Prince William County, VA — Padreus Pratter, announced his candidacy for Prince William County School (PWCS) Board member in the Neabsco District. A lifelong career civil servant with a deep understanding of education policy, Pratter has spent over a decade serving the US Department of Education across several administrations and brings to the race a profound knowledge of what it takes to protect and support public school education at the local level.

In a campaign event on December 9, Pratter announced his candidacy surrounded by community members, friends, family, colleagues, and local officials at his Woodbridge home. Pratter was introduced by former Virginia Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy and PWCS graduates Franklin Asare-Bediako (PWCS ’22) and Edwin Gonzalez (PWCS ’21).

Pratter has earned early endorsements from several elected officials and community leaders including the Reverend Cozy Bailey, Delegate Candi King (VA-2), Dumfries Vice Mayor Monae Nickerson, Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry, and long-time Prince William County resident Gwen Porter Washington, alongside several PWCS educators and students.

A graduate of the 2022 Leadership Prince William Emerging Leaders Program, Pratter released the following statement: “I am humbled and deeply honored to announce my candidacy for the Prince William County School Board for the Neabsco District. Now, more than ever, our children and educators need new and vibrant leadership. I want to serve on our school board to make a difference in the lives of our students and positively influence our great country. As a parent of a current PWCS student,  I will bring both my lived experience and professional experience as a career U.S. Department of Education employee, a Prince William County Human Rights Commissioner, mentor, and a small business owner to the school board. I look forward to meeting as many voters as I can throughout the course of this campaign as we strive to build a stronger Prince William.”

Pratter is a graduate of Norfolk State University and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.. He lives in Woodbridge with his wife and their two children; their daughter is a kindergartener in PWCS. Pratter comes from a long lineage of educators. His mother was a special education teacher for over 30 years.