The Prince William County School Board has adopted a policy change mandating that school administrators notify parents and guardians of any upcoming schoolwide presentations. 

“The changes will require schools to notify all parents and guardians, by email, at least three days in advance of any school-wide presentation, including guest presentations, assemblies, or any such instances in which any publication or other material will be read, shared, performed, or broadcast to all students by any person,” a school system staff report of the new policy explains. 

The resolution was the work of Potomac District board member Justin Wilk and Gainesville member Jen Wall, who said that schools should already be communicating with families about upcoming presentations.

“I’m not aware of any administrator in the school division who does not already follow this practice between newsletters … updates, calendar posting,” Wilk said at the Nov. 15 School Board meeting. “My understanding is most leaders already adopt a practice like this.”

Speaking with InsideNoVa earlier this month, Wilk said the policy proposal was not in response to outcry from some people about a Marshall Elementary librarian’s reading of “Prince & Knight” – a children’s book that features a gay love story similar to Cinderella’s or Snow White’s – during morning announcements over the summer. At the time, several Republicans, including county Supervisor Yesli Vega, criticized the reading of the book. 

But Wilk said it was just aimed at improving transparency and communication. 

“The choice is there. If you don’t want your child to attend an assembly, you have a right to … ask the principal to opt them out, and there’d be some type of accommodation … This is already being done,” Wilk told InsideNoVa. 

But Woodbridge member Loree Williams said at the board meeting that was the only incident she could recall in which a schoolwide reading caused any controversy. 

Wilk and Wall’s resolution ultimately passed by a 6-1 vote, with Williams the lone vote against and Neabsco Member Diane Raulston absent. Williams said she thought the policy was redundant and put an unnecessary burden on school staff.

“This has not been an issue of concern outside of, I believe, last year’s incident – or however you’d like to define it – where a library book was read over the intercom,” Williams said. “Having been a former student, as a parent, I have never been surprised by what presentation or material that was going on schoolwide for where my student attended. And I think even more so now, in the days of technology, I know not only what my student is experiencing in their day-to-day classroom … but also what’s going on in the school from multiple viewpoints and lenses.”

Wall said the policy would “shield” the school division from any accusations from families or community members.

“It shields us from accusations of lack of transparency, it shields us from conflict with parents and the larger community,” she said. “In so many areas, it is just really good board governance and so I think that this provision … meets the goals of transparency, communication. It gives parents notice.”