Loudoun Schools Dais

Western High School Informational Meeting on May 28th

The Board of Supervisor's Western Schools Task Force will meet on May 28, 2008 at 7pm at Lovettsville Elementary School. I am not a member of the committee, but I will be there. Here is the agenda for the meeting:

Lovettsville Community Update

ES-25 (Fall 2012); MS-10 (Fall 2015); HS-10 (Fall 2017)

(Loudoun County Schools Adopted Capital Improvement Plan)

Welcome/Introductions

      - Sally Kurtz, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, Catoctin District

Town of Lovettsville Perspective

     - Elaine Walker, Mayor of Lovettsville

Funding Status of ES-25, MS-10, HS-10

Western Schools Task Force

Joint Board of Supervisors/School Board Committee

     - Sally Kurtz, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, Catoctin District

Status of Woodgrove High School

     - Jim Burton, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, Blue Ridge District

Loudoun County Public Schools Update

     - Jennifer Bergel, Loudoun County Public School Board, Catoctin District

Questions and Answers

New Western High School (HS-3)

UPDATE: The schoolboard decided to place the new high school on the Fields Property in Purcellville. I didn't support the motion, but now that the decision is final, I will support all efforts on that choice. I urge everyone to contact the County Board of Supervisors and the Mayor of Purcellville and Town Council and urge them to work with the school system to ensure this school can open in 850 days.

The schoolboard will make a decision on the location o f the new western high school (HS-3) at our meeting on May 9th. For me the three major factors in site selection are:

1.  Must open in August 2008.  Student growth in Western Loudoun County is exploding; Loudoun Valley High School is at capacity (even with trailers!) and only has 10th-12th grades. We shouldn't delay the opening of this school.  If we can't open 2008, the board will not make any decisions (e.g. bussing to Eastern Loudoun or two shifts at Loudoun Valley) without prior public input.

2. School must be close to the majority of students. The current high school attendance zone for Loudoun Valley High School is over 200 square miles, so the new school will have a large attendance zone.  The majority of the students are south of Route 9 and development is also predominantly in that area. 

3. Site development and operating costs must be kept to a minimum.  Every dollar we have to spend on operating schools is a dolllar that impacts class room instruction.

I am still open on the final selection. Four sites under consideration and my choices as of today are:

1. Western Hamilton.  This location is close to Middle School that it will feed and can be partly located on land the schools currently own.  It is close to the majority of students it will support. The Hamilton Town Council passed a proclamation stating that it would not provide water to the new elementary school which will also be going on this site or to the high school. I have asked the school's attorney if we can cancel our agreement with the town of Hamilton and take back the wells and water tower that the county and school system paid for.  There are more issues as well, but on the balance this is the clear leader for all three of the criteria I discussed above...

2. Fields Farm Property. This location is north of Purcellville and is on land that the county purchased in 2000 for parks and school sites (schoolboard and staff weren't consulted prior to the purchase).  The town of Purcellville is on record as being opposed to locating the new high school on this property.  The major drawback to this property is the off-site transportation costs and the utilities. An interchange on Route 693 at Route 7 could run $20 million.  Other bureaucratic hurdles would jeopardize being able to open in 2008.

3.  Lovettsville property. This location is north of Route 9 and well away from the majority of our student growth is coming from. We will need a high school in this area in about 10 years, but this site has access problems and the operating costs associated with transporting the majority of students this far make it an unlikely candidate.

4. RoundHill property. This location is close to the center of growth. But, we wouldn't be able to put all the facilities in one area (stadium and track would likely be at Franklin Park).