Lawrence Webb
We asked Lawrence Webb to prioritize two top issues he would address as a school board member, as well as provide information regarding his background in education.
New and/or improved high school
A new high school is a very important issue currently because the facility has outlived its usefulness. George Mason is over 50 years old with aging infrastructure that needs significant updating from the HVAC system to the roof. For more than a decade, we have been discussing the need for a renovated or new school and have kicked the can down the road. I have been a part of the conversation for the last 3 years working towards this goal with my colleagues on the school board and city council, community members, and outside experts. We have been working hard to get this right. I know that $120 million is a big number, but I promise that the schools will be good stewards of the money and work hard to manage budgets during this important time.
Growth of student population
We must continue work to make sure that our facilities can accommodate the growth in numbers, while we continue to maintain the quality of education that Falls Church is known to provide. We must create an update facilities plan for all of our K-12 buildings that looks at projected numbers to make sure that we can accommodate all students without overcrowding. We must also work to maintain small class sizes which may mean adding new classroom teachers and paraprofessionals.
Experience in Education
I have worked in higher education admissions for over 15 years at three different universities. With that experience, I can share with administrators, teachers, and the community that George Mason High School is preparing students to be competitive for admission to universities across the country. I have also served at the state level being appointed by former Governors Warner and Kaine to serve on the State Board for Correctional Education. The board oversaw the education of inmates including career and technical education provided in the Department of Corrections and also oversaw the education provided in the Department of Juvenile Justice. I served for 8 years on the board concluding as chair of the board. During the time, I also chaired the board that was responsible for high school accreditation from the state.
