School Board plans legislative priorities

The Prince William County School Board is considering a list of legislative priorities asking for many of the same things they’ve asked for in the past.

Each year the School Board develops a list of things they’d like to see delegates who represent the Prince William County area work for in the General Assembly.

The School Board got their first look at the priorities proposed by county school officials Wednesday.

The board will hold a work session on their legislative priorities following their next meeting on Oct. 3 and is expected to vote on the list on Oct. 17.

This year, as in the past several years, full and expanded funding for the Virginia Standards of Quality currently tops the school division’s legislative wish list.

The Standards of Quality are the minimum requirements that Virginia schools are expected to meet. The standards govern such things as curriculum guidelines, testing and graduation requirements, and school staffing levels.

A request for new and expanded funding for school construction and renovations projects is also a returning item to the school district’s legislative priority list.

Prince William County school officials expect to build 15 new schools and renovations and additions to several more schools over the next 10 years at an estimated cost of over $1 billion, said Keith Imon, Associate Superintendent for Communications and Technology Services.

New items the school division is considering asking for include a request for funding for a planning grant for a new regional governor’s school being proposed in collaboration with Manassas and Manassas Park and funding to support programs to recruit minority high school students into teaching.

The School Board will discuss and modify these priorities during a work session on Oct. 3. They’re expected to share the priorities with the Board of County Supervisors and the county’s state delegates in October and November.