Member of the Month
PWFT member Justin Wilk recently announced his candidacy for a seat on the school board. He will be running for the right to represent Potomac District but, as the only announced candidate who has been a classroom teacher in this century, he would bring an important point of view to the board if he is elected. We applaud Justin for his courage to stand up for students, staff and teachers and wish him well in his campaign. Please remember that Virginia allows a 50% tax credit for campaign contributions to candidates for state and local office up to $25 for individuals or $50 for married couples. Contact Bill Hosp at whospjr@yahoo.com for details.
School Board Report
The Prince William County School Board unanimously adopted its calendar for the 2015-2016 school year. Classes will begin on August 31st and end on June 17th. There will be no classes the day before Thanksgiving and a two week winter vacation. Our December e-mail poll of members resulted in support for this plan by a 70% to 30% margin. Two of the current school board members, Chairman Milt Johns and Coles District representative Dr. Michael Otaigbe, have announced they will not run for another term. Tim Singstock, who has been described as a “Montclair Republican,” has said he will seek to succeed Chairman Johns.
Board of County Supervisors Report
By a 4-3 vote our county board voted to set the real estate tax guidance at 1.3%. This means that additional funding for schools will depend on the forthcoming 2015 real estate tax assessments. At this point the outlook is not encouraging, but PWFT will honor the wishes of members as expressed in last June’s poll. We will lobby for a step increase as our top priority and lower class sizes as our second.
State Legislative Report
Governor McAuliffe has spared K-12 education from any budget cuts at the state level in his current proposal to the Virginia General Assembly. We will monitor this situation as the upcoming legislative session develops.
Federal Legislative Report
Congress has renewed the tax credit for teachers who spent up to $250 on classroom supplies during 2014. Please consult with your tax advisor on how to document this important tax break.