By: Victor S. Angry, Neabsco District Supervisor

As a retired Army Command Sergeant Major who raised my own kids in Prince William County schools, I have spent seven years walking the streets of Neabsco, knocking on doors and listening to the community I call home. I know every stretch of Dale Boulevard, from the neighborhoods around Neabsco Elementary to the trails in Andrew Leitch Park. These are the places where military families like mine have put down root and where kids ride bikes in the same parks I watched my own children play in. But lately those conversations have gotten heavier and have centered on the cost of living and taxes going up, squeezing families tighter every year.

That is why, during the FY27 budget markup, we lowered the real estate tax rate from $0.906 to $0.850 per $100 of assessed value. For the average homeowner whose house is assessed around $591,000, that is $145 staying in their pocket this year. Money for soccer cleats, a family dinner out after a church service, or just a little less stress at the kitchen table. That $145 belongs to the same parents whose children fill PWCS classrooms every morning. Supporting families and supporting schools are not competing goals. They never have been.

Last night, Prince William County Schools released a statement stating that the Board of County Supervisors is failing to implement the 1998 revenue sharing agreement that gives PWCS 57.23 percent of general county revenues. They rightly pointed out their incredible achievements. A record 94.8 percent graduation rate, the highest in division history. Dropout rate down to 3.8 percent. English learner dropout rate slashed by 10 points to 14.9 percent. Chronic absenteeism improved by 6.7 points to 16.4 percent. Big jumps in SOL scores, plus 7 points in math, plus 6.5 in writing, plus 6.4 in science. AP pass rates are up 12 points to 68 percent. Career and Technical Education is thriving, with 45.7 percent of graduates earning early college and career credentials.

I am proud of those numbers. Damn proud. PWCS serves more than 90,000 students, the second largest school division in Virginia. Kids who speak more than 170 languages at home. Many from military families just like mine. Earlier this month, we also recognized the division’s work in supporting children with autism through special education programs. PWCS also supports thousands of students who are English learners, many of whom live in the Neabsco District. Those gains did not happen by accident. They are the product of sustained, intentional investment and a shared commitment to giving every student the opportunity to succeed.

But here is the truth the headlines are not saying. We did honor the agreement. Honoring an agreement means meeting its terms and we met them at a historic level. The 1998 agreement originally set the schools’ share at 56.75 percent. That figure was increased in 2013 to 57.23 percent, meaning the schools’ share of general revenues is actually higher today than it was under the original agreement. We approved a record $1.087 billion transfer to PWCS, which is $96.3 million more than FY26, a full 9.7 percent increase. That funding covers existing commitments and supports continued growth across the division.

What didn’t to do was hand over every single extra dollar the schools wanted on top of that record amount. Their full proposal was built around an approximately $1.12 billion transfer, assuming no tax relief for residents and that every new commercial revenue dollar would flow directly into the budget without any adjustment. But responsible governance means the county retains flexibility to direct some of that growth toward broader community relief. The roughly $31 to $36 million difference is exactly what it took to deliver the tax cuts families have asked for, for seven years.

We also reduced the meals tax from 3 percent to 2 percent, providing relief for both restaurants and working families, while making a modest adjustment to the Computer and Peripherals (C and P) tax. That change is largely borne by data centers, which account for the overwhelming share of C and P tax revenue in Prince William County. Public safety stays rock solid, the animal shelter gets extra staff, and our open space is protected.

I want to be honest with our residents as well. Rising property assessments can counteract some of the rate relief we just delivered. As home values keep climbing in our growing county, that is a real concern for families. But here is the good news. As we are building a stronger commercial tax base, more relief is in the works in the years ahead. This is the beginning of giving hardworking families the breathing room they need.

Some folks, including educators I have heard from directly, are worried about any shift in funding. Yet many of those same educators quietly agree with the steps we took. They see the pressure on families every day and know that when parents are squeezed too tight, it shows up in the classroom. A family that keeps more of what they earn is a more stable family and stable families make stronger school communities.

I trust PWCS leadership to manage their budget with the same discipline we have applied on the county side. The school division has proven it can deliver exceptional results, and I have no doubt they will continue doing so. That means prioritizing the students in the classroom, the bus drivers and cafeteria staff who keep the system running, the teachers at the front of the room, and the families who depend on the services the school division is meant to provide. That is what responsible stewardship looks like, and PWCS has earned the benefit of the doubt in that regard.

At the end of the day, this should not be framed as schools versus County government. It is about leadership making responsible decisions instead of kicking the can down the road. I think about the single mom in Neabsco working two jobs so her daughter can stay in band. I think about the veteran family trying to build roots after multiple moves. I think about my own kids and what kind of county we are leaving for the next generation. Strong schools matter, but so does giving parents a fighting chance to raise their children without being overwhelmed by the weight of higher taxes. Those two things belong together.

I am proud of the work our County and school staff do every single day. With the final vote set for April 21, those conversations will continue until then. And I will keep fighting for what I have believed from day one. A budget that shows both fiscal discipline and real compassion for the people of this county.