Loudoun County Public Schools

Loudoun County Public Schools
Location
21000 Education Court
Ashburn, VA 20148
United States
Information
Type Public
Established 1870
Staff 604
Faculty 10,035
Grades K–12
Enrollment 79,203
Information 571-252-1000
Superintendent Eric Williams
Chief of Staff Michael Richards
Website http://www.lcps.org/

Loudoun County Public Schools is a branch of the Loudoun County, Virginia, United States government, and administers public schools in the county. LCPS's headquarters is located at 21000 Education Court in Ashburn, an unincorporated section of the county.[1]

Due to the rapid growth in the region, LCPS is the fastest growing school division in Virginia and one of the fastest growing public school districts in the United States, serving over 79,000 students in the 2016-2017 school year.[2] LCPS is the third largest school division in Virginia, surpassing the enrollment of Virginia Beach City Public Schools in the 2013–2014 school year.[3]

History

The public school system in Loudoun County was established in 1870 to fulfill the needs for free education after the Civil War and in an era of Reconstruction. For most of its history, LCPS has served a rural county, known for its dairy farms. Since the 1960s, Loudoun County's population skyrocketed, accompanied by that of the school system. More than thirty schools have been built between 1996 and 2006.[4]

Administration

The LCPS system, while operated on a day-to-day basis by the Superintendent (Dr. Eric Williams) is managed under the direction and authority of the Loudoun County School Board, a nine-member panel elected by citizens in the county. Eight of the nine board positions are divided among voting districts that represent communities throughout the county, while the ninth seat is elected at-large by the entire county. The voting districts correspond to those used for Loudoun County Board of Supervisors elections. Unlike the Board of Supervisors, the chairmanship of the School Board is elected annually by its members, while the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors is always the at-large seat. While the School Board makes decisions relating to school policy and curriculum, it receives funding through the Board of Supervisors.

Demographics

In the 2015-16 school year, LCPS was 51% White; 7% Black; 17% Hispanic; 20% Asian; and 5% Multi.[5]

Schools

High schools

With the opening of Riverside High School and Rock Ridge High School, Loudoun County has 15 high schools. All but two high schools, Loudoun Valley and Broad Run, are two stories. Loudoun County (1954), the oldest high school, can hold around 1,370 students, Loudoun Valley (1962) and Broad Run (1969) can hold around 1390-1410 (Loudoun Valley and Broad Run were built with a similar design), although Broad Run can hold more because it has 9 trailers on site as of 2012, Park View (1976) can hold about 1370 and Potomac Falls (1997) can hold about 1400. Potomac Falls' design has been used with every high school in Loudoun County built after it, with a bigger auditorium and more classrooms. Stone Bridge (2000), Heritage (2002), Briar Woods (2005), Freedom (2005), and Woodgrove (2010) can hold 1600 students. Dominion High School (2003) is an exception to the 1,600 capacity rule; the school is structurally designed for 1,600 students, however, because it is the site of the Academy of Science, the actual student capacity for Dominion High School is 1,350, and the remaining seats are designated for the Academy of Science students. With the opening of Tuscarora High School (2010), and John Champe High School (2012), the new high schools still use the Potomac Falls design template but with an 1800 student capacity. When Riverside High School (HS-8) in 2015, and Rock Ridge High School (HS-7) opened in 2014 it had a 1,600 student capacity not the standard 1,800 because of little increase in student population foreseen in the Ashburn area. The 2019-2020 year will introduce Independence High School (HS-11) with a newer and refreshed design, although the student capacity is to be determined due to the amount of high schools around the build site. The 2020-2021 year will introduce Lightridge High School (HS-9) with a new design different than Independence high school. The school is opening to reduce overcrowding at John Champe High School.[6]

All high schools serve grades 9–12.

Middle schools

Loudoun County currently has 16 middle schools, all of which typically feed into one high school currently, or in the near future. Older middle schools such as Simpson, Blue Ridge, Sterling, and Seneca Ridge originally were able to carry about 1,000 students, but have all gone or are going through expansion projects that will allow them to carry 1,200 students once the projects are complete. The older schools are also trying to modernize the building by placing ornamental designs throughout the school. Newer middle schools built since 1995 when Farmwell Station opened typically have capacities of 1,200 to 1,350 students depending on the age of the building and how fast growth was around the particular school when the school opened. Since the opening of J. Michael Lunsford, all middle schools are built with a two-story design that can carry 1,350 students. As of the 2018-2019 year, Mercer Middle School will serve grades 6-7, while Willard Intermediate School will serve grades 8-9. Once Lightridge High School opens in 2020, the two schools will serve grades 6-8, with Willard becoming a full-fledged middle school.

Serves grades 6–8.

  • Belmont Ridge Middle School, Leesburg
  • Blue Ridge Middle School, Purcellville
  • Brambleton Middle School, Ashburn
  • Eagle Ridge Middle School, Ashburn
  • Farmwell Station Middle School, Ashburn
  • Harmony Middle School, Hamilton
  • Harper Park Middle School, Leesburg
  • J. Lupton Simpson Middle School, Leesburg
  • J. Michael Lunsford Middle School, Chantilly
  • Mercer Middle School, Aldie (Note: Temporarily serves grades 6-7)
  • River Bend Middle School, Sterling
  • Seneca Ridge Middle School, Sterling
  • Smarts Mill Middle School, Leesburg
  • Sterling Middle School, Sterling
  • Stone Hill Middle School, Ashburn
  • Trailside Middle School, Ashburn

Future schools

  • Waxpool Elementary School (ES-31) in Ashburn will open in the Fall of 2019 on Black Angus Drive just outside of Broadlands.[7]
  • Independence High School (HS-11) in Brambleton will open in the Fall of 2019 on Learning Circle; co-located with Brambleton Middle School.[8]
  • Lightridge High School (HS–9) in Aldie will open in the Fall of 2020 off of Lightridge Farm Road; just outside of the Willowsford Community.[9]

Intermediate schools

Serves grades 8-9

  • Willard Intermediate School, Aldie
  • LCPS had one previous intermediate school (Harmony Intermediate School, now Harmony Middle School) in the western part of the county which served 8th and 9th graders. This was only a temporary concept to relieve crowding at Blue Ridge Middle School and Loudoun Valley High School which ended after Woodgrove High School opened in Fall 2010.[10]

Elementary schools

Lucketts Elementary School

LCPS currently has 51 elementary schools, which are nearly all community based, with over half of them opening in the last 10 years. Newer elementary schools throughout the county can carry approximately 800 to 875 students. Older elementary schools in the eastern part of the county can carry anywhere from 400–600 students. There are some rural elementary schools in Loudoun County as well, nearly all of them in the western part of the county. They are much smaller in size and are much older facilities, typically holding enrollments of about 100–150 students. Since the opening of Buffalo Trail Elementary School, all elementary schools are built with a two-story design that can carry 875 students.

Serves grades K-5

Instructional centers

  • Academies of Loudoun, Leesburg

-C.S. Monroe Technology Center
-Loudoun Academy of Science
-Academy of Engineering & Technology

  • Douglass School, Leesburg (alternative education center)

Curriculum

High schools

Students primarily attend classes on their home campus, but have opportunities to take additional, specialized courses at LCPS's magnet and alternative schools, such as science and math at Loudoun Academy of Science and vocational education classes at C.S. Monroe Technology Center.

Each school's instructional curriculum is set primarily by the LCPS district office based on Virginia Department of Education requirements. There are generally eleven academic departments, each supervised by a department head (usually a teacher):[11]

The "core" courses of English, mathematics, science and social science typically have tracks or sequences that are determined by grade level (e.g. English 9, English 10, English 11, etc.; and earth science, biology, chemistry, etc.). This is true for some of the other course groups as well, such as world languages, physical education and fine arts. Additionally, many of the core courses are further arranged into basic/general, academic, honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classifications. Each classification generally denotes a progressively more challenging level of instruction, although the distinction between honors and AP is often blurred.

  • English: Includes basic/general, academic, honors levels for all grades (with honors replaced by AP in 12th grade). Electives, including composition, journalism, etymology, public speaking, and world literature are also offered.
  • Mathematics: Includes algebra 1 & 2, geometry, as well as trigonometry, pre-calculus and calculus*, computer science*, probability and statistics*, and discrete math (* AP level offered).
  • Science: Includes earth science, biology, chemistry, physics. AP level courses are offered in biology, physics and chemistry.
  • Social Science: Includes world history, Virginia and US history, and government. Electives are offered in comparative religions, economics, contributions of ethnic groups in America, philosophy, psychology and sociology. AP classes are provided for government, US history and world history.
  • Fine Arts: Includes four progressive levels of art studies.
  • World Languages: Includes American Sign Language, French, German, Latin, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.
  • Career and Technical Education: Includes cybersecurity, welding, early childhood, computer information systems, veterinary science, and engineering drawing.

Students attending Loudoun Academy of Science at Dominion High School in Sterling and C.S. Monroe Technology Center in Leesburg do so every other class day, taking their non-magnet classes (typically core courses, such as English, social sciences and electives) at their home campuses on the alternate days.

Specialized programs

ESL

Nearly all LCPS schools offer a full English as a Second Language program, for students whose native language is not English and who do not speak and/or read English well. For school assessment purposes, these learners are referred to as "Limited English Proficient" or "LEP" students.

Special education

LCPS offers a wide range of Special Education programs for students who have minor learning disabilities to those with mild to moderate mental retardation in most schools. If a student is severely mentally impaired, he or she attends a special county wide program at Loudoun County High School or Heritage High School.

See also

References

Citations

  1. ↑ "Directions Archived April 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.." Loudoun County Public Schools. Retrieved on April 4, 2009.
  2. ↑ Jackson, Charlie (September 15, 2006). "LCPS Anticipated More Students". Leesburg Today. Retrieved December 31, 2006.
  3. ↑ "VDOE :: Virginia Department of Education Home".
  4. ↑ Somashekhar, Sandra (September 7, 2006). "Building a School from the Inside Out". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved November 21, 2007.
  5. ↑ "Enrollment by Ethnicity/Race". LCPS.
  6. ↑ "School Board Adopted FY13 CIP" (PDF). Loudoun County Public Schools. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  7. ↑ "Construction/ Waxpool Elementary (ES-31)". Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Construction/ HS-11". Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Names Selected for Loudoun's Future Schools". Retrieved November 9, 2017.
  10. ↑ Loudoun County Public Schools. "School Board Adopted FY10-FY14 Capital Improvement Program" (PDF). Loudoun County Schools. p. 140. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 23, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Broad Run Academics Overview". Loudoun County Public Schools. 2006–2007. Archived from the original on February 5, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2006.

Sources

  • "Loudoun County Public Schools – About". Loudoun County Public Schools. 2006–2007. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved December 31, 2006.
  • "VA Dept of Education Fall Membership Data Collection (1995–2006)". Virginia Dept of Education. Archived from the original on December 10, 2006. Retrieved January 3, 2007.

Coordinates: 39°02′42″N 77°31′08″W / 39.0451°N 77.5188°W / 39.0451; -77.5188

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