WASHINGTON — School leaders in Prince William County, Virginia, are considering whether an offer of money from the county board of supervisors that comes with strings attached is worth accepting.
The question involves how best to address growing class sizes and assign new teachers the school system plans to hire, The Washington Post reports.
County supervisors are offering the school system $1 million for new hires, but only if the teachers are assigned to reduce class sizes and the school system matches the money, the Post says.
That hypothetical $2 million would reportedly only reduce class sizes in one single grade by about two students per class. An estimated $15 million would be needed to cut average class sizes by one student in every grade level.
School leaders could vote next month on whether to accept the supervisors’ offer, the Post reports.
The debate also continues about how best to assign the new teachers the Prince William County School system plans to hire. The system is considering more math teachers, as well as teachers who would be dedicated to transition grades — such as sixth, in which students are getting ready for middle school.
There are 30 students per teacher in the average Prince William County High School classroom. A 12th county high school is under construction in the Manassas area on Va. 234, south of Hoadly Road.
The school system is in the process of picking a name for what it’s temporarily calling 12th High School, which is scheduled to open in September 2016.
WTOP’s Kristi King contributed to this report.
