Superintendent Proposes 4.8% Raise for PWCS Staff

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Dr. Steven Walts, Superintendent of Prince William County Public Schools.

By Prince William County Schools Office of Community Relations

Dr. Steve Walts, Superintendent of Schools, shared his proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 20 Budget during a School Board meeting on February 6. The $1.13 billion budget represents a 4.4 percent increase over the FY19 Budget.

“My top priority in this budget is support for our teachers and staff – who are at the heart of our success,” he said. “I am very pleased tonight to propose a step increase for all eligible employees, in addition to a cost of living increase. This will total an average of nearly 4.8 percent increase in pay for teachers and support staff.”

He added that although health care costs have increased nationally this year by six percent, his budget proposal includes no increase in employee health care costs.

His five additional priorities addressed in the proposed budget include:

  • Special Education - includes additional support for our continuing focus on Special Education, including 15 new positions, and $3 million for the Regional School;
  • Mental Health - in today’s complex world, many students face challenges in the area of mental health, and this budget will fund 46 new counselor positions and ensure a full-time nurse is on-site at every school in PWCS;
  • Career and Technical Education (CTE) and High School Programming – we must ensure our students are college and career ready; this budget invests nearly $1 million in CTE and other high school curriculum support;
  • Sustaining Class Size Reductions – small class size benefits students and teachers; this budget sustains funding for class reductions, including $3.2 million for economically disadvantaged students across all schools, as well as funding debt service that enables PWCS to create more classrooms; and
  • Pre-K Education – the research is clear, a strong early learning foundation enables the success of our students, which is why this budget invests $1.5 million in Pre-K education.

“With this budget, the best in more than a decade, we continue Providing A World-Class Education by acknowledging the hard work of our teachers and staff, and funding critical supports for our students. With the continued partnership of our community, together we will ensure the success of every child in Prince William County,” he said.

The budget updates page on our website includes more detailed information.

A public meeting on the proposed budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Feb. 11. A second public hearing is set for 7 p.m. on Feb. 20. Both meetings will be held at the Kelly Leadership Center.

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