Which Pot Should Pay for the Pool?
For more than a month now followers of this blog and of the school division have been embroiled in a debate over whether a pool should be part of the 12th high school. BOCS and members of the county parks and recreation department are rumored to be in talks with the school division about the planning and funding for the pool, talks which have reportedly happened without the knowledge of my BOCS member or the school board. Prince William County’s Chief Executive was quoted as expressing her support for the school pool because “it wouldn’t cost the county anything”. Local blogs have heated up with debates about the benefits of the pool versus concerns that the cost of the pool’s debt service and operations will take money away from classrooms and students.
It seems to me that when it comes to the school pool, we’re all clueless. That’s probably because the school division doesn’t have any specific plans, at least not yet, and any plans it has haven’t been shared with the public or school board. Remember, until February the school division hadn’t even admitted to the public that it wanted to include a pool in the 12th high school.
I think we’re all pretty much on the same page. It think it serves our political leaders for us to think we’re on different sides of the debate so that we fight amongst ourselves instead of focusing our ire at them. So let’s talk about the pool and see if we can’t find some common ground.
There is no doubt in my mind that we citizens of Prince William County need more indoor pools that are available year
School Board Report – March 20, 2013
March 22, 2013 — pwceducationreform
School Board Report for March 20, 2013. This report includes notes from the budget mark-up and work session that was not televised.
The meeting began a 7:08 with all members except Lisa Bell present.
Consent Agenda
The items on the consent agenda were approved unanimously by the members present. The items on the agenda include the following:
- Designating April 21 – 27, 2013 as Administrative Professionals Week
- Designating May 2013 as Asian-Pacific-American Heritage Month
- Designating April 2013 as Child Abuse Prevention Month
- Designating May 2013 as Jewish-American Heritage Month
- Designating April 2013 as Mathematics Awareness Month
- Designating April 2013 as National Autism Awareness Month
- Designating May 2013 as National Physical Fitness and Sport Month
- Designating April 21 – 27, 2013 as Public Schools Volunteer Week
- Designating May 8, 2013 as School Nurse Appreciation Day
- Designating April 15 – 19, 2013 as Transportation Employees Week
- Approval of documents necessary or convenient for the construction and/or operation of school additions at River Oaks Elementary School and Parkside Middle School
- Approval of School Board Meeting Minutes for March 13, 2013
Public Hearing on the FY 2014 Budget
Chairman Johns convened the public hearing on the FY 2014 budget.
One citizen, Jim Livingston, PWEA President, addressed the school board regarding the budget. Mr Livingston said that the board and school division needed to develop a long term strategy for reducing class sizes and improving teacher School Board Report – March 20, 2013 | PWC Education Reform Blog: