous courses because of the work of the AASP team and our partnership with the equal opportunity schools

066framework through our colleagues in the equity office and the work of our school counselors and teachers. We see upward movement across all student groups with notable gains in our black students, English learners, and Hispanic students. While growth varies by group, the trend shows steady progress towards our goal of increasing advanced course participation for all learners in Prince William County Schools. This is the exciting part. Not only have we dramatically increased access, our students have equally increase their performance. They are breaking down the barriers that may have pre-existed to believing that open access means lowering standards. It's exactly the opposite. More students are getting the opportunity to take higher level courses and they are showing when given that opportunity they will indeed succeed. The next several slides highlight for you each of our advanced academic programs.

067Each of these types of coursework are available free of charge to our students which can also translate into free college credit. That is not true nationwide and we thank you the board for your continued support in this area. Advanced placement remains a strong component of our advanced academics offerings with 36 AP courses available across the division. This year, more than 15,900 AP course enrollments reflect continued student interest in rigorous college level learning. AP provides students with exposure to college level expectations, helps build strong academic and organizational skills, and offers opportunities to earn college credit or advanced placement. With a wide range of subjects available, students can select courses that align with their interests and their future goals. Over the past several years, we've expanded AP opportunities across the division, adding new courses such as AP

068African-American studies, English 10, AP Seminar, AP pre-calculus, and upcoming offerings this fall like AP Cyber Security, and AP Business with Personal Finance. participation now more closely reflects the demographics of our student population, demonstrating meaningful progress in equity of access. We've also seen strong gains in student outcomes, including a 20% increase in AP pass rates since 2021. In 2025, students earned qualifying scores on more than 9,900 AP exams, potentially equating to 29,700 college credits. Additionally, we recognized over 2,100 AP scholars and celebrated our highest number of AP honor roll schools to date. The Cambridge program or ACE is an internationally recognized academic pathway developed by the University of Cambridge. It builds strong critical thinking, research, and global awareness skills. It offers rigorous coursework across multiple subject areas and provides students with credentials valued by universities worldwide.

069We are the only division in the Commonwealth to offer this prestigious program. In PWCS, the Cambridge program is available at Brentsville High School, PTOAC High School, and Parkside Middle School with 31 courses and more than 1,300 enrollments for the 2526 school year. Students are able to take ad hoc courses or work towards the full diploma. Students benefit from globally recognized qualifications and strong preparation for college and future careers. In 2025, students across our schools with Cambridge continued to excel in the Cambridge ACE program. A total of eight ACE diplomas were earned with Brentville awarding two diplomas and PTOAC awarding six. Testing performance was strong, including one student scoring in the top 1% globally on the ACAS English language exam. Across the division, 1,224 ACE exams were administered. Students also achieved meaningful results with more than

070370 exams earning an E or better, meeting the benchmark for college credit. We have also partnered with Cambridge to ensure that every university website for Virginia schools has information on how Cambridge scores transfer into credit. The international balora or IB is a globally recognized program that develops critical thinking, research skills and internationalmindedness through rigorous diploma program DP or career related program CP pathways. Students benefit from the IB philosophy due to its holistic approach to learning, strong preparation for college level research and writing, and a focus on global perspectives that support student success in an interconnected world. In PWCS, students have access to 111 IB, my DP, and CP courses with more than 3,200 students enrolled this school year. This table outlines each IB strand. The primary years program PYP, the middle years program, MYP, the

071careers related program CP, and the diploma program DP. The career related program is the newest designation that allows for students to combine both CTE courses and Cambridge courses to earn the CP designation. We are thrilled that both of our high schools offer this program and support our divisionwide philosophy that college and career preparation go hand in hand. Together, these strands create aligned progressive academic pathways from elementary through high school. In 2025, PWCS strengthened IB implementation by completing unified planners for all five IBPYP schools. And this school year is dedicated to aligned planner development and training for IBM schools in grades 6 through 10. IB for all continued to expand with both high schools implementing the model. Across the division, students earned qualifying scores on more than 470 exams, potentially equating to nearly 1,400 college credits.

072And I'm excited to next talk about dual enrollment. This is the area where we have had explosive growth in program opportunity for our students in the last couple of years. Um through dual enrollment, our students are able to directly enroll in college level courses and earn credit for both their high school diploma as well as their college diploma. We work with several partners primarily NOVA and the National Education Opportunity Network and the benefits for the students are beyond the obvious earned credit. It teaches students that they do belong in a college level course. They can succeed and they can excel at that level in perhaps ways that they had not previously understood. One of the newest opportunities in Prince William County Schools is the National Education Opportunity Network. And I cannot overstate how excited I

073am about this new program. This is a nationally recognized program where we partner with an agency that helps our students take courses directly through national universities. For example, our students this past semester took courses at Georgetown, the University of Pennsylvania, Howard, Morehouse, Arizona State, and more. Our students were able to directly enroll in those universities, take courses from their professors in a hybrid format while being supported by a base teacher in their school. We recently just yesterday received notification that we were one of the top performing divisions in the entire country and 16 of our students joined the national honor role for their grades in these courses at these national universities. We piloted this program this fall with 76 students and are continuing into second semester and we look forward to continuing to expand this

074opportunity and partnerships with universities throughout. Contract dual enrollment is what you are most familiar with. Contract dual enrollment is where at a school, a teacher becomes credentialed by a college or university and is able to issue that class at that school essentially with a contract. And those students are taking it from their teachers in their schools. Um, we have over 36 courses available in our schools with over 4,000 student enrollments in those contract dual enrollment courses. and students can again earn both those credits. Okay, this is where Karina gave us the spoiler alert. Um, this is really hot off the press. Um, College and Career Ready Virginia was passed by the Commonwealth to launch this school year. And this is where the general assembly said that every student at every high school should have a

075clear pathway to earn a uniform certificate of general studies. That's essentially half an AA degree, a full year of college credits, 32 college credits. Um, we were able to launch in January. We're really proud of our partnership with NOVA to make this happen. And out of 250 students enrolled throughout the entire Northern Virginia region, including Lowden, including Fairfax, 177 of those students are ours, representing every single high school. And if you go to the website, I encourage you to do so. It is a public website on our PWCS site for CCRV. You can look up each and every individual high school and see how to take those courses. So, for example, if a course is not available at your school by a teacher, as Karina mentioned, you can actually do that as dual enrollment, but

076as part of your courses. So, you're becoming more independent and agile in your program. So you might take four traditional classes at your high school and three in dual enrollment. That is available at every single high school. So right now for our families thinking about next year, we are in the advisement period and on tax day registration begins for this program for next fall. Money saving tax day. I think it's a really easy thing to remember. So we do encourage our uh students to take opportunity. We have worked with our high schools about what does flexible scheduling look like so that our students can maximize these benefits. Some additional dual enrollment highlights. Um really excited about what's happening with Collegiate High School at Freedom High School. As the board I know recognizes, last year we

077launched our early opportunity students. Nine students completed courses at both Freedom High School and the NOVA campus. literally walking across the street, participating in clubs, activities, and the authentic college experience. This year, there are 30 students enrolled in the program that do classes on both campuses. And I've just got some great news from first semester. The each of these students takes three college courses on campus. Their average GPA was a 3.6 with 11 students having a perfect 4.0. 0 GPA in their college classes. I'm also pleased to share that we have received a commitment from the Manasses campus to expand this program over the next few years to also partner with the Manasses campus. So looking forward to expanding these opportunities for our students. um as we've shared some great opportunities where our students in

078early college have earned over 3,700 credentials equaling 11,000 plus college credits. Um also we highlighted last week that we're also expanding those pathways in career as well. So our students can earn dual enrollment credits in both career opportunities as well as in academic opportunities. This chart, al although very difficult to see on a screen, is really a sample of the information we're putting together for parents to be able to compare and contrast the different programs. As a parent myself, I had one child do IB, one child do AP. Our children are different. They thrive in different spaces, and the variety of opportunities in Prince William County really makes us unique in the programs that we offer. Currently, we have 179 students enrolled at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and 133 students attending

079the Governor's School at Innovation Park. Virginia hosts a variety of Governors, including academic year programs, summer residential programs, and world languagemies. These highly competitive programs offer advanced learners the opportunity to accelerate and deepen their education. Last year, eight PWCS students were accepted into the world languagemies and 76 gained admissions to summer residential governor's schools. While attending summer residential governor schools, students spend up to up to four weeks over the summer immersed in the college experience. They live on campus, learn from experts, participate in seminars and labs, and conduct hands-on research. The experience is both academically rigorous and personally transformative for students. The gifted education and talent development program supports K12 students whose advanced learning needs cannot be entirely met in the general education classroom setting. All schools in PWCS have their own gifted program and

080at least one gifted resource teacher who has specialized training. Once identified for the program, students engage in challenging units of study, independent projects, and Socratic seminars. Services include weekly pullouts and cluster grouping in our elementary schools and scheduled classes, seminars, and advanced coursework in our middle and high schools. Differentiated service plans provide additional support at every level. This slide highlights several middle and high school gifted programs. During resource services, students focus on developing advanced skills in critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and conceptual thinking. PWCS offers a wide range of advanced opportunities in middle school. In math, students may follow the accelerated pathway where students complete advanced algebra 1 or the promoted pathway where students are able to complete both advanced algebra 1 and advanced geometry at their school. We also support students who may

081need algebra 2 through partnerships with our high schools. We offer extended language arts in grades 6 through 8, which provides deeper exploration of texts, more complex analytical work, and opportunities for creative and critical thinking. In many middle schools, students can take enriched or IBMP science, both of which promote inquirybased learning and problem solving. World language instruction is available divisionwide in grade 8 and is offer also offered in grades six and seven at schools with the IB middle years program or the world language specialty programs. Beyond the classroom, PWCS offers a rich array of extracurricular and enrichment opportunities that extend academic learning and allows students to explore their interests more deeply. These opportunities play an essential role in developing our students passions, leadership, and real world problem solving abilities. These are just a few of the

082ways that our students can experience acceleration outside of our classrooms. We want to close our time with you tonight by looking forward to elevate 2030. Here are a few of the goals designed to enhance the skills necessary for success in this next era of innovation. We plan to integrate computational thinking skills across K12 to ensure all of our students are developing the complex thinking skills to undergard their success in rigorous content. We want all students to have opportunities to advance in science like they do in math and English language arts and all high schools to have pathways in statistics and data analysis as well as information technology. We will work closely with our schools to align and strengthen our global pathways. >> Thank you, Dr. Cramp. And that concludes our presentation and we are happy

083to answer any questions. >> Miss Tennic, >> my colleague was talking to me about how much I love athletics. So, you know, I'm a huge athletic supporter. I'm a huge CTE supporter. Um I am also a huge advanced academic supporter. Um I have a child who is four out of has been in four out of five of these programs. Wow. >> Um and also looking at the middle school aspect. You and I have talked a lot about >> um communication with parents. I am an average parent, probably a below average parent if we're being honest. >> Wouldn't say that. know some of our communication some of our communications don't always get to the parents when we have so many different emails and modes coming through. So I think that us highlighting the dual enrollment, you

084know, I'm love that especially being a mom with college children now too and getting ready to go into college. I plead to the moms that are paying attention right now in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade, really pay attention because those college costs are coming your way and anything you can do to ease that burden such as take part in the dual enrollment is so smart um because your kids are really going to benefit from that. So, um I appreciate that. I appreciate more dual enrollment offerings. You know, I've been >> yelling about that for a long time about having more at each school. So, like Karina, I think that the online option is amazing. Um, I also think that uh highlighting our gifted education, I know we've talked about that before at a high school

085level, they it really drops off with our kids and it can >> Yeah. middle school and things like that. And some of our gifted education teachers are really good at filling out um applications with them, going through and doing their essays, things like that. So there is a benefit sometimes to going to that gifted education um even if it happens during PE which you know there is a rotation so that's helpful all those things that you guys look at um but but the difference understanding the difference between the AP the dual enrollment so I really appreciate how you explained that um for for parents um but I will continue to talk about how great dual enrollment is and to really look at that offering for your kids because it's so uh valuable and We are

086very fortunate to have um a school that school system that offers that. Um I just have one question about the middle school level. Um one thing that I do think is missing and it might have improved in the last couple of years, but is that transition um with the advanced placement courses from middle school into high school. I feel like that is a point where if somebody would have talked about dual enrollment, it would have really helped as a middle school parent transitioning up into high school to know that that's available. Um, and to understand that process even telling those kids in that moment because you know we push a lot of AP, we push the Cambridge, we push all of that, but really speaking to them about dual enrollment. Is that something that we're

087working on doing? >> Absolutely. You you really took the words out of my mouth. That's a high priority. um our parents want to understand a full pathway more deeply. Um so yes, we'll be working with our colleagues in advisement, our middle school leadership colleagues to really strengthen what is a 612 continuum of development towards those choices. So yeah, that's a high priority and you'll see a lot of references to the middle school strengthening in the strategic plan because we know that's a tough time for students and families and we want to pour some more resource and time and effort into it. Thank you. Thank you for all your hard work. >> Thank you. I I I do want to uh add one point. Um AP, IB, and Cambridge also go perfectly into building that college

088transcript for an AA degree. And so we also work extensively on having those students credits transfer. So their NOVA transcript already has all of those credits combined. And so a student can very quickly become an AA candidate by bringing in their AP, IB or Cambridge courses as well. And that is something that we are shining a brighter light on to make sure that families understood that they can pull all those programs together. >> Dr. Sullman, what do you mean by AA degree? Is that the >> I I apologize, sir, for an associates degree. And so our our students sometimes who are participating in the other programs don't realize that they can simultaneously build a transcript along the way with all those credits as well and NOVA will pull them together to make it a cleaner

089package for them. >> Great, >> Mr. Zarapore. >> Thank you. Um I I just want to tag on to something that um Mr. Jennick just said. Um, if if hopefully my moms and dads were were really honing in on this that we have multiple ways to get college credit >> that counts toward a degree before these kids leave high school, which is going to save you a ton of money. And at a time where I mean, my kids knew that they either had to get a really great scholarship or work their way through or, you know, live at home and and go to Mason or whatever. um that that that was that was their plan. We had like this much money saved up and and we you know the rest was on them and they

090did do it. They they but there were fewer options when my kids went through. So, I'm really excited that we're expanding these and it's really um um yeah, I just I'm really glad you you you brought that up because the affordability of college is just out of control. And this also gives kids an opportunity to sort of play with different kinds of coursework before they actually have to spend money on it. So that's another important distinction. You don't want your kid going off to college and you're paying thousands and thousands of dollars on classes for them to decide to change their major two, three times. So this gives them a great opportunity to try different subjects and and and see what's interesting to them. So thank you for all of that. >> Thank you, >>

091Mr. Jesse. Thank you for the wonderful opportunities you're presenting to our kids. Uh my youngest or both of my kids went to Garfield High School and they were one year apart and uh IB started at Garfield and my oldest daughter was could not get in. My youngest one could. Uh she's a AB or AF student. She either gets a A or F depending on what you consider. >> I was trying to track that. >> Yeah. And she has no concerns with the F. So, but she got in she got into a uh IB and it's changed her life. >> Uh she uh she loved the competition, whatever it was. uh she went down to uh uh the university down at Virginia Tech and uh couldn't get into the honor program that she said because she

092didn't was on honor row but then she became the dean of students and uh with two degrees and almost a third but what I want to know is how do you know which of the programs you're talking about IB Cambridge and whatever the other one how does a student know which one is the right fit for them >> and if that's not offered in their school what do you do >> yeah thank you Sarah I think that goes back to Miss Treenkick's comment the advisement and support in middle school is critical um we have to be very clear about the pros and cons because they are different and there are different benefits and we want to make sure our families are coming out better informed so that when the opportunity to apply for the programs

093at other schools come up, they are able to take advantage of that. And so with the team, we are working on again strengthening our eighth our middle school staff, our middle school teams in the nuances and in the differences of the programs so that parents can make those informed decisions um because they are very different and benefit children differently. And so we'll be working on different materials, campaigns, parent events. We do run multiple events now, but it's not enough. We're really going to key in on strengthening our middle school teams to be part of that alongside us. >> So if your student determine they want to go to a Cambridge program, >> but the high school they're going to doesn't offer that, what happens? >> They can go through a specialty program route. >> Okay.

094>> Yep. >> Thank you. >> Yep. And we do have students that move in from other countries that had Cambridge or IB in those countries and they we actually help accommodate them finishing those degrees at those schools. >> Excellent. Uh Miss Wall, >> thank you for this presentation. This is a topic I love to hear about, love to talk about, and advocate for strongly. Um my own children have participated in a various varieties of these programs. AP, dual enrollment, obviously not IB or Cambridge because we weren't at schools where that was offered, but I do um love the emphasis on opportunity >> um for all students to achieve at high levels. And I really think I mean the data speaks for itself with the AP um score results that more kids are taking it. And

095it's not that the scores are going down, it's that their pass rates are going up, which is amazing. So, I just wanted to highlight that. Very pleased about that. Um, I um have a couple of questions there. There are so many things that you said that I loved and I'm not going to reiterate them, but let's just read into evidence that the presentation is awesome and that um this is a really important work that we're doing. So, I appreciate everybody who's working on it. I have seen a remarkable and noticeable difference in the last handful of years. Um, and so I really do appreciate it. But, you know, even from simple things like extended science in the middle school years, which is something I'd longed for for my own kids, >> they're all three in

096college now. So, the costs of college are real. Um, and this these opportunities I I can't emphasize enough how important it is and how much families appreciate it. So, thank you. Excellent. >> Um, my first question is, um, with the dual enrollment credits, um, do we know or could you speak to how transferable they are out of state? No, I know from my own experience that my student was who had dual enrollment credits was able to get um to get those credits transferred >> with for the most part with a couple of difficulties where you know the the college was like I don't know what this course is. >> Um but we do have some students who do go out of state. So could you speak briefly to that? >> Yeah, it it definitely varies.

097What I will say is the vast majority of the credits do transfer out of state um particularly in um uh public universities. Um and the reputation of Virginia certainly helps. Um so I think that the community knows that. Now are all of them transferable? They are not. It is definitely more transferable when a student completes a milestone. So, for example, the UCGs or the AA degree, those make them more uh transferable for schools. Sometimes a college would accept a course for advanced standing. So, perhaps you don't have to take the 100level course. You're not getting a actual credit, but you're able to access a more rigorous course. So, colleges handle prior learning differently. Um, some colleges, one of mine went to the military academy and there are no transferable credits, right? But by and large,

098they do allow you access to different courses differently. So, it's definitely something families should look up and every college has a web page that shows you what they take for all of the programs. Um, to include, many of them take Project Lead the Way credits as well. So, I always encourage parents to look at those colleges that they're interested, look at how they take AP, IB, Cambridge, dual enrollment, and then make a decision that makes the most sense for their family. In this commonwealth, they are all accepted. >> Thank you. That's a great clarification on all of those points that you said. My second question is um uh the alignment um the alignment with some of our schools. I know we're looking at this. Can you tell us a little bit more about it? What

099I mean is like where we have like the IB program in middle school and then we have an IB program in a high school but maybe kids don't actually >> go to that high school or um in the Cambridge program. I I think that might be an issue too but I know we're looking at that because we're doing an assessment of all of our advanced programs. Is there anything you want to could you add to that or Sure. I'm assuming we're looking at growing some of growing AP and other >> we are uh certainly looking to align programs. So right now um we do have for example in IB we do have PYP my DP but they're not actually aligned in a sequence. And so right now we are undergoing a comprehensive specially programs audit.

100We are literally turning up everything you could possibly want to know and then putting together recommendations over a multi-year period to realign and expand programs. Um we are monitoring all of the data on lottery applications. What are the programs that are in demand? What are the programs that can be strengthened? What are the programs that might need to attrition? Evaluating all of that information. Alignment is a high priority and expansion where the demand is there as well. >> Great. Thank you. Um that's something I've thought about a lot. Some of my schools have some of the IB and then others not. >> And it is in Elevate 2030. >> Yes. I saw it in there. Um, my last question is how um are we at some of our schools we might have like an IB

101program or Cambridge and then we offer maybe a few AP classes, but AP is very um ubiquitous. It transfers very easily. It allows it's kind of the cafeteria style where you can pick and choose what you're interested in. You don't have to >> seek an IB diploma, you know, it's not complicated, I guess, what I'm saying. Um, and it's flexible. So at the schools where we have like an IB program as their primary option, what are what are we doing to um advance AP classes also at those schools so that students who are maybe not interested in the IB track can still take those advanced classes? >> Yeah, it really depends on the courses. So each of the schools does have some albeit limited opportunities for AP. It depends on if it is countering the

102same students. So, for example, we wouldn't have a a Cambridge statistics course and an AP statistics course and potentially a dual enrollment statistics courses. So, we're looking at the balance of it. Um, out of the programs, as you mentioned, AP is super flexible. Cambridge also has that flexibility model to get the diploma in IB. It is very structured and so that's more of a cohort collective program model. And so through advancing opportunities like with dual enrollment, those can really complement the Cambridge and IB schools as well, but we are continuing to see some increase of additional flexibilities in that space. >> Okay, thank you. That's an interesting consideration. And and again, I know I know parents regardless of their background, their economic status, their politics, they they like school. They like choice. >> Yes. >>

103They like choice for their kids. They want options. And um and it these programs do allow us to tailor our offerings to meet the individual interests of the students and therefore drive engagement which is what we're trying to do. And so I I really appreciate all the work in this and um thank you very much. >> Thank you Mr. Blake. >> Thank you Dr. Sullivan and uh Dr. Crim for this very comprehensive um update. I would just what really stands out to me first is um about this advanced academics in Prince William County is like Miss Wall and my other colleagues said is is not about ex exclus exclusivity and um you know it's about access and readiness and as it's outlined in um our elevate 2030 our commitment is to provide uh equitable opportunities

104to all students to achieve at high levels and that matters and that's what we're doing here and and we're not sacrificing rigor to expand access either. So, that's very good. We're doing both at the same time. And I just, you know, want to make sure that everybody understands that. >> Um I'm not going to really like I'm excited about a lot of these things too, but I won't go into all of it. But I would like our Cambridge program. >> You didn't really is let's highlight is that are we like the one of the only divisions in the competition? Yes, we are the only division in the Commonwealth. It is very popular throughout the nation. Um, every college website will show how they take Cambridge credits as well. Um, IB credits, AP. Um, but we

105are the only division in the Commonwealth that offers it. >> And it's a real Cambridge. >> It is affiliated with the University of Cambridge. >> Yes, it is. Um, it it this is what I'll say. Um, I believe it's been the best kept secret in Prince William County School. So, my team and I are working very hard to elevate um to increase training, to increase fidelity of the program. Um, we've been working very closely with the staff from the University of Cambridge this year. They've actually been here five times this year um to work alongside our counselors, our teachers, and our administrators um because it really is a remarkable program. We want to shine a brighter light on it. Right. Thank you. I that's why I said something. I wanted you to say something about

106that because you didn't mention that. >> We're going to shine it brighter. >> Right. And then and then my other thing I just want to thank you and you team Dr. Mate and everybody is I see like our English to language learners, you know, are participating in and succeeding >> in this advanced coursework at rates that are outperforming even our rest of our our peer our neighbor and school division. So I appreciate that. And then just the intentionality cuz I remember sitting on the the equity um committee and advocating for it. Hey, we need to get more, you know, I need to see more people like me taking these classes, >> you know. So, I um I appreciate that and just including the black students, the Hispanic students, the English language learners, students with disabilities,

107just everybody. I'm I'm I'm happy about it and excited. So, thank you. >> Thank you, sir. all these opportunities and like everybody else said, you know, um being able to take these classes and getting these college credits before you can um before you graduate, it really helps out families, especially in in in a lot of our districts. So, you know, that's thousands of dollars that you that people don't have to pay. So, thank you for the opportunity. Keep up the good work. >> Thank you, sir. I I will emphasize that uh national clearing house data shows that if a student takes even one dual enrollment class, they are have the multiplier effect of the likelihood of their success in college. And so it we also want the courses to not just give them college credit,

108but to give them the skills to actually increase their success once they enroll. >> Yeah. Thank you, sir. >> Thank you. Um, Jen Wall and then I'm gonna ask Karina to just tell us a little experience about what she's had if she's with her APs. >> Really quick, um, I believe you did say this, but you can highlight it again if you did, which I believe you did. When I was in high school, we had to pay for our AP exams. >> Yeah. >> Out of our own pocket. And if we took the SAT, we had to pay for that. >> That's true. >> And the ACT. Um, and so that was that was a thing and I believe we cover that for every single student regardless of how many AP tests they take and

109whether or not they even pass it or not. >> That is true and that's actually you opened a womb because I couldn't take the test when I was in high school because of the cost. And so yes, whether it is Cambridge, IB um or AP, all the costs are fully covered and our families do not have to think twice about it or even consider that. Um with these new programs that I've mentioned, all the dual enrollment costs are now covered as well. Um in the past, a family with means might have gone and registered for a dual enrollment course on their own. Now through these programs, all those opportunities are available at no cost to any student in the division. >> And considering the cost of college, which my family is dealing with right now,

110that is amazing. >> Huge. >> That is an amazing benefit that it translates into thousands and thousands of dollars. >> Well, and fees are invisible barriers. There are students who won't enroll because they're anticipating a fee barrier. And so it actually limits people believing what's possible. >> Thank you for emphasizing that and um indulging my extra question. >> Before I go over to Karina, I I didn't realize I was missing Mr. Wilk. Mr. Wilk, >> it's been a night. Um the best kept secret, I think, is a great word to describe the Cambridge program because probably nothing gives me more consternation than the Cambridge program. um when it comes to um uh PTOAC and and I think a problem is the fact it is the best kept secret. >> Yes sir. I think one of

111the biggest barriers to the Cambridge program is that families do not really understand what it is and the point you made about schools uh the colleges in Virginia having right there up there the transfer and what the courses equate to and stuff like that. I I think the general public at least believes again an assumption that AP is really kind of where it's at when it comes to making those transfer credits and passing the scores and getting a getting a school university to ex accept or dual enrollment uh to those programs. So I I guess and I know you're doing the audit and I I guess I said in a way before this I've been almost in a way trying to supplant and get rid of the Cambridge program epitomic but I I think if

112I think more in a propitious manner if we're able to bring other programs like the IT or something else AP scholars program I think it would help especially retain more of our original students within the PTOAC boundary cuz I think we've all seen the boundaries and the transitions. I think we lose about 25% of the students in that zone and it's been something I've talked with previous principles about how do we promote it? How do we get out there in the community? Um, you know, the last principal, I do give him credit, he did go to a couple PTO meetings and try to talk about the Cambridge program with middle schoolers and stuff like that, but we really need to do something more robust if we're going to continue to keep these programs, especially the

113Cambridge program in my opinion because it just it's not connecting, I think, with a large segment of the population. >> Agreed. And, um, that was my experience, too, in coming to Prince William County. I've had plenty of prior experience with it and the perception it was very different and so uh that led to my commitment this year of taking it on really as our own separate project. We need to in increase fluency in the teachers that teach the program, the counselors that speak about it, the school administration. We need to elevate it in a public relations space. Um it really is top tier and so we are very committed to uh doing the work alongside staff at the University of Cambridge to elevate it. As I mentioned earlier, they've actually come to Prince William County

114five times this year. Um the staff directly from Cambridge to work alongside our team and the teachers to continue to bring clarity to all of that. Um because we definitely saw that as well. And so it is a high priority. >> I'm I'm interjecting in this conversation because it's Cambridge. Um I my question to you is about the Cambridge program. I know you just said like it's top tier. It's >> it's all of these things. Um does it provide college credit for these kids? I I >> we have seen a child on our our board last year. Um Kaylee Kaylee um she was very successful in the program but she was on a certain track that provided that. >> Um I guess you know again I'm going to push that dual enrollment over the Cambridge

115and I just >> that's okay >> just to compare the two and what gets you the credit and all these different things. Um I know it's a great program. I I I hear and I echo what Justin is saying as well though being the two school districts that have it in their school. It's underutilized. it's not understood even as with a child in it. I you know I'm struggling to see how that calculates to uh cutting my college cost. So >> yeah, so Cambridge is the exact same as IB or AP that is dependent on their assessment result. And so all three of those and that's really the difference between a dual enrollment choice and one of those programs is it is dependent on the assessment results. Um, University of Cambridge did work with the

116Commonwealth again to make sure all the colleges post that transferability. I think that's going to be very helpful. Um, and again, we've got to do a better job of clarity around those decisions. >> Is the program like more antiquated? Like, has it been around longer than these other two? And maybe it's kind of theory. >> Let me let me just jump in so we can move on. >> I was the last one picked to talk. >> No, I know. I know. But I I don't want to keep going because I want to acknowledge that we are um doing a full audit of all of our programs. So that'll give us some data to take to make determinations about how we move forward on different programs. For example, um all of the things that you're saying

117about Cambridge, although it is a very um it's a it's a very strong program on its face, everything that you're saying is true in terms of numbers and interest and all of those things. and and it's one of our more expensive programs to run also. So, as we do the audits and uh across all of our programming, we'll be able to come back to the board with actual data and numbers to make clear decisions about different types of programming that is that's informed. Um so, if we have a situation where we we're not seeing the interest there, then we can make decisions about whether or not we swap out one program for a higher interest program. Um I know uh one of you just mentioned about like it. One of the reasons we're putting it

118at every high school is because it is in high demand and it's also a high demand, high wage career as well, but we're also seeing a a lot of interest in it um across the school system. So we want to make sure that the programs that we offer are programs that our students are actually interested in and are applying for. And if we find that one program is just not generating that kind of interest, then we should um just like we do in our continuous improvement plans or stop, stop, start, continue, look at look at what have we been doing historically, does the data support us continuing to do this? And if it doesn't, then do we stop it and then pick up um something that may be in higher demand for our students and

119our families. So, I just want to I just want to be responsive to the board and the concerns that you're having and letting you know that um the team already has an audit process in place and we'll be able to bring that data to you so that we can make informed decisions to address some of the very valid concerns that you're raising tonight. And and I think you make a good point about especially in my situation with the IT program sensitive topic as we see a huge influx of students from school A going to school B in my district and and we see kind of the result of capacity at one of those buildings. So >> thank you. >> Um you know one of the reasons I want to ask Karina to speak I thought

120in your super in your um comments where you discussed some students felt like you know some schools didn't have as many dual enrollment and AP courses. I can tell you that when I first got on this board eight years ago, it was a dramatic problem. There was inequity across the division in course offerings. And when Dr. McDade came, I mean, if you take a look at the data here and the charts here, I mean, the number of students taking AP classes, advanced placement classes, and then passing, it's because we increased opportunity. And and I and so so Karina, one, I'd like to that point you made is a really important point. It still continues. We still have work to do. There's no doubt about it. But it's a dramatically improved in the last four years

121as as shown on slide number seven. Uh which I think is the the best slide in the whole deck where we have far more students taking it and and and our elevate 2030 plan continues to push that number. It says we want even more. Yep. >> And that is really critical and I do believe deeply that if we push that more I I I believe our pass rate will continue to go up. And for all those in the country who thinks public schools are not rigorous or not pushing the envelope, this is the clearest example of a school division doing exactly that. Pushing the envelope, pushing rigor. Um, and I'll have more to say on that, but Karina, I'd like to hear your thoughts on, you know, how your experience has been with APs and

122and those kind of advanced classes at at your high school. >> Yeah, I mean, at Kan, we have AP and dual enrollment opportunities. And I've taken both. I've loved both. I feel like they both really prepare me for college and you know I've learned so many key skills that I'm going to use in college through those courses. Uh same with my peers. We all encourage one another to take them. Um as a senior my main concern are seniors skipping out on the AP exam. So I have a question for the on slide seven. Is the exam the number of exams in 2025 14,500? Is that exams that were purchased or are those the amount of students that took an exam? >> Uh great question. Those are the number of students that took an exam. We

123actually monitor it very closely um the participation rate at each of our schools to ensure that we don't have to intervene regarding the participation road. It's actually part of our CI goals um to make sure every student is given the opportunity encouraged and gets outreach if necessary to be able to not walk away from the potential of that result. >> Wow. Okay, that's amazing. That just makes it even better. Um I have one more question about the CRV. Nope, that's a car. CCRV. Sorry, the CCRV. I was looking at the website that you mentioned and all of the programs or all the courses offered at each school and I have a question on how you guys or NOVA decided how the program decided which courses to offer virtual at each school. >> Excellent question. So

124the NOVA strategy was to look at the base courses offered at the school and those that weren't offered online. So they didn't u dissuade or persuade, they looked at what was already there. That list will change annually. So if a school is able to offer it in person, then they'll remove the online option. Okay? >> So they looked at what was the reality of every school and then made sure every student had an option. >> Okay? because I was looking at Kan's obviously and Kan does not have dual enrollment psychology as an option like in person or virtual. Okay. And then I look at Hilton's and they have that option virtual DE but they also have the AP psychology and so I'm just a little bit confused on how that matches up. Mhm. So, the

125CCRV program is specifically targeted for students to earn the 32 credits um that are attached to that full year's work of coursework. So, uh NOVA has implemented that match. There are additional courses that are dual enrollment at schools that aren't part of the CCRV pathway. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Okay. Okay. That makes sense. But anyways, back to how amazing you guys are. Yeah. My experience in high school has been amazing. My first AP class was my sophomore year, AP Human Geography. That prepared me. It was tough as a sophomore, but it prepared me so much. And I know you guys are working on that transition to high school. And >> my experience was a little bit different because of COVID. But having that having that transition period to really understand, oh, this is what I'm

126going to experience in high school is so important because especially coming off CO, I had no clue what I was expecting, which is why I think it hit so many of us so hard. But nonetheless, the fact that you guys have so many opportunities for AP and DE at Kan and countywide is just amazing. And despite all the hardships we face in middle school, it really all these courses prepared us for the future. So, I love it. I love everything about it. And I'm glad you guys are making it more equal countywide. Like Dr. Latif said, I don't even want to know how it was back then. I'm glad we're looking forward and making Prince William County School a better county to be in and just no matter your zip code. So, that's amazing. Thank

127you so much. >> Thank you, Karina. Uh very good points. Great presentation as I said um we have um you know when you apply to college um especially the competitive colleges and and those are we have many of them in Virginia and that's UVA and William and Mary and Virginia Tech. The first thing they look at is your rigor of courses offered in the school and whether you took the most rigorous courses offered at your school. That is how they judge you. And then they look at your grades in those rigorous courses and compare you to everyone else who took those same rigorous courses in your school and that's how they select. The second thing they look at is your SAT ACT score. Right? So those are still important. Some schools are optional, but most

128of the competitive schools have gone back to requiring them. Some schools um want to see all your AP scores. You don't have to submit them. There are a couple universities that require if you took the AP, we want to see the score. some universities, you know, you it's an option and and and as Karina said, you know, you can skip the AP test. I'm not advocating that, but but you know, you could if you didn't want to sit for that AP test and just take the class. Obviously, you're still, you know, the grade in the class matters for your GPA and all of that. So, that's critical. Um, I I want to thank you all. You know, the number of schools offering more advanced placement classes has dramatically improved in these four years. It has

129been, you know, we spend a lot of money on on students with special special education students. We spend a lot of money on English learning students. I, you know, I've always said that we need to spend a lot of money on every student and and and advanced students where I think um that's critical, but I also think that that BC student, that mid-range student, like how are we going to push them to take more advanced courses? Dual enrollment is a great option for them. not necessarily as rigorous as the APs, but great options to get, you know, your credits for your associates degree. Um, and and get you trained and ready for for community college in college as well. And so, I think those are critical. And I think, you know, what I what I

130want to what I not that I'm going to ask this question. I I think you all know that I ask this a lot. I care deeply about counseling. I care about whether our counselors are as upto-date on what the requirements are for colleges of all sorts of colleges and the strategy that each student should employ as they start in 9th grade looking forward over those four years. Do I take nine APs? When do I start them? Do I start two my freshman year, two my sophomore year? I want to know that our counselors know that. I want to know that our counselors are making sure that they are offering our students the full gamut of options. You know, it's fine to warn them and say, "Look, you're you're going to sign up for rough curriculum,

131but again, it's everyone's choice. It's a student choice. It's a it's a parent choice. It's a family choice." But, you know, I think that's critical if we're going to set our kids up for success because you can't, you know, um, a lot of times kids show up in junior year and senior year and they've taken a rigorous course but didn't take that many APs and so their GPA doesn't look that good compared to other students in their class, right? Because they took a bunch of 5.0 classes and and and those are the APs, the Cambridge, and the IB programs. And so, um, you know, I mean, I'll say it out loud. You know, when you're when you're competing and you're taking a lot of those 5.0 classes, every time you take a class that's not

132a 50 and you get an A, your GPA actually goes down. So, if you're running a 4.3 GPA and then you sign up for a 4.0 class and get an A, your GPA actually goes down. And so, there are a lot of students, these 7,644 students who are taking AP courses care deeply about that. And and while I understand, you know, um not everyone thinks that way, there are a lot that do. And and I think preparing that batch of kids for their future is really important. And I want to know that our counselors are really encouraging, you know, at the middle school level, take Cambridge over there. Go look at it. Don't scare the kids, you know, take IB, take AP classes. And so those things I think are important. So the alignment of

133what our counselors and teachers are saying to encourage our students is really important. I I I get really I get really upset when I find students tell me that my counselor discouraged me or my teacher discouraged me from doing this. Those things concern me and and and and while I recognize that, you know, we have to give good advice to kids and it might some might not be ready, but you know, I think we have to give the full gamut of information to them to let them make the choices. But, um, you know, you don't have to respond to that, but that is important to me that we have an alignment along our counseling that is really good and that they're up to date on what colleges require. >> Yeah. Yes, sir. Agreed. I I

134do want to shout out um Dr. Samson, our newest associate superintendent. Um, he's echoed all those words. So, I think you can feel confident in his leadership in working with counselors um to continue to elevate their expertise. I think your kindred spirits and so I think you'll find that he's taking that mission quite seriously. >> Wonderful. Thank you, Miss Argapore. >> Um, while Dr. Latif was talking, um, we were having this sidebar conversation and I now I have questions about uh, dual enrollment. Um, yeah. Oops. Um, well, because I I have a neighbor who teaches dual enrollment and she I I already know what she says about this. So, >> are dual enrollment students following PWCS or are they following what NOVA is saying? So, so we offer retakes. Nova would never do that. Yeah.

135So, >> yes. So, we are providing some clarification to that point. Oh, good. Thank you. um because we have found that that needs further clarification. The students should be following NOVA's expectations, the guidelines and the course requirements because we are presenting it as a college course. Um so we are working um to um provide some of that clarification. For example, even with the grading practices, we've made clear that the NOVA classes are actually um different because they are expected to follow those NOVA criteria. It definitely requires a little bit more work and a little bit more clarification. Um, uh, yes, >> that's excellent because, um, I I know my my neighbor is an amazing teacher and the way she talks about how she prepares. She teaches this same class to college students and she doesn't

136want to have a different standard for high school. Correct. So I think that the rigor and the value for a dual enrollment could rival any AP class because you are actually doing the college work. AP, you're still in high school. And if we are allowing, are we gonna allow um AP? Are we gonna say AP then also has to have sort of a college standard in no retakes, no this, no that or? >> Yeah, we are working on including that in the regulation to be very clear about um by definition they are considered NOVA courses. Um so we are working um through some several stakeholder groups and putting together some communications to really clarify and really understand that those are college courses and they should be equivalent to the college experience on the campus. >>

137That's awesome. Thank you so much because I know that's been an issue among some of the teachers um for a little while now and >> they they've been great advocates when I've done opportunities for Zooms. um they attended the zooms and they uh thoroughly clarified their perspective. So I caught on very early on in the stakeholder feedback. >> I I really appreciate that too because uh people will talk about it for a while and when you have offered yourself as this resource, thank you for following through and listening. >> Yes, ma'am. Thank you. >> On on that note, so I I do appreciate your your support and Dr. McDade's support truly over the last four years, whether it's the grading policy or how we're doing retakes. I do think and and while I while I

138while I share um you know Miss Sarapor's concerns that you know we want to do it like it is in college um the governor's school is over at George Mason so they do it like George Mason TJ doesn't have the same sort of level of retakes but I think retakes are important I I think they are um a way to transition our students even within APs to getting to college you know you know you get warned like they're not going to do this to you in college but here's a couple opportunities these courses are very rigorous they are very tough and I want our children to succeed in these courses and and you see that whatever we're doing whatever we're doing so before we start going and changing a whole lot >> that 68% pass

139rate on the APs that has gone up you know we're doing a really good job in our AP program >> 100% >> and I and I and you know so so while while we're working on grading I appreciate all that I really appreciate Dr. McDade's commitment to sort of, you know, let's work in the favor of the student, right? In the favor of the kids because we are sending them out into a highly competitive environment. And if anyone were to say, again, I I want to be crystal clear that Prince William County is patting grades or doing something. That's not happening here. You know, our students are leaving here and achieving very high levels in their post-secary success. Uh, our pass rates on the AP scores are higher. So, anybody who would say that somehow

140we're it's an easy place to get, you know, passing grades, I think that's that's not necessarily true. And that if we're somehow changing these grading policies to make it easier, I think we're changing the grading policies to make sure our students have a fair shot. >> Absolutely. >> And and and get rewarded for the hard work they're doing. And and I think that's really important. While while it may not work in every scenario that someone may point out, I think it's really critical. And so um I do appreciate that and and look in these advanced courses or where you have those students who care deeply about their grades and and that will impact them you know when these universities >> unfortunately when you know UVAs and the William and Marys can't take everybody in the

141state of Virginia and they can't take everybody from you know Garfield High School or Kan High School that applies and unfortunately they rank you against the kids in your own school and that's how they do it you know and they're going to say well you didn't take as many classes at this one and you didn't get as many high grades. So they have algorithms. They're using AI now which is even worse. So the question is are they reading your college applications? That's a whole another, you know, thing. But you know, a lot of it is a numbers game. And that's why these kids care deeply about those numbers. It matters. It impacts their lives in some ways. You know, especially the students that want to get to those types of schools. Y >> I'm not

142saying it's all in the grades. It's all in the percentages of decimals. We we heard a you know eloquent speaker tonight talk about that. But but the reality is as long as this system tells me my kid has to take an SAT and get a certain score or we have to have grades then grades matter and SAT matters and we have to prepare them for that. So I appreciate Dr. McDade's strong commitment to that. You know there were times when she and I got into it where I said look doc test optional on the SAT anymore. that's, you know, like, you know, and she's like, "You're an idiot." You know, um, >> I did not and and and and the and the SAT is back. And it's not only back, it's back with a vengeance,

143right? So, the ACT and the SAT both considered equal. Um, uh, I appreciate that. I app We pay for the AP exams as as M. Um, Wall points out. >> Um, we have summer school this summer that I think we're paying for. Is that is that right, Dr. McDade? Yep. Y and we have an incredibly robust number of kids signed up. Okay. Uh which is incredible. And and I just want you to know that when you offer an opportunity, you know, they will come. Yep. They will do it. Whether it's if it's at Brentsville and PTOAC and we make changes there in those curriculums, you'll see people will want to do it. I promise you. >> You know, so I I think we should reduce the barrier in every way for students to take more

144rigorous courses and push them hard as we can. Yes, sir. Thank you. >> That's a That's my soap box for tonight. We're moving on. >> That's the end of discussion. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Superintendent Time. Dr. McDade, do you have anything else to add? Superintendent Time. >> No, sir. That >> Okay, we're up to committee updates. Miss Wall has an update from the Internal Audit Committee, the most important committee in the school division. >> All right. Um the internal audit committee met on February 18th at 4:15 for our quarterly meeting and at the meeting we selected the internal audit committee chairperson and based on that action I will be continuing as chair of the internal audit committee received we received a status update of audit activities um from our chief internal auditor which

145um included completed audits and projects in progress and upcoming audit activities and the 2025 office of internal audits annual report. Um there were six completed school audits since we met the last time. A completed audit of central office financial review of four departments. And then for March through June, we have financial audits coming for three high schools, one middle school, and eight elementary schools, as well as a financial audit of the aquatic center, a background check audit, and some ongoing enterprise risk management work. Um just to highlight some things. So looking ahead, we we discussed our meeting schedule for the remainder of 2026 with our next meeting on May 20th, 2026, and our November 4th meeting is on track to discuss and approve the 2027 internal audit plan, which would then um come before the

146board for approval in December of 2026. So um that completes the report for the internal audit committee. >> Thank you, Miss Wall. And I think you should be noted. I think it's Miss Wall's second or third year as chairing audit committee. second, third. Okay. Uh she's done a great job. I appreciate the superintendent's cooperation. It is, I believe, one of the most important committees. It helps this board and the internal audit committee answers to the school board um and reports directly to us on making sure that the work we do is transparent and answers to the public's um uh charge of their public dollars and to make sure we're doing it well. Thank you so much. Uh F701, we have um uh an approval of side letter to collective bargaining agreement. A motion's in order.

147Vice Chair Jesse, >> I move that Prince County School Board approve and authorize the board chair to sign a side letter to the collective bargaining agreement ratified on May 7th, 2025. >> Do I have a second? >> Mr. Chairman, I second. >> Mrs. Zarenport second motion. Any discussion? >> Please vote. >> I have a discussion. >> Oh, yeah. No, I'm sorry. Uh Miss Wall, go. Uh I just wanted to state that um I love track. Uh my kids have run track. Um have been actively involved in extracurriculars in track and by no means does the way I vote on this have any reflection on how I feel about track and track students and track athletes. >> Miss Arore, >> just super quick. I I appreciate the collaboration uh on this particular item and that collective

148bargaining has a process and the process works. >> Please vote. Vote is five yes, one no. Wall, one not present. Vote. Tradenic. Motion passed. >> Okay. The next motion is a motion that was supposed to be given by Miss um Williams this evening. I'm going to go ahead and make the motion. Um it is agenda item 1702. It's the appointment of a naming committee uh for the new Woodbridge District Elementary School. I move that the Prince William County School Board appoint Dr. Latif uh Lorie Williams and Tracy Blake to the uh naming committee for the New Ward Ridge Elementary School pursuant to um schoolboard policy 854. So Latif Blake Williams. Um do I have a second? >> That's chairman. >> Uh uh I go with Wall. >> I second. >> Wall seconds. Any discussion? >>

149Okay. Please vote. vote is seven yes unanimous. Motion passed. >> All right, we have board matters now. We start with Justin Wolf this evening. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I definitely won't use all my uh four minutes, but uh just want to bring up some general themes, you know, tonight. I appreciate the concerned fathers coming from Prince William County, Raymond Bell, uh particular in my constituent. Um I do agree the bullying of the code of behavior does need to be further addressed um and um worked on. often bullying is a very gray area, but I agree that we can put some parameters and processes in place to better support students when it comes to things like racial discrimination. Um, wanted to mention um, you know, on Sunday I did have office hours from 5 to

1509:00 p.m. um, at Panera. I do like getting different perspectives uh, and hearing about the various topics. Um, this had to do broad themes more like accessibility and parental access, food, nutrition, school booster, funding options, parental intimidation against staff, uh, broad uh, swath of topics, and it's just good to take those concerns back. Um, even if it's just people who really just want to vent and talk to someone about their concerns, not necessarily seeking immediate action, but having the ability to come to someone. Um, so I do appreciate that and I'm going to try to set up another one for those people who do want to meet with me in person uh versus a telephone call. Uh, I do want to again thank um I want to thank the division for recognizing the PTOIC Shores

151uh middle school on their historic feat and championship of uh 100 and zero. I they probably won more than 100 games now, but being still undefeated and reaching that 100 milestone. Um, appreciate that. um another parent came and spoke. Um you know we we've been talking about racism and we've also you know see that you know um things are unfolding in the world around us um as you know a result of you know the um intervention or war in Iran and um you know we just got to be cognizant of all of our groups of students um as I'm hearing a little bit more from parents of Muslim students who are facing some harassment right now. So, I do want to be cognizant of that as this theater potentially expands or the war continues. And

152and speaking of the war, I do want to mention that, you know, in the last couple days, um we did lose six US service members who were killed in Kuwait during the um Iranian counterattack. Um it just goes to show again the the line, freedom isn't free, and these um these soldiers gave the ultimate sacrifice. So forever remembering them and thanking them for their service and I am done. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um thanks again to Dr. Sullivan and her team for that uh great discussion on um on the advanced courses and things that we offer. Um, one of the things that parents in my district have brought up and um, even teachers that we've talked about is um, our average students too. Uh, we do we do a lot of talking about uh,

153the special education and our advanced and then um, just the the average student and how they respond. And I will um, disagree with one of my colleagues when they talk about retakes. Um, I I do think that they benefit some students, but I also ultimately, you know, in watching my child transition, who was an average student to college, it really did him a disservice um going to the next level and being provided those retakes for so long. You know, you can only tell your kid so many times like you don't always get a second chance at everything um before they call you and say, "Hey, mom. Hey, Dad. You were right. Like this is moving faster than I thought. Like I've got to really buckle down." And you know, even with homework and things like

154that, I know parents are not huge homework fans. I I get it because they they have so many other activities, but you know, they've got to take that time to themselves to do the hard work. And when they get a second chance and a third chance, why why do that? You know what I mean? And so, I think we really do a disservice to our kids by providing that um that retake. I've always said that. I'm not a big fan um of those. So, anyhow, that's just me on my soap box for that. Um I I am going to say this too, and Dr. McDade might cringe a little bit. Um, I received a uh attendance email this week um about like uh here congrats on your achievement. You and your child set a great

155example for others to aspire setting goals and achieving them. Your accomplishments did not go unnoticed. This child has a 95% or better attendance rate. the same week I got a truency letter for the same said child. So I'm struggling a little bit with those two mixed messages because this child says to me, "Look, guess you're wrong." And I'm like, "What about this letter?" So, there's a little bit of mixed messaging there. I'm just going to say, you know, I'm not a big fan of those attendance emails. And I also don't think that um they help when your child struggles a little with attendance. if they get that really big pat on the back for 95% attendance, like let's just only send them for 100%. Let's just forget the 95 because those kids are somehow weaseling

156by with that 95 when they're not even going all the time. So, that's my mother soap box. As a mom, I just um not a fan of of those uh attendance things and I hope we're not mailing them at least. I did like to see that it was an email and not a mailer because those mailers are expensive. Um, happy March and um, that's all >> Miss Daggerfar. >> Well, good evening everyone. It is music in our schools month and I I have to put this out here. Um, music improves the neuroplasticity of our brain. When we make complex motor tasks such as playing an instrument and combine it with decoding a visual language such as reading music, our brain uh can increase the volume and an activity in the corpus colossum. This is important

157because we just started we just talked about gifted ed and and rigor and all that good stuff. And I one of the easiest ways we can do this is to have our kids participate in music. And in elementary school they always get music. In middle school, they get a choice and hopefully some of them choose to go on in high school. Music can be considered a multiplier for um learning. It is a catalyst for learning in core subjects such as language, arts, math, giving you spatial reasoning. Um it gives kids leadership abilities. You have to be good at what you do as an individual, which means you have to spend the time and practice. You have to be able to hear and and and take criticism and comment and feedback and do something with it.

158It's a great place to practice failure and then success. You learn a little bit about uh your musicianship and how to work with others. You also have your critical thinking and listening skills. You learn how to work through collaboration and um take feedback as individuals and as groups. When we fund music in our schools, we aren't just buying instruments or sheet music. We are investing in the neural architecture of our students, ensuring they have the discipline, cognitive flexibility, and emotional resilience to succeed in their lives. So, I am celebrating all of our teachers and our students who are involved in uh music and thanks to the parents who probably drag these poor kids to all the rehearsals and things, but it it really pays off in the end. Um, I went to watch Kan's concert

159last night. They did a like a little mini festival. Uh they invited Benton's eighth grade chorus and then a bunch of the uh Kan choruses sang and it it was so amazing and just to watch the the kids get on stage and and and and they practiced how they were going to do this at their assessment that's coming up there. There was a clinician who came and and gave them comments and then had them practice in front of us and the audience was great for just sitting and listening and we could we could immediately hear the difference. So, um, it was a great experience and good luck to all of the musicians, whether you're band, strings, chorus, and your assessments this year. Um, have a good evening, >> Miss Wall. >> Thank you, Mr. Jesse.

160Um, I yay music in our schools month. I'm a huge fan of music education, and I feel like, um, every student I know who has participated in music education has benefited immensely. So, I love that we highly promote the music music in our schools and uh I just want to give a shout out to all those amazing music educators out there. Um all three of my children have been beneficiaries of your amazing dedication and talent. Um I want to appreciate or express appreciation for the parents and community members who came today and expressed their concerns. Clearly, um racist behaviors in our schools is a problem and we need to take it seriously and we are um we are taking it seriously at Prince William County School. So, thank you. Um, unfairness in sports, um, in

161sports selections and other things is also a thing we need to take very seriously. And I love the idea of an indoor track. Um, I know the board of county supervisors shot that idea down a couple years ago and I thought it was a terrible decision and they should have run with it. Um, >> that's great. >> They should have run it. >> Thank you. >> Am I the only one that got it? >> Okay. All right. All right. Blake. Yes, sir. So, we should have run with it. Um, congratulations to the students um from Battlefield, Kan, Patriot, and Gainesville who are National Merit Scholar finalists. And congratulations to the Gainesville boys indoor track team for their state win. Um although uh not a Gainesville District school, many students reside in the Gainesville District who

162go to that school and I know some of those families. So, we're all so proud of your achievement. Um I want to highlight some events that I've been to and since we last met because I think they're important. One is last night I went to the state of the county event. Probably none of you heard about it. Um but it was hosted by the BOCS and it was very enlightening. Um I also participated in the evaluation of Governor's School Innovation Park on Monday. They're up for their annual not their annual their sixth year. Every six years they get evaluated. So um I think that we'll have a really good report. Um on the 28th I went to the special education conference and resource fair at Forest Park. This was awesome. Great event. I hope it

163continues to grow. Um, there was so much good information shared. I sat through one of the classes and I learned a lot. Um, I was impressed with the variety and quality of the breakout session topics and the number of resources available from the community. So, great job for everybody who worked on that. Um, I went to all county elementary school choir at Kan on the 21st. Oh, those kids were amazing. They were what I love is seeing how proud parents are of their kids. It's it's really sweet and they were really good. Um, I went to the student mock trial competition on the 21st. This was at the Princ County Courthouse. This was amazing. These kids were fantastic. They presented a case. They were prosecution and defense. Um, they had witnesses and everything. They It

164was the the judges um were legal professionals. In some cases, they were actually judges. And those judges really interacted with the kids in a in a fantastic way. It was it was absolutely awesome. I heard that the U bar association is um likely going to take this over and grow it, which is amazing. Um great opportunity for our community members to interact with our incredibly bright and talented students. Um I went to a glow dance. PTO never disappoints. This was at Gravely Elementary. Again, it highlights our amazing volunteers and parents. Um Battlefield had a pre an orchestra preassessment concert which I loved and the kids did a fantastic job. Um, I went to a principal advisory meeting at Bull Run on the 19th. It's always great to see those principal advisory councils in action. Thank

165you to all the parents who volunteer for those committees. Okay, I'm going to skip ahead um to the teacher of the year finalists across the division and congratulations to those from the Gainesville district. I look forward to seeing you hopefully being winners in that category. Um, and my last th closing thoughts. I I actually am running out of time, so I'll just say good night, >> Mr. Blake. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, good evening and happy women's history month and happy music in school month also because I am a big supporter of the music program in school. But, um, let me just say over the past couple weeks, I've had an opportunity to spend, um, some time across our schools and throughout the community. And I just want to briefly highlight a few of

166those moments that reflect the strength of Prince William County and Prince William County schools. At um Penn Elementary, I was able to I went to the advisory council and the PTO meeting where I I was just reminded how vital family engagement is to student success. And when parents and educators collaborate with intention, the schools thrive. And then I also had a chance to see the new book vending machine that the PTO donated which was awesome. They already like bought out a row of books in there already. But it was it was very good. So um like I wish I would have had one of those in school. I would always been getting books out of there. But that kind of investment speaks to literacy. It speaks volumes about the partnership between families and schools. And

167then um I also had a chance to attend the friendship dance at Minville where I just saw a lot of joy and belonging and community and action. The event was packed with families and students. I I think everybody was just like cabin fever. They wanted to be out from being inside for so long. But these these are the kind of experiences that help children feel connected and supported and safe in their school communities. And then I also um couple weekends ago, we got I attended the student mock trial competition at the Prince William County Courthouse where our students got to demonstrate critical thinking, competence, and professionalism in a real courtroom. It was impressive to watch them argue the cases with such boys at such a young age. Um, even our own Bula Sarsa was there

168um on the defense team for Hilton. And this is just a it was just an incredible um empirical learning opportunity and one that I truly wish that I would have had when I was in high school. There's like a lot of things that happened that I didn't get to do, but these kids get to. It's very good. I also got to go to the all county choir at Kogan. Um, which was it was really outstanding. It was just a bunch of fifth graders from all over the county, every school. So, I think every school had three three fifth graders from every school. So, it was it was great. Almost 200 kids in there. Um, again, just a powerful reminder of the strength of our arts programs and the talent that we have in every corner

169of this county. And uh and I also got to attend the uh Prince William County state of our parks which was hosted here and it was just really encouraging to see the uh continued investment in spaces that support youth programs, wellness and community connection. And you know our parks are extension of our classrooms. We actually have science in the park where our elementary kids go out to the parks and um get to learn about science in the natural habitat. And then also I was honored I attended both um Dell City Elementary and Hampton Middle School's Black History Month celebrations. Um this was great. also attended the step conference with Miss Wall um at Forest Park. And my last thing I would just leave you with was that which I get to do every year now,

170which was great, but it would be read across America at King Elementary on Monday. I saw Dr. Delar Rosa and Dr. McDeay was there later. But ear it was um I got to read to a first grade classroom in my chaperon, Miss Sophia. She was just so great taking me around everywhere. But I'm sure we'll see her up here one day sitting on the dis but um as a student rep. But um yeah, that was it. And I'm just grateful that I got to witness all that firsthand and have a good night. Thank you, >> Mr. Jesse. >> Thank you. I did get to one event. I was able to take Mrs. Jesse and we went over to the Hampton Middle School for that black history event. And that evening I went over to one

171of the mosques. Uh I learned that there are two moss on uh Holy Road, which I didn't know till I went to the wrong one first, but uh I hope to get to some more events this month and uh looking forward to it. Thank you. All right, everybody's going short. Um, well, um, >> well, very good. Uh, couple comments. Um, you know, I saw that the county, you know, so there's a lot of discussion on the indoor track. I think the county board of county supervisors is putting it up for a bond referendum in um, this fall's election for a track. They already own property kind of in the same area where our high school was, where they were planning on building the track anyways. So, that's that's there. So, I would really encourage the

172board of county supervisors and the school division, they know the school division supports anything they do for that and support the public in supporting the bond referendum on an indoor track. So, that I think is in the works. Just for folks to be clarified on that. Um, you know, um I I don't have a lot to say. This was a great meeting. Um I what I do want to say is thank you to each of my board members. You heard a lot from a lot of them this evening. They're they're they're passionate about their districts. They're passionate about the students in their districts. They're passionate about the success in their districts and across the school division. And I I want to thank them for um for everything and and for the opportunity to get to

173work with each of them on the things that make it um that make it very important for them to do this work. So, thank you. And that includes our student member, Karina Grover. Thank you all very much. With that, the meeting is adjourned.