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Prince William County School Board reviews proposed 2026-27 Code of Behavior updates
Summary
Associate Superintendent Darrell Sampson and Director Teresa Duvall presented proposed 2026-27 updates to PWCS’s Code of Behavior, including added guidance on artificial intelligence, clarified definitions for assault/battery/fighting, expanded substance-abuse education, and changes to truancy and reporting; the item was presented for information and will return for further action.
Prince William County School Board members received an informational briefing on proposed updates to the district’s Code of Behavior intended for 2026–27. Associate Superintendent Darrell Sampson and Teresa Duvall, director of Student Hearings, outlined changes meant to align the division with the Virginia Department of Education’s SBAR framework and to clarify definitions, responses, and reporting.
Sampson said the revision ‘‘seeks to address student behavior from a holistic perspective’’ by pairing disciplinary responses with interventions, and that the proposed document reorganizes definitions and removes redundant language to make the code easier to use.
The draft adds explicit language about artificial intelligence, the presentation said, including AI-related cheating, plagiarism, and the use of AI to impersonate others; those items appear in regulation 295-5 and under misuse of technology. The revision also clarifies the difference among assault, battery and fighting to help administrators choose the appropriate code and response.
Teresa Duvall said the division added a substance-abuse education requirement for secondary students who receive disciplinary consequences for prohibited substances: ‘‘All secondary students who receive disciplinary consequences for prohibited substances will be provided a substance abuse education program,’’ she said, explaining the change is intended to give students guidance and support rather than only punitive measures.
Presenters noted alignment to Virginia Code on truancy and to state guidance on exclusions: Duvall said certain truancy-related penalties (in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension or class restriction) are limited by state law and that the draft clarifies those boundaries.
Board members pressed presenters on implementation and equity. ‘‘The leveling gives administrators options, but parents worry about consistency across schools,’’ said Board Member Erica Tredinnick, who also asked about repeated harassment and whether level-two responses were sufficient in some elementary cases. Sampson and Duvall said the division has added deans and regular calibration sessions to promote consistency and is collecting data on infractions to report back to the board.
Other questions focused on cyberbullying, reporting procedures and how younger grade bands are treated. Vice Chair Jessie asked how the draft distinguishes a fight from assault; Sampson answered that fighting generally reflects mutual physical engagement while assault or battery may involve unreciprocated actions or contact. Justin Wilk raised concerns about the searchability of the online clean copy; staff said they would review the user interface.
The presentation was informational; the board did not take final action and staff said they will continue to refine the draft, update student-facing materials, and return with implementation details and data reports. The board’s next procedural step will be to schedule the code for formal adoption or further public review in a subsequent meeting.
