Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) had much to celebrate at the October 16, 2024, school board meeting. The recognition of both T. Clay Wood Elementary School and six outstanding National Merit Scholarship semifinalists underscores the district's dedication to academic achievement and closing performance gaps.
T. Clay Wood Elementary: National Blue Ribbon School
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Prince William County School Board is addressing a growing concern about student overcrowding, particularly at Covington-Harper Elementary School near Dumfries, where eight trailers are being used to accommodate the rising number of students. During the October 16, 2024, school board meeting, board member Justin Wilk proposed beginning the redistricting process to manage the school's overflow of students, but the motion failed to gain unanimous support.
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Prince William County Schools (PWCS) continues to focus on student and staff safety with a comprehensive security approach that blends advanced technology, leadership development, and a new Security Operations Center.
At the October 16, 2024, School Board meeting, officials highlighted the district's success in drastically reducing weapons on campuses and enhancing the training and capabilities of school security personnel.
A key element of this success is introducing the Evolve weapons detection system, which has significantly decreased the number of dangerous items found on school grounds. Over the last school year, non-firearm weapons, such as knives and brass knuckles, were down by 72%. Since the system was implemented, PWCS has not reported a single firearm on any campus.
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Occoquan Elementary is set to become the first net-zero school in Prince William County Schools and will be located in Woodbridge. The new 120,000-square-foot, three-level building will replace the oldest school in PWCS.
"The new Occoquan Elementary School will be a beacon of progress, embodying our dedication to providing an exceptional learning environment while respecting and preserving our planet,” Babur B. Lateef, chairman of the PWCS School Board, said at the ceremony. "This school will be a place where innovation thrives, where students are inspired to think critically and creatively and where they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to become the leaders of tomorrow. By harnessing the power of the sun and the earth, we are setting a precedent for future generations, teaching them the importance of sustainability and the impact of their choices on the world around them."
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On September 19, First Lady of Virginia Suzanne S. Youngkin and social psychologist Dr. Jonathan Haidt will hold a fireside chat to discuss Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. The event will explore the impact of social media and cell phone use on childhood and mental health, focusing on how communities and schools can address these issues.
The event will be broadcast live to participating schools, which are encouraged to use it as an opportunity for discussions with parents, educators, students, and families about cell phone and social media use. Schools will receive a facilitator’s guide with materials and technical support for these conversations.
Many school districts updated their cell phone usage policies prior to the start of the 2024-25 school year. Stafford County schools require students keep their phones stored out of sight. In Prince William County, phones are prohibited during instructional time.
In Stafford County, both Anthony Burns Elementary School and Widewater Elementary School are participating in the fireside chat. Pre-registration is required using an online form, and doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
In Prince William County, Old Bridge Elementary School is participating. Pre-registration is required through an online form.
Youngkin, a mother of four children, works alongside husband Governor Glenn Youngkin to address various community needs. Her focus includes issues such as mental and behavioral healthcare, workforce preparedness, and addressing the fentanyl crisis.
Haidt is a professor at New York University and an author known for his research on morality and its cultural variations. His recent work has focused on the role of social media in the mental health decline among teens. The Anxious Generation, published in 2024, addresses the effects of technology on childhood development.
While acknowledging that the book is popular and contains a compelling story, Funderberg insisted that its adult content did not add value to the narrative and should not be accessible to young readers in middle school libraries. The Prince William County School Board reviewed the challenge, with both school-based and district-level committees voting to retain the book, limiting it to high school libraries. The superintendent upheld this decision, ensuring the book would remain available only to older students.
As the county continues to face challenges related to the availability of certain books deemed inappropriate by some parents, new initiatives are being rolled out to give parents greater oversight.
Parental Control Mechanisms
One of the key topics discussed at the meeting was introducing a new parental control system that allows parents to directly monitor and restrict the books their children check out from school libraries. This new feature, developed with the help of the school system’s library software vendor, enables parents to create accounts linked to their child’s library profile. Through this account, parents can block specific books, authors, or genres they feel are inappropriate for their child.
Parents can also set restrictions that align with their values, preventing their children from checking out materials that don’t meet their standards. However, the system is opt-in, meaning that parents must actively use the platform to set restrictions, giving them complete control over what materials are accessible to their children.
“This system allows parents to create a custom reading environment for their children. They can restrict access to certain content while still allowing students the freedom to explore other materials,” said Dr. Stephanie Soliven, the Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, during her presentation at the board meeting.
Requests for Additional Transparency
Despite the new system, some parents voiced concerns about the complexity of manually setting these restrictions. One parent said, “It’s great to have this tool, but going through and blocking every book individually takes time. I’d love to have an alert system that lets me know what my child is checking out.”
This request for greater transparency led to discussions about implementing a system that would notify parents via email whenever their child checks out a book, similar to the notifications sent when lunch accounts are updated, or textbooks are borrowed. Soliven responded positively, confirming that the library software vendor offers such capabilities and that the school system is exploring ways to implement it.
“The more we can make this process transparent and seamless for parents, the better it will be for everyone,” Soliven said. “We’re working on ways to enhance this tool so parents have a clearer picture of what their child is reading.”
Library Book Challenges
Library book challenges have been a contentious issue in Prince William County, with several titles facing scrutiny for containing sexually explicit content. Parents concerned about specific books can challenge their availability in school libraries. These challenges are reviewed by school-level and district-level committees that include educators, parents, and administrators.
School board members and school officials emphasized the critical role of parental involvement in shaping students’ reading habits. “We believe parents know what’s best for their children, and we want to give them the tools to make those decisions,” said a Coles District School Board member Lisa Zargapur.
I’m excited to share that we’ve just published our sixth "Meet the Principal" post, and even more profiles are coming!
Our Manassas Local Editor, Caitlyn Meisner, is working diligently to spotlight nearly two dozen new principals who have just started their roles in Prince William County this year.
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Welcome (or welcome back) to a new Potomac Local News series, “Meet the Principal.” With nearly two dozen new principals in Prince William County this school year, it’s important to get to know the folks in their new roles.
Potomac Local has asked each principal the same questions in bold, and their respective answers will be found below.
Today, get to know Michael Kelchlin, the new principal of Pennington Traditional School in Manassas. Kelchlin was previously the principal of Gravely Elementary School, an assistant principal and teacher.
Why Prince William County, and why [Pennington]?Â
How will you bring your experience as [specific experiences here] to your new role as principal in PWCS?ÂI chose to come to Pennington Traditional School because of its reputation for academic excellence, strong values, parent involvement, and being a great environment for teaching and learning. I previously served as the principal of Gravely Elementary School for the last eight years.
I served as the principal of Gravely Elementary for the past eight years, assistant principal of Newington Forest Elementary School in Fairfax for five years and spent another six years teaching in both Fairfax and Charlotte, N.C. Throughout my time at PWCS, I provided district leadership by serving on various committees, including the Superintendent Principal Advisory Council, PWCS Return to Learning Planning and Logistics Committee, and PWCS Standards Based Teaching and Learning Committee. I was also a nominee for Elementary Principal of the Year in the 2022-2023 school year.
Throughout my years of leadership, I have consistently demonstrated high levels of student achievement, engaged the community through events and volunteer opportunities, and collaboratively created a great school experience for students.                  Â
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Area police have a message for the public: Slow down in school zones because school is back in session. Prince William County Police officers were out in force this week to encourage motorists to slow down in the posted school zones.
Lt. Jonathan Perok said, “School zone safety is a serious concern that impacts students, school staff, parents, and the broader community. Enforcement in these areas is one-way police can assist in ensuring the speed through these zones during critical times is followed. Drivers and pedestrians alike are urged to follow posted signs, avoid distractions, and plan extra time in their commute, especially during this transitional back-to-school period.”
