Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) is a school division in Virginia with its headquarters in the Kelly Leadership Center located in the unincorporated community of Independent Hill in Prince William County, Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 486,943. Prince William County Public Schools is the second largest school division in Virginia with 91,180 students. Prince William County Public Schools is the fourth largest school system in the Washington Metropolitan Area after the Fairfax County, Virginia; Montgomery County, Maryland; and Prince George's County, Maryland school systems, and the 33rd largest school system in the United States. The county system serves all parts of the county except for Marine Corps Base Quantico, which is served by the Department of Defense Education Activity.

Administration

Superintendent

The Superintendent of Prince William County Public Schools is Dr. LaTanya D. McDade, replacing Dr. Steven Walts. She is the first woman and the first African-American superintendent in the district's history. Prior to her appointment in 2021, she was the Chief Education Officer for Chicago Public Schools. In 2024, she was selected as Virginia Region IV Superintendent of the Year.

School Board

Prince William County Public Schools is governed by the Prince William County School Board. The school board is composed of eight elected members. One member is elected by the citizens of each of the seven magisterial districts also used to elect the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, while the Chairmen At-Large is elected by all citizens in the county. A Vice Chair is elected by the school board members each January. School board members serve four-year terms, with the next election being held in November 2023. Two non voting student representatives are selected each school year to serve and provide input from a students perspective on decisions made by the school board. A Student Senate is made up of one student from each high school who applied for the student representative position. They work together with the student representatives to advise the school board.

Schools

High schools

Middle schools

Traditional Schools (K-8)

Elementary schools

Other

Prince William County provides an "alternative" school service for what they deem as "troubled teens". Students who become pregnant, sell or use drugs, write graffiti, have general behavioral issues or are prone to violence are usually sent to learn together in the same facility, regardless of their base school. The PACE program targets students with more extreme cases of psychological issues.

Future Schools

Schools of excellence

Prince William County Public Schools honors schools as Schools of Excellence based on a variety of criteria, including: performance targets; Adequate Yearly Progress under the No Child Left Behind Act; Virginia Wellness Tests; school attendance rates; and parent, student, and teacher satisfaction. The Virginia state Standards of Learning (SOL) tests for both students on grade level and students below grade level are also considered. In 2006, the criteria were adjusted to reflect the continuous improvement of the system's schools. School administration and staff are presented with a commemorative flag, a plaque, and a check to be used at the school's discretion. Schools receive $1,000 for each year the School of Excellence designation is obtained.