Prince William County School Board approves closed-session items, votes to issue written notice SB25-001

The Prince William County School Board on Oct. 15 unanimously certified that its closed session discussed only matters exempted from open-meeting laws and approved personnel appointments and releases disclosed in closed session. The board also voted 6–2 to provide written notice in case SB25-001, an item discussed behind closed doors.

The board first moved into closed session under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act exceptions for personnel matters, actual or probable litigation, and matters related to the security of school facilities, citing Code of Virginia sections 2.2-3711 (personnel) and 2.2-3711.A.7, A.8 and A.19 (litigation and security). After returning to open session the board adopted a certification resolution, adopted unanimously, that members had discussed only lawfully exempted public business.

Following that certification, the board approved the appointments and releases of specific employees as presented in closed session; the roll-call vote was recorded as eight yes, unanimous. Later, on a separate closed-session action the board voted to provide written notice in case SB25-001; the motion carried 6 yes, 2 no. The board read the motion into the record: “I move that the Prince William County School Board provide written notice and case number SB25‑001 as discussed in closed session.” The motion was moved by Mr. Jesse and seconded by Ms. Williams, and the board recorded the outcome as 6–2.

The agenda and routine consent items were approved earlier in the meeting; the consent agenda was passed with six yes and two not present at the vote. The board also approved the meeting agenda at the start of the session with a unanimous vote following a roll call because one member participated remotely.

The board read the specific Virginia statutory citations when moving into closed session, and later read the certification resolution aloud before taking roll-call votes on the closed-session actions. No additional details about case SB25‑001 or the identities of individual appointees and released employees were disclosed in open session.

Formal actions recorded in the meeting minutes included motions to enter closed session, the closed-session certification resolution and the two closed-session follow-up actions described above. The board’s practice in this meeting — rolling every vote in the presence of a remotely participating member — was noted on the record.

Public materials from the board contain the closed-session motion text and the case number listed as SB25‑001; the board did not release further details about the subject matter of that case during open session.