Several parents, teachers and union representatives used the public-comment period at the Nov. 18 Prince William County School Board meeting to press the board to halt any unilateral extension of the teachers' contract day.

Monanne Davis, speaking as a PWA VEA board representative, said the division must not extend the certified staff workday from seven to 7.5 hours "without prior meaningful consultation from the PWA bargaining unit representative," calling such a step "equivalent to requiring unpaid labor."

Other speakers echoed that concern. Lorena Clark told the board that investments appear to favor administration over classroom resources and warned that classroom supports are suffering. Jane Coburn said the division should avoid institutionalizing unpaid contributions from staff and suggested options short of forcing extra time, such as removing tasks that duplicate effort or reclaiming an unused 10-minute addition to the schedule. Jessica (Cher) Shar and other speakers urged the board to gather formal teacher input and use collective bargaining rather than unilateral action.

Several speakers also raised logistical concerns: Lindsay Ann Lehi Lunsford said adding 30 minutes would conflict with high-school athletics and leave a safety gap between dismissal and practice; other commenters warned the change could prompt transfers to neighboring districts that offer different pay or scheduling.

The board did not take final action on extending the teacher workday at the meeting. Administration and board members described the presentations scheduled that evening as informational: staff planned follow-up work, including sample schedules and further data, and some board members said they would consider a motion to study the change at a future meeting.

"If the rationale is that certified staff have already worked beyond their hours, that is by choice, not mandated," Monanne Davis told the board. "Forcing additional time without compensation is equivalent to requiring unpaid labor."