Walts delivers “State of the Schools” report to Prince William area business and community leaders

PWCS has an on-time graduation rate of 91.4%; 92% of eligible schools are fully accredited; and all high schools are fully accredited. PWCS fields 39% of all VEX robotics teams in the state; ranks seventh for graduation rate among 50 largest U.S. school systems, and is the second-largest school division in Virginia. All schools are on a high-speed computer network; 43,000 computers are in schools and offices; and 86% of classrooms have interactive white boards.

Such facts were front and center as Superintendent of Schools Steven L. Walts gave a “State of the Schools” report to businessmen and women, community leaders, and elected officials last week.

Walts expressed appreciation to the Board of County Supervisors (BOCS) for providing a $1 million class size reduction grant to the FY 2016 budget which was matched by the School Board, and for reinstating $11 million to the initial budget guidance in the BOCS-School Board funding for the 2015-16 school year.

“That was a huge amount of help,” said Walts. “It is thanks to our local legislators, our Congressmen, and our Board of County Supervisors that we are able to see results achieved even though our cost per pupil is the lowest in the region. It is rare to see a School Board working in conjunction with their local county board. In Prince William, the relationship between the School Board and the BOCS works in a very effective way.”

Walts also unveiled the PWCS Strategic Plan for 2016-20. “The plan keeps focus on achievement, but is streamlined and understandable, and allows principals to set targeted goals based on needs at each school,” Walts said.

The “State of the Schools” event was sponsored by SPARK, the education foundation for PWCS. SPARK and its donors support innovation in the classroom through grants to teachers and departments; early literacy programs, online parent communication, and robotics; and contribute time, money, goods and services to PWCS.

Most recently, SPARK matched a $25,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia to support a cybersecurity lab at Potomac High School. For more information about SPARK email Sharon Henry at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).