At its September 8 meeting, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors unanimously allocated $20M in CARES Act funds to Prince William County Public Schools, to help offset budget and operational impacts of COVID-19. Earlier this summer, the Board transferred $5M to the school division. These funds will be used for critical needs such as technology for students and educators, instructional support and PPE. While PWCS opened virtually on September 8, some students with learning needs are receiving in-person instruction, and the school division hopes to move all students to a hybrid in-person model in November.
“I would like to thank Chairman Lateef, Vice Chair Williams and the rest of the school board for the advocacy for our school communities, and I would like to applaud my colleagues for yet another unanimous vote to support our schools in their time of need,” said Occoquan District Supervisor Kenny Boddye. “$20 Million in additional CARES Act Funding will be vital in ensuring we can deliver a safe and responsible re-opening.”
“These are very uncertain times, and we are working very hard to provide a quality education to each of our students during this pandemic,” said Dr. Babur Lateef, Chairman At-Large for the School Board. “I am thankful the Supervisors are supporting the needs of our students with this funding.”
During a previous Board meeting, Boddye had noted that when the County received its initial tranche of CARES money, it had to invest in immediate needs such as feeding efforts, contact tracing, COVID testing, rental assistance and small business recovery. However, he emphasized that for the second round, the County must “put the schools in the front of the line [for funding]…we are in this together.” This Tuesday, the Supervisors followed through on that commitment.