PWCS: Schools are Ready to Open

• From Prince William County Schools:

After the unprecedented earthquake on August 23, followed by Hurricane Irene, preparations are continuing for the opening of school on September 6 with safety the highest priority in Prince William County Public Schools. School buildings and PWCS facilities have been inspected by structural engineers and deemed safe. Teachers and staff returned to school this week and are busy working in advance of classrooms opening next week.

Although the School Division has an emergency management plan that includes a response for both earthquakes and hurricanes, any response to an emergency has its unique set of circumstances that require quick thinking and action. Following the earthquake on August 23, PWCS mobilized its structural engineers to make immediate initial checks of building structures. Within about an hour from when the earthquake struck, PWCS officials set up in the Incident Command Center, a location equipped for such situations, and were in close communication with county officials throughout that same afternoon and evening. 

Staff and other engineers coordinated efforts to determine there wasn’t any significant damage to the hundreds of buildings (schools and other support structures) throughout the School Division. PWCS staff also continued to work with the county Office of Voter Registration and Elections to ensure that people could continue safely voting in the many schools that served as polling places for that day’s primary election.

Eight schools were also hosting School Age Child Care (SACC) summer camps, and these students were safely accommodated until parents were able to pick them up. School Division staff was also monitoring buildings during the hurricane this weekend, to immediately address potential damage had it occurred.

Fortunately, the county was spared the worst of the storm and a normal schedule resumed on Monday. As school is about to begin for thousands of families in PWCS, they can rest assured that facilities are safe and ready to open on September 6.