Coraggio Consulting Loudoun County School Board, 2nd Tuesday School Board Meeting, Tuesday, June 10, 2025 Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 Place: Loudoun County Public Schools / School Board meeting (see BoardDocs / LCPS-TV) Length: 5h 54m (video) Official meeting video (Vimeo / LCPS-TV): https://player.vimeo.com/video/1089915351?rel=0 BoardDocs (School Board): https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/loudoun/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=DGDH9P474922 Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting. Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-11. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [00:00:46] sorry i'm a little late today starting um good afternoon i call the june 10th 2025 loudon county school board meeting at this time we will go ahead and start our read our disclosures and i'll start as a member of the loudon county school board i make the following disclosure to the school board and to the general public in connection with the items on tonight's agenda regarding the budget and or health insurance and related benefits and any other discussion that may include or affect benefits for LCPS employees specifically as a school board member I'm eligible to receive health insurance and related benefits as an [00:01:23] LCPS employee these benefits however affect thousands of employees well in excess of the statutory three employees whose interests may also be affected of which I am included I can and will participate fairly objectively and in the public interest this disclosure will be reflected in the public records of the clerk of the school board for five years miss Chandler thank you madam chair As a member of the Loudoun County School Board, I make the following disclosure to the school board and to the general public in connection with the item on tonight's agenda regarding the budget and or health insurance and related benefits, and any other discussion that may include or affect the benefits for LCPS employees. [00:02:02] Specifically, as a school board member, I am eligible to receive health insurance and related benefits as an LCPS employee. these benefits however affect thousands of employees well in excess of the statutory three employees whose interest may also be affected of which I am included I can and will participate fairly objectively and in the public interest this disclosure will be reflected in the public records of the clerk of the school board for five years thank you thank you miss Chandler mrs. Griffiths thank you madam chair as a member of the Latin County School Board I make the following disclosure to the school board into the general public [00:02:38] in connection with the item on tonight's agenda regarding the budget and or health insurance and related benefits and any other discussion that may include or affect benefits for LCPS employees. Specifically, as a school board member, I am eligible to receive health insurance and related benefits as an LCPS employee. These benefits, however, affect thousands of employees while in excess of the statutory three employees whose interests may also be affected, of which I'm included i can and will participate fairly objectively and in the public's interest this disclosure will be reflected in the public records of the clerk of the school board for five [00:03:13] years thank you thank you mrs griffiths mr streffi thank you madam chair as a member of the laden county school board i make the following disclosure to the school board and to the general public in connection with the item on tonight's agenda regarding the budget and or health insurance and related benefits and any other discussion that may include or affect benefits for lcps employees Specifically, as a school board member, I am eligible to receive health insurance and related benefits as an LCPS employee. [00:03:43] These benefits, however, affect thousands of employees well in excess of the statutory three employees whose interests may also be affected, of which I am included. I can and will participate fairly objectively and in the public interest. That disclosure will be reflected in the public records of the clerk of the school board for five years. [00:03:59] Thank you, Mr. Streffi. Ms. LaBelle. Thank you, Madam Chair. As a member of the Loudoun County School Board, I make the following disclosure to the school board and to the general public in connection with the item on tonight's agenda regarding the budget and or health insurance and related benefits and any other discussion that may include or affect benefits for the LCPS employees. [00:04:22] Specifically, as a school board member, I am eligible to receive health insurance and related benefits as an LCPS employee. In addition, as a former LCPS employee, I, as well as my spouse, receive Medicare Advantage insurance benefits through LCPS. [00:04:39] These benefits, however, affect thousands of employees well in excess of the statutory three employees whose interest may also be affected, of which my spouse and I are included. I can and will participate fairly, objectively, and in the public interest. This disclosure will be reflected in the public records of the Clerk of the School Board for five years. [00:04:59] Thank you, Ms. Labelle. Ms. Chernoff. Thank you, Madam Chair. As a member of the Loudoun County School Board, I make the following disclosure to the school board and to the general public in connection with the item on tonight's agenda regarding the budget and/or health insurance and related benefits and any other discussion that may include or affect benefits for LCPS employees. [00:05:17] Specifically, as a school board member, I am eligible to receive health insurance and related benefits as an LCPS employee. These benefits, however, affect thousands of employees well in the excess of the statutory three employees whose interests may also be effective, of which I am included. I can and will participate fairly objectively and in the public interest. This disclosure will be reflected in the public records of the clerk of the school board for five years. Thank you, Ms. Chernoff. [00:05:44] Okay, we will move on to item three, approval of the consent agenda. Board members, are there any changes to be made to the consent agenda? Yes, Mrs. Griffiths. Yes, Madam Chair. I would like to make a motion to move item finance and operations committee loudon county school board to request the financing for approved cip projects not to exceed 107 million 220 000 for school purposes to an action item thank you mrs griffiths um okay so moving 3.06 to be item we can start at the [00:06:24] beginning 13.01 and then move everything down okay mr. Griffith or future you don't have to make a motion just ask for it thanks okay and then so we will have we've done that yes sure if you can explain that again move what item so [00:06:54] that was item 3.06 which is Loudoun County School Board to request financing approved CIP projects not to exceed a certain amount of money for school purposes that would be moved down to be an action item 13.01 and then the rest of them would move down so just to be clear just because something's on consent does not mean that you guys can't take it off if you want to vote if [00:07:27] you have an amendment or something like that to the to whatever it is so consent is usually things that you don't have any heartburn about and they will just go through okay um all right so i will now entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda i move to approve the consent agenda i have a motion by ms shernoff do i have a second i have a second by ms uh ms chandler um it's been probably moved and seconded to approve the consent agenda at this time we'll take a vote [00:08:06] clerk please open the vote board members please record your vote um clerk please close and display the vote and that motion passes unanimously with vice chair Donahue absent for the vote and we'll move on to item four student staff recognitions one LCPS spotlight starting towards excellence in preschool otherwise known as step at Newton Lee Elementary and Henrietta Lacks Elementary presented by [00:08:43] Shawn Lyons principal Newton Lee Elementary Caitlin Richmond step teacher Newton Lee Elementary, Mara Cashin, step teacher, Newton Lee Elementary, Lee Boyd, principal of the Henrietta Lacks Elementary, Meg LeFrancois, the step teacher, Henrietta Lacks Elementary School, Tara Dreyer, step teacher, Henrietta Lacks Elementary School, Barbara Cavalaconti, Veltri, ECSE teacher, Henrietta Lacks Elementary School. [00:09:17] So come on up and we're looking forward to it. And I love the shirts. Hello. [00:09:34] Clearly I'm new at this. do i get up there also thank you for being patient with us there was ice cream out there so we are so fortunate what a perfect night to have a few preschoolers with us we're like hey grab some ice cream so we just had to finish up a little bit of ice cream but hey thank you so much for having me my name is alexis duffin and i'm the supervisor for our head start and our starting towards excellence in preschool program which is better known as step and i'm so excited to be here tonight with many family members and our staff members to celebrate our step program our step [00:10:09] program this is our first year transitioning to a full day model so we are excited to celebrate that and we're going to do that with two schools here tonight we are going to celebrate with newton lee elementary for newton lee raise your hand they're the blue shirts you can tell we coordinated just a little bit so newton lee is an established school they have had our program for many years and we are thrilled to see what the preschool program looks like at their school, and we also have Henrietta Lacks. Henrietta Lacks, they are our green shirts. So Henrietta Lacks is actually one of our new schools. So as a part of STEP moving to the full-day model, we had to add some [00:10:48] classrooms. We added classrooms to ensure that we were still serving the same number of students in our county, so we were able to add classrooms, and Henrietta Lacks said, hey, we'll take the STEP program so we are thrilled to listen to what the step program looks like at an established school and one of our new schools here tonight so we have introductions I'm gonna give you just a brief step background slash kind of overview of what our program looks like and then I'm gonna hand it off to the schools who's got my slides next slide please beautiful all right so I have [00:11:25] introduced myself for Newton Lee so Shawn Lyons is not able to be here tonight but in his place we have Brian Klippold I told everybody to wave when I read their name we have kate richmond who is a step teacher we have mara cashen who is another step teacher at newton lee for henrietta lacks we have lee boyd our principal we have meg lafrancois a step teacher we have tara drew your another step teacher and we have barbara veltry who is an early childhood special education teacher and we're going to talk about how at henrietta lacks we actually partner with early childhood special education to create inclusion classrooms so we [00:12:04] have some magic happening over at henrietta next slide please and the next one so let me give you just a little bit of background about our step program so lcps step is a state and locally funded program we are funded through the virginia preschool initiative we have 20 classrooms throughout loudoun county with the capacity to serve 320 students in a full day model so step provides high quality early childhood education for eligible students to prepare them for success in kindergarten. So that's what we do. We are out there. We are here to serve our community to ensure [00:12:42] that everybody arrives in kindergarten ready to rock and roll. This past year, our program transitioned from half day to full day, and we added those classrooms to meet the need in Loudoun County. So I like to take a moment. It's, you know, it's the end of the school year. It's a great time for reflection. So I just want to reflect on all the things that have happened in the STEP program over the past year. A lot of big decisions were made here with our school board that allowed our program to go from half day to full day. So I want to say thank you. Having a full day program [00:13:19] supports students and families in Loudoun County, and we are grateful for your support. All right, next slide. So Sean Lyons, our principal at Newton-Lee, isn't here, but I'm going to kick this off just a little bit to talk about our partnership at Newton-Lee Elementary. Next slide. [00:13:38] So like I said earlier, Newton-Lee is an established program, so they've had the preschool classroom step preschool for many years and they have been a part of that transition so they've been a part of watching the school board meeting seeing all the action that's happening are we going to have the opportunity to move to full day so they've had the opportunity to work with students in that half day model and then pivot and have that full day and being able to see what kind of an impact that has on students and families another really great piece about newton Lee is that they are also a part of the first 10 initiative. So first 10 focuses on a child's first [00:14:15] 10 years of life because we know how important that is for a child's success down the road in their future. And he has perfectly partnered with our step program because that's what we do. So preschool teachers are working hard to ensure that we are meeting the needs of the families at a younger age to help them later in life. So actually our step teachers at Newton Lee are a very active part of first 10 and they designed what is called play and learns to engage the families and prepare our youngest learners for kindergarten in the ashburn area all right and now i'm going to hand it off to mr klippel who is standing in for sean just to give a little bit more information from [00:14:53] newton lee next slide in the short video you'll get to see some of the magic that the newton lee preschool teachers create each and every day have you ever wondered what our program looks like as tiny explorers in the STEP program at Newton Lee Elementary School. Our STEP classrooms use the Tools of the Mind curriculum to ensure our preschoolers are well prepared for kindergarten. The Tools of the Mind curriculum focuses on learning through play. Our program also prioritizes social and emotional growth [00:15:31] utilizing the Second Step curriculum. Second Step is all about identifying feelings and understanding other people's feelings. We also get to partner with our school counselors to incorporate the slumber kids program which also focuses on feelings. [00:15:47] Our classrooms are set up to help empower students for school success especially those whose families may not have had the resources to provide a preschool experience. Previously the STEP program offered separate half-day classes but this year we transitioned to a full-day schedule. To support the full-day experience, rest time was added to the STEP daily schedule. Our students benefit from being part of the Newton-Lee school family as well. We get to join in on specials like library and music and get included in school events. The STEP program collaborates with a variety [00:16:26] of exceptional community partners including Inova Health, Wolf Trap, Loudon Literacy, And this year, the STEP program joined a new community organization called First Ten. Our goal at Newton-Weight is for school to be a happy place of learning. [00:16:44] That's right. Magic made stronger through teamwork and partnerships, including, as you heard, our new partnership with FirstTen.org. First Ten believes that the first 10 years of the child's life are the most important for life success, so you can see how easily that aligns with our STEP framework. [00:17:04] Through this partnership with First Ten, Newton-Lee and Sugar Land Elementary's enriched our offerings to families preparing to enter into kindergarten. At this time, I'd like to pass it over to Mrs. Boyd who will share Henrietta Lacks. Hi, I'm Lee Boyd. I'm principal at Henrietta Lacks and so lucky to have the best job in the county. [00:17:29] When we were building the school, I was approached by the step department as a place to incorporate a couple of step classes and I thought what better place to have a preschool program and lots of preschool programs. preschool programs we have six in fact rather but that a primary school where we believe that kids can every day even as young as our three-year-olds so this is a new program we actually have two-step classes and the really nice thing about our step classes is they are combined with our inclusion reverse inclusion ECSE class which allows our general education students to really learn how to advocate for students with special needs and be in an inclusive [00:18:06] environment and then our students who have special needs are also able to be around peer models which is really fantastic and our step program has done wonderful things this year they fully integrated into our school from taking advantage of our technology they did some lessons with our Indies participating in our school-wide field day the other day and they also eat in our cafeteria with our second grade so it's really a whole school community and we're really honored to have them and I'm going to pass it over to the teachers to share a little bit about some of the magic they've done in our classrooms this year [00:18:39] hello I have pictures on the next slide so these are just a few snapshots from things we've done in our classroom we love to do hands-on activities we do everything from making play-doh we do science experiments we make little props to play within our centers and basically we just have a lot of fun learning [00:19:09] through play I'm also one of the step teachers at Henrietta Lacks and this slide shows some of the things that we do to enhance the experiences in our school we did things such as made a pumpkin patch in a recess area for all of the kids to purchase purchase pumpkins and then we decorated them [00:19:43] after in the October pumpkin season we participated in singing around the campfire during our camping theme. We explored a community map using the robot that Mrs. Boyd had mentioned earlier and we are able to celebrate friendships with the other early childhood programs at our school. So all of these experiences have allowed the children to grow friendships and to feel part of our community. All right so next slide. So we want to say thank you. So thank you [00:20:20] to the school board. Your decision last year helped us grow our program into the impactful program that we have now we are supporting our students we are supporting our families we are supporting loudon county we are so grateful and thank you for celebrating us tonight we are so glad to be here and thank you we're gonna do a little redo we're [00:20:57] getting them up we're getting them ready hold on we practiced so because there was a practice involved okay great we're gonna bring our friends right here [00:21:37] thank you all for coming those shiny faces board members do you have any um comments or questions for Anything for the STEP program? [00:21:57] Yes, Ms. Chandler. Well, thank you all for being here. It's so delightful to see you and to hear about all of the good work that you're doing. It is one of my great pleasures to be able to serve as the liaison to the Head Start program. And I just think the world of your team. [00:22:14] And I'm so grateful for the good foundational work you're doing every day. So thanks. Dr. Deans. And it gives us great pleasure in knowing that one of the first things that we did as a board, we can see the results of our labor. [00:22:30] So thank you so much. We are so excited. Ms. Chernoff. I echo what my colleague said, and thank you for dragging me all around to all the different ones. Now I have two new ones I need to go see. We appreciate all that you do. I know we're in the homestretch here, and we thank you for your work. [00:22:47] Probably much-needed break. So kudos to you all. And this work is so, so foundational and so important, and it is an honor and a blessing to support it. So thank you. Mr. Straffy. One more remark from me. I want to thank you all as well. [00:23:02] I have a child that's in preschool, about to go to public school, and I've learned so much about my own child from his preschool teachers, although he's not in step, I would have loved that. And just allowing him to just really prepare for kindergarten and just building these inclusive opportunities for all children to take advantage of a preschool experience is really amazing, so thank you. [00:23:32] - Thank you again for coming all the way out here. I think there's something special upstairs for you guys. And thank you to all of the students who came. We appreciate you all coming. [00:23:58] We will now move on to item 5.0, our work session, Department of Teaching and Learning, Professional Learning Plan for SY2526, presented by Mr. Neal Slevin, a Sister Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, and I will have him introduce everybody else. [00:24:19] Oh, wait, what happened to your shirt, Mr. Slevin? The Division of Professional Learning did not provide me with a costume. I think that that shirt would have looked very nice with your suit. So that was a lot of fun. [00:24:37] Thank you for the opportunity to highlight our step program. But I'm happy to address the board this evening for a work session related to a professional learning overview for the upcoming school year. I'll ask my colleagues at the table to introduce themselves. Good evening, Jennifer Miller, Supervisor, Professional Learning and School Support. [00:24:58] Good evening, Dr. Kimberly Jones, and I'm a supervisor in the Office of Special Education. Thank you. The clicker does not appear to be working. There you go. Thank you. [00:25:21] So we are going to go over a number of topics this afternoon in our work session. Number one, share our vision for cultivating belonging and success in our schools. Provide an overview of our professional learning focus areas, topics and considerations of what's going on next year that'll be impacting our schools in relation to professional learning, an overview of planned professional learning, and then some information on further information related to planning and resources for our schools next year. We do have a vision for next school year that really speaks [00:25:59] to, I'll allow you to read this for yourself, but it really speaks to a unified approach grounded in implementation of our lcps instructional framework with a focus on existing structures to facilitate our professional learning days meaning being really intentional about the county-wide professional learning days that are embedded in our calendar our collaborative learning teams that have been supported within our schools and our continuous school improvement process which drives so much of the work in our schools so to get us started want to talk about a few focus areas for the coming [00:26:35] school year. We are thinking a lot about the implementation of the LCPS instructional framework and we have identified four focus areas for professional learning coming up. The first being belonging. The second, responsiveness specifically with co-teaching to support all learners. Clarity around assessment and grading best practices. And finally, literacy for all. And we'll go into detail about these in just a moment. When considering the background behind this, I want to give a little bit of context to some existing structures that we're hoping to leverage and some things that we've been really thoughtful and strategic about we want to continue to support the success in each of our focus [00:27:15] areas by one maximizing our division-wide professional learning being really thoughtful and strategic about what learning happens on designated days throughout the year and what learning is provided from a division level schools have also put in a lot of effort and energy into their collaborative learning teams so continuing to support those teams as they move forward specifically with dialogue around the instructional framework and how it's impacting teachers and students. [00:27:40] The third, implementing new ELA and math curriculum and resources. So knowing that we are continuing to support with ELA resources, big effort this year, will continue into next year, and then introducing some new math resources towards the end of this school year and well into next year as all teachers learn the new math curriculum. Engaging in continuous school improvement process. This year has been very successful with PDSA cycles and hoping to continue that and make some very clear connections between the school improvement process and the instructional framework. [00:28:14] And then finally, understanding the new SPSF, another acronym here, the School Performance and Support Framework from the BDOE and how that integrates with all of our work. So here you see an overview of the staff development days that are identified on the calendar starting with August 14th, which would be the first countywide staff development day. That is a division-led professional learning day, and we'll have embedded experiences related to the instructional framework, as well as lots of content-level experiences. The next line is [00:28:50] really an outline of all school-led professional learning opportunities that happen building up to the first day of school, so designating those as teacher workdays. School leaders can use that allocated time for planning, required training, their opening activities, and school professional learning. And that school professional learning will have a focus on the instructional framework as well as continuous school improvement. You'll notice on November 4th that we have been listening to schools and their requests to have some more time to lead PD in their buildings. And so that designated day in November, the countywide staff development day, will be an opportunity to have [00:29:26] some increased time available for school-based PD, including alignment with their school improvement plan and the instructional framework. And then our final designated staff development day in the spring is March 19th, which is another opportunity for content offices and division-led professional learning. [00:29:42] And we will continue to embed sections and sessions on the instructional framework. The next slide has an overview of all of the important events that you should be aware of on the road to the first day of school. So there's a lot that happens for teachers, both new teachers, teacher leaders, and returning teachers that happens in the summer. [00:30:03] I won't go through each one, and there are no new events being added this year. This is just an alignment of dates for events that are pretty typical for our summer sessions, so starting all the way in July 29th and going right up until that countywide Staff Development Day. [00:30:19] And these dates are all collaboratively planned between Teaching and Learning, Student Services, PEIA and HRTD. So we zoomed in a little bit on all of the structures and the context that's holding up these things and we'll go back to the focus areas and go into detail on each starting with belonging. [00:30:33] Thank you Jenny. So starting with belonging, we know that when students feel they belong, they are more likely to be engaged, take risks and persist through challenging work. A strong sense of belonging makes learning more relevant, meaningful and contributes to a positive learning environment. We will be providing professional learning focused on reflecting on student and staff sense of belonging using feedback from our annual stakeholder survey and deepening practices that foster student belonging focusing on key teachers in the [00:31:11] instructional framework key teacher actions so when i meet when i mention teacher actions i mean specifically actions such as recognizing and supporting students diverse experiences and individual passive learning progress and success design learning spaces that are accessible and and affirming to the diversity of cultures, strengths, needs, and identities within our schools, and facilitate opportunities for students to connect learning to their own interests, backgrounds, lived experiences, or prior learning. [00:31:43] Next, we have a focus on responsiveness with our support for co-teaching to support all learners centered in that focus area, and I'll ask Dr. Jones to share a little bit of information regarding that. We've been really fortunate to collaborate with the Division of English Learners to really talk about structures and supports for our dually identified students and this particular focus has allowed us to talk a little bit more about alignment with EL beyond that so we are in the process of aligning guidance to school leaders [00:32:18] and school staff when it comes to the roles of co-teachers evidence-based instructional practices and co-planning really highlighting things we have in common from an EL and special education lens, and then things that are distinctly different. [00:32:34] So how we plan to continue to do that is to provide training to various stakeholders. I know it was mentioned the TLLI, the Teacher Leader Learning Institute, is one opportunity for us to connect with our contacts and provide some training, as well as to school-based administrators through LEAD Loudon and truly this is an opportunity for us to refine our work already in place to improve learning experiences for students and staff practice through training [00:33:07] and coaching to truly maximize inclusive time for all learners. Thank you. For the area of clarity we are highlighting our support for assessment and grading best practices. As you all know the school board recently adopted revisions to policy 50/30 and we recognize that teams within LCPS leadership need to be prepared to support our teachers in the implementation of that policy as well as communication around some level of consistency in its implementation starting with elementary school the CNI [00:33:45] committee intends to review elementary assessment and grading practices next year and potentially revise the policy further during next school year and and staff will include elementary school-based leaders in discussions involving any potential revisions. [00:34:00] For secondary, we will be implementing the new policy, which goes into effect July 1st, with a focus on the assessment and grading handbook that is being developed. We reviewed the draft regulation at our last CNI meeting, if you have an interest in seeing where that is in its development. [00:34:17] And we will be supporting professional learning and conversations around the assessment grading policy, primarily through our CLTs with school-based discussions within the context of their classrooms. We know that this is an important policy to the school board, and we will plan to continue to monitor and give updates to the board as resources are developed and as the implementation proceeds throughout the school year. [00:34:41] And then finally, literacy for all remains a focus for us. Literacy is a focus area of the instructional framework, and the conversations around literacy and the Virginia Literacy Act in particular will continue to be a focus for our schools. On this slide, we did want to share the ongoing continued required trainings that teachers need to participate in from the Virginia Department of Education. [00:35:04] This will be particularly important for new teachers that are hired in LCPS, so we need to be supporting their ability to complete this training as well as the different groups that you see there for the audience. Internally though, we have much more going on locally. [00:35:21] than just the required training from the VDOE. For HMH into reading in our elementary schools, we are moving into the second year of implementation. While we should be extremely proud of our teachers and our schools in implementing HMH, we know that the work needs to continue in the second year and support needs to be strong. [00:35:40] This year will be about refinement and solidifying instructional practices that support evidence-based and research-based literacy practices. Literacy walkthroughs will continue with an emphasis on explicit instruction and how teachers use informal data with whole group instruction to inform flexible small group instruction. [00:35:56] VALS will expand to grades four and five, where they will administer the new assessment and determine next steps for students that require a student reading intervention plan, so that'll be new for elementary schools. And for grades K-5, we'll continue working with teachers to support a deeper understanding of the data the VALS assessment provides. [00:36:14] Specifically, we'll focus on providing instructional indicators, how that connects to classroom instruction and improved resources to support that instruction. VALS is also expanding to middle school. We are very conscious of the needs of our middle schools, our teachers and our leaders in particular, in meeting and supporting our students. [00:36:34] So VALS, the screening system will be implemented at all of our middle schools. We've already held two workshops for our middle school principals to support the understanding of how the VALS will be administered, the research-based intervention requirement, and how to document student reading plans. We've also provided a 15-minute intro instructional video to our teachers of English, as well as our English learner teachers and special education teachers. [00:36:58] And we have regularly talked about this at discussions of our lead teacher meetings. 30 central school staff are already ready to be deployed for the administration of VALS in the summer. We know we need to have boots on the ground, supporting our schools, our middle schools, and administering VALS this first go-round. [00:37:16] And we are recruiting additional testing administrators for high-need schools. All VALS kits have been ordered and will be delivered ahead of fall testing. So we feel that we are preparing as best we can for supporting our middle schools. But that's not all. [00:37:31] We also have newly adopted core English curriculum adoption in our middle schools with SAVAS My Perspective in May 2025 as the new core curriculum for middle school English. And the VDOE also has approved supplemental resources such as NuZella, Novade Inc, and Lexia Power Up. [00:37:49] So we will continue to provide professional learning and support for our teachers through in-person virtual asynchronous and the focus of our countywide days for our English teachers will be on supporting literacy. And we also have summer curriculum development happening. So we have 50 teachers coming in, classroom teachers, EL teachers, reading specialists, special education teachers. [00:38:10] We have representation from 17 of our 18 middle schools working this summer to align new standards and develop a new unit planning template and embed science reading practices in lesson design. And we'll utilize, of course, Schoology and have the training available to our teachers in mid-June. [00:38:29] And so also we're being really mindful in professional learning and supporting our building leaders. So what you see here is a sample of a slide given to all principals at the last all-county principal meeting, providing some resources and structures to support them. Lead Loudon will include some sessions specifically around implementation of the instructional framework and how they can support their own staff in leading these sessions in their buildings. [00:38:53] Principal meeting times throughout the year will have embedded work time and planning for instructional framework and their own understanding and learning. They'll be provided with some sample professional learnings for the instructional framework in the form of things that they can turn around, they can revise, they can personalize for their schools, but also some suggested timelines of how to fit all of this in in a way that's really digestible for their staff. [00:39:15] And then a real focus on embedding the work of the instructional framework with those school improvement meetings that are already scheduled and happening in their buildings. So not trying to create new structures, but rather leverage the structures that are in place. There's also some additional resources there that they were led to. [00:39:31] One, thinking about the school calendar as a whole and spreading out some of the learning experiences across the year rather than front-loading every single thing into August learning. And then that professional learning vision document that we started with at the beginning of the presentation is all captured there in the second link. [00:39:47] And then throughout the year, we've been adding resources to the instructional framework landing page, and that will continue. And then Mr. Slevin mentioned ongoing work under development for the assessment and grading handbook. So as we wrap up, I want to see what questions you all might have, particularly based on your school visits and interactions with your constituents, what else might we need to be thinking about in regards to supporting professional learning next school year? [00:40:13] Thank you. So, sorry. I was, the one thing that I was thinking about was, especially for the grading, because the assessment and grading best practices and things and we're talking about assessments and retakes and floors and things like that for special education and 504 plans because there are some [00:40:44] people who said okay well we can't give you that accommodation because of our policy and I just want to be sure that in our um in our training that you know the iep team if it's in the 504 in the 504 team trump whatever we have um they are the decision makers for that student and their unique needs provided that you have that need that is great feedback and we'll take note [00:41:20] of that as that training and communication is being developed thanks um anybody else yes mrs Griffiths thank you madam chair I just had a couple questions and I'll also put this in an email to you do you have a breakdown of all the cost of training and which training is required by the VDOE what I I could put an email do you have all that information so we are in the process of developing our required training in collaboration with the Department of Human Resources and Talent [00:41:57] development, mandated broadly speaking by code, by Latin County School Board policy, or federal policy. And so can you speak generally to the types of training that are included? [00:42:17] - So the VDOE training that you mentioned would be on that list, and it would be combined with all of the annual training that are typically considered compliance style training, and those don't necessarily have a direct cost that I'm aware of. with it we could yeah beyond staff time um also the equity lead institute training is that required and what is the cost for that is there a cost for that so the equity lead the summer trainings the equity lead institute and i'll i'll see if dr ellis williams wants to add anything but [00:42:53] essentially similar to our teacher leadership institute that prepares our school-based leaders in training and support they need to have an impact at the school level. The equity lead is a stipended position in the LCPS school board adopted budget and the participation in that institute is considered when assigning the stipend. [00:43:16] But I'll offer a chance for Dr. Ellis Williams to share any information she might like to add. - Thanks for that question, Mrs. Griffiths. Yes, you are accurate, Mrs. Levin. That training is a training that, like with most stipend positions, in order to have a clear understanding and a knowledge to be able to address what it is that you've been hired to do, it is essential training for them to be able to work with their equity lead teams within the construct of their school buildings, as well as support the needs of students and families throughout the school year. [00:43:46] And so it is mandatory, and when our equity leads do not attend, there is usually our apparent that is sent sometimes a principal or a member of the leadership team to acquire that knowledge. If there is no cost affiliated, it is a part of the cadence of the school year. My last question is, and thank you, what is a LEAD-Loudon conference? [00:44:08] Is that required and the cost? And, of course, I'll put this in an email as well just to follow up. Thank you. So we can provide the budget for LEAD-Loudon, but LEAD-Loudon is the annual summer kickoff for our administrators. It's where our central office leaders and our school-based leaders come together, launch the year, we share, build community, we introduce our new administrators, as you may know, as each board meeting, we're introducing new principals and new administrators, we welcome them into LCPS. [00:44:38] And it's an opportunity for our teacher, our principals, our assistant principals, for example, broadly speaking, our administrative team to engage in professional learning together to start off the school year. But in terms of a breakdown of cost, we can get you that if you'd like. [00:45:00] - Yes, Ms. Chandler. - Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you so much the presentation I'm very excited to see all of this work come together after all of the effort that your department has put into it over the course of the year when I reflect on what I've heard from my school visits and and from my constituents there really are two things I think they're looking for in continued improvement next year one being really having the ability to strengthen that co-teaching ability so that we are really utilizing our resources effectively and having so that all of the partners in that co-teaching [00:45:37] relationship understand the best practices and the roles and then additionally I hear often from teachers a desire for more feedback I think to have more constructive reflection and ability to learn and and to hone their skills that's something I think we could really improve on in the next year thank you I appreciate that feedback and I just want to give a shout out to the teams and human resources and talent development and teaching and learning [00:46:14] there's been a lot of collaboration between the performance management team and the development of the instructional framework so that when providing feedback it's really targeted on those teacher actors and aligned to the instructional framework our principals are really appreciating that so hopefully you'll start hearing about that next fall as we move towards implementation. Thank you. Thanks for bringing up the co-teaching models. I tend to think it's harder in middle school the co-teaching model because the special education teachers are sometimes co-teaching in two or three different classes and then they have their own self-contained [00:46:49] and then they have something else. And so are we going to be looking at that to make sure that we're not overwhelming them for their caseload as well? So part of the conversation between special education in English learners also includes support and learning around master scheduling and how to what to consider recognizing we have very we have schools of very different sizes when it comes to staffing and staffing models but that is part of the overall plan related to co-teaching and I don't know if you would you add anything or is that so we definitely [00:47:26] understand that and it's we recognize it as something that our schools need support with Because I think that would also have some budget implications for more flexible staffing, which is Ms. Chernoff was discussing yesterday as well. Because when you're overwhelmed, you know, the IEP team meetings could go awry or whatever. [00:47:46] I mean, there's just so much. And I think we really have to look at not burning out our special education teachers. Particularly, I feel like in the middle school, I think there's more need, And it's not as clean as in elementary school, where you have the co-teacher who stays there all day. [00:48:03] So that's just my thought. Mr. Straffi. Thank you, Madam Chair. Since Ms. Chernoff, you made that comment yesterday, I've been thinking about it over and over again as well, in terms of the co-teaching. And it might not be flexible staffing. I think you were referring to the staffing ratios and really looking at those. [00:48:19] And I think that's going to be a good conversation to have. Thank you all very much. It's kind of backwards. Spotlighted, right? I really appreciate, just want to say off the bat that I appreciate the integration of belonging into how we're thinking about just having that be a foundational element of our instructional practice and just anchoring it through the instructional framework I think is amazing to me. [00:48:49] The other thing I wanted to mention, and I think you've kind of weaved this into your presentation, but just making sure that we are incorporating teacher voice and discretion into professional development is a huge priority, obviously. But just thinking a little bit more creatively about professional development and their voice in this is non-traditional types of PD. [00:49:13] And I personally really value getting our staff and teachers out of the environment that they're in and going out and experiencing something else, going to a conference or going to, you know, I was just hearing about conferences around AI today and just allowing our teachers to, instead of just giving them a framework or guidance around, policy-related guidance or regulations around AI, allowing them to go see what others are doing and just be in that space and come and bring that back to the division, I think is really, really important, at least to me. [00:49:50] And then I think one of the things I keep hearing, especially in the schools that I have been in and in my district, is even at the high school, especially at the high school level, is figuring out how we can engage students differently post-COVID. [00:50:09] I don't know what the right way to say it, but post-COVID students that they consume information very differently now, very differently from what we, you know, how we consume it. And, like, we've talked about, like, Socratic method. We've talked about all the things that you all know better than I do. [00:50:25] But how do we get our teachers to dive into that more? Because the top-down approach, especially in high school, isn't going to serve them anymore. And so if there are still folks that, you know, consistently are relying on some of that, of just, you know, talking to students and presenting material, I think that that is where we're going to, you know, be stagnant in the division. [00:50:53] And so if we can level set somehow across the division some of these, just anchoring ourselves in some of those methods, I think the students will be better off. I think that was all I had. [00:51:09] Yeah, thank you. Ms. Chernav. Thank you, Madam Chair. Obviously, this is a wonderful plan. I'm excited about all the different components. I'm so excited to see the instructional framework and just the cohesiveness and accountability that that brings. [00:51:24] And I just really am grateful for the forward thinking about middle school. I know Curriculum and Instruction Committee has given a lot of love to middle school this year for that reason. Kind of, you know, it is a heavy lift coming, and they have a lot of new. And this may be the only time I ever say this. [00:51:44] And I think that everything new is kind of happening at the right time. And so instead of feeling like it's not a positive thing, I actually feel like it is because it does give that level set ability to really start fresh with the instructional framework, looking at those new curriculums, thinking about intervention and scheduling in a different way, how we support the staffing. [00:52:05] I see these conversations layering on top of one another in a way that's moving in a trajectory that's going to be really good for student outcomes and targeted instruction. And so I'm really excited about that. And it's been a long year of evaluating the different schedules and looking at all the different pieces. [00:52:20] And so to our middle school teachers, I just want to say, you got this? We got this. I'm really excited about the work that is shifting in middle school because it is changing, and we've been talking about that. Obviously, grading, so excited. can't wait to see how that goes looking forward to the feedback on that and then the one piece i just wanted to pull out and this came sort of from the um curriculum audit was a piece that teachers had talked about over and over was having the ability to speak to each other in their clusters because a lot of the clusters have similar populations um and just having space for that within their pd to be able to brainstorm and say like what's working for you and what [00:52:59] challenges are you facing and that's just one thing I always want to continue to put in front it meant a lot to me as a teacher when things would not run up to the edge and then you're running back to your school but giving that space for dialogue some of the best professional development comes from each other these are the experts they know what they're doing and so let's not forget that piece like we need to champion them having that space to talk to each other ask questions and to learn from one another as well so I would really love to continue to see that as priority. [00:53:36] Thank you. Dr. Rashid and then Dr. Deans. Thank you Ms. Asbury and thank you Ms. Miller and Mr. Sevin for this awesome presentation. I had two questions I believe. In one of the slides I found everything very well organized. I think it makes me really excited of the structure and the framework. Was there anything different and my apologies if you have already answered this. Was there anything different from last year that it was this that was done this year in for example the scheduling during the summer for what you have on slide I don't know the slide number but [00:54:11] it was one of the first five slides so I at the risk of missing anything I'll share a few changes adjustments at a high level so for example I'll start with Lee Loudon we are continuing to build our partnership between the the division of talent development and the division of professional learning and school support between HRTD and teaching and learning. [00:54:41] Lead Loudon, recognizing that we have many administrators in LCPS that are not in an instructional role, they have a need to be developed as well. We have shifted our focus for day one of Lead Loudon this school year to be really focused on leadership and leadership best practices, while the second day will remain a focus on instruction. [00:55:03] primarily grounded in the instructional framework so that's one change that we were working towards and implementing the one thing that we're continuing in its second year was we're actually bringing all of our salts and department chairs together that pd used to be done disparate throughout the county and they loved coming together like miss shirt off mentioned spending time together it was a big hit last year and so we're continuing that but that's new in terms of of LCPS time and history those would be two of the biggest changes that we've made and then for the countywide staff development day in November making that [00:55:43] school led in partnership with us also is a shift we're making so that's all based on feedback and trying to make some adjustments to be responsive to our schools thank you mr. seven and is there like a survey that's presented like from last year at the end of this series or how do you obtain your feedback so that you could implement those changes to the following year so over the last year and a half we worked to make that survey a consistent piece of all the countywide staff development days which is one of the reasons you see the countywide day on august 14th that's actually the second day when teachers come back that was based on feedback directly that they wanted to go to their buildings [00:56:23] first then come together for some learning and then have additional opportunities to go back to their buildings so that's a it's not a change this year because it's stuck from feedback and then there is feedback collected at every countywide staff development day and then as part of our efforts to encourage high quality professional learning we will be doing some consistent surveys that will be built throughout the year on really all division-led professional learning opportunities and that is in progress right now it will largely be based on the survey that's already given for the countywide days. Thank you I was just piggybacking off what Mr. Struffy said and having the teachers having a voice and you know I mean obviously they're the best people to bring about that feedback since they're sitting in on this and being a part of [00:57:03] it but thank you so much. Thank you Dr. Sheen. Dr. Deans. In terms of talking to teachers in general, no particular subject, but they talk about their hesitancy to ask for remediation and teachers just like students sometimes didn't learn it the first time through so might there be or is there videos or [00:57:35] an opportunity to relearn or to reteach to those for our teachers for the teachers yes so I would I would speak to the the value that we as a county has put into job and embedded support such as instructional coaches and facilitators when we first were thinking about this presentation we considered speaking broadly around a number of the supports we have included but we know that effective professional learning there needs to be sustained [00:58:10] support we need follow-up we need coaching conversations and so we have invested in coaches broadly our division in school-based instructional coaches for instructional technology we have a facilitator in every building that plays a role specifically to instructional technology but in response to Mr. Streffi's comment around AI will really be leaning into that group so that real-time feedback could be provided. There's also opportunities through, while not at every school, like the elementary ELA implementation for HMH really was supported by our seven elementary [00:58:47] reading facilitators. Our specialized instructional facilitators in the Department of the Division of Special Education provide that ongoing support. So what I would say to a teacher that is not quite grasping something or needs additional support there are supports that exists and it's a matter of talking to their department chair or their salts or their principal saying i need i need some support so that's what i would speak to and along those lines i would recommend that even the [00:59:18] instructional coaches or the administrators would would um see those who are extra quiet i mean They're quiet because they don't want to ask the question out loud and to get back to those individuals to make sure that they have it, that they have it. [00:59:38] Thanks, Dr. Deans. Last, Mr. Shreffi. Very brief. So this is adjacent, but you mentioned all of those supports, right, instructional coaches and facilitators. I also just, this is, again, adjacent, but I wanted to mention since you asked about what we're hearing in some of the schools is there are these long-term subpositions for positions that are hard to fill. [00:59:59] We have folks maybe in special ed positions that, again, hard to fill roles that are long-term subs, and just thinking about the amount of folks that rotate in and out of those positions, there are some situations where that is a difficult situation. [01:00:16] And I'm just wondering if there is a case for professional development above and beyond all the ongoing supports that we have, which are great and we've invested in, do we want to think about professional development in a different way for long-term subs who we really rely on to get them to stay in those positions if we see a lot of rotation? [01:00:39] Are there other creative ideas that we can use? I think really any question in terms of more we could do to support teachers, the answer is going to be yes. I would say that oftentimes, in my experience, when we do have a long-term sub, they become integrated in the ongoing professional learning and support, participating in CLTs, having access to coaches that support those CLTs. [01:01:04] But in terms of being specifically targeted, I know I've heard that feedback before from the board in questions, so that's definitely something we could take as feedback and continue to monitor. Any other questions? Thank you so much. [01:01:20] Okay, we will be moving on to item 6, which is our closed meeting. Vice Chair Donahue, do you have a motion? Thank you, Madam Chair. [01:01:36] I move that the Loudoun County School Board recess this public meeting and enter into a closed meeting pursuant to section 2.2-3712 of the Code of Virginia for the following. Discussion and consideration of the appointment, performance, or disciplining of a specific public employee as authorized by section 2.2-3711 sub-A sub-1 of the Code of Virginia. [01:01:56] I have a motion. Do I have a second? Second. I have a second by Ms. Chernoff. Is there any discussion? And yes, Ms. LaBelle. Madam Chair, I will be abstaining from the vote to go into closed and any votes concerning the first topic that is discussed in today's closed session to discuss or consider the appointment, performance, or discipline of a specific public employee. [01:02:26] I will be recusing myself from such discussion or consideration based on the personal relationship I have with the subject of such discussion. I believe it would be difficult for me to be fair and impartial in this issue and therefore may be an appearance of impropriety by being put into that situation. [01:02:45] I will participate in the discussion of the second topic that will be discussed in today's closed session. Given that we have that, so I think I will need a substitute motion to separate the discussion on the two closed topics? [01:03:03] Is that correct, Mr. Allen? Thank you, Madam Chair. That's certainly an approach that you can take to take the first motion and make it appropriate for the first topic, have that discussion come out, certify, take any necessary votes, and then move to go into closed again for the second topic. [01:03:26] That way, Ms. LaBelle can join for that discussion. I think that would be preferable. - Okay, so we have a motion and a second, and it's been properly moved and seconded that the Loudoun County School Board go into closed session. [01:03:43] Is there any other discussion? No, we just have to say the first topic. We don't have to amend anything, correct, Mr. Allen? And come back out. [01:03:59] - Thank you, Madam Chair. For clarity of the record, you could entertain a substitute motion to take up only the first topic closed at this time okay so can i have uh right we only read the first part at this point so okay so can i have a substitute motion that we only that we separate the um closed session the two sessions and two different ones so moved okay all right so i guess that's an amendment and that's a [01:04:39] substitute motion so we'll vote on that any other discussion um okay clerk please open the vote board members please record your vote clerk please close and display the vote that motion passes with miss labelle abstaining for the vote so we will go into closed and then we will come out and certify for that first close and then we'll go into second later okay the board is now into [01:05:16] closed okay the board is coming out of closed um vice chair donahue do you have a motion yes thank [01:47:39] you madam chair i move that the closed meeting be adjourned that the loudon county school board reconvene its public meeting and that the minutes of the public meeting reflect that no formal action was taken in the closed meeting i have a motion do i have a second is there any discussion seeing none we'll go ahead um with the vote clerk please open the vote board members please close your vote [01:48:01] please record your vote uh clerk please close and display the vote that motion passes with miss labelle absent for the vote um vice chair donahue do you have a motion to certify the closed meeting yes thank you madam chair i move that the following resolution certifying the closed meeting be adopted and reflected in the minutes of this public meeting resolution number three four dash two four slash two five whereas the loudon county school board has convened a [01:48:38] closed meeting on this date pursuant to an affirmative recorded vote and in accordance with the provisions of the virginia freedom of information act and whereas section 2.2 dash three seven one two sub d of the code of virginia requires a certification by the school board that such closed meeting was conducted in conformity with virginia law now therefore be it resolved that the Loudoun County School Board hereby certifies that, to the best of each member's knowledge, one, only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements by Virginia law were discussed in the closed meeting to which the certification applies, and two, only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed, or considered by the Loudoun County School Board. [01:49:15] I have a motion by Vice Chair Donahue. Do I have a second? Second. I have a second by Mr. Ostreffi. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, Clark, please open the vote. Board members, please record your vote. Clerk, please close and display the vote. [01:49:35] And that motion passes with Ms. LaBelle and absent for the vote. Dr. Deans, do you have a motion? - I have a motion to uphold the decision of the superintendent's decision dated May 19th, 2025. [01:49:53] - I have a motion by Dr. Deans, do I have a second? - Second. - I have a second by Dr. Rasheed. Is there any discussion? Seeing no discussion, we will take an electronic vote. Clerk, please open the vote. Board members, please record your vote. [01:50:10] Clerk, please close and display the vote. That motion passes with seven to one with Vice Chair Donahue in opposition and Ms. LaBelle absent for the vote. [01:50:27] Okay, everybody in the boardroom. This is a very unusual day today. We need to go and get our dinner for eight minutes and we will be back at 6:30. So the board, and we will continue our other closed after, I think, public comment. [01:50:51] Okay, so the board is now in recess for eight minutes. [01:59:51] Good evening, the board is coming out of recess at this time. Everybody, please take a seat. Thank you. [02:00:07] We will, thank you for your patience. We will be continuing with the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem. It will be presented by Ms. Zoe Susser will present a small select group from the Brambleton Middle School Advanced 8th Grade Orchestra Ensemble. [02:00:28] These students frequently participate in audition-only ensembles like All-County Orchestra and Junior Regional Orchestra. They have been working hard to improve their skills on their respective instruments. We thank you for the opportunity. They thank us for the opportunity to perform today, and please enjoy their arrangement of the National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance. [02:00:49] if everybody will please rise thank you so much we will continue with item 10 advisory committee [02:02:59] update from the gifted education advisory committee update presented by miss wendy king gifted education supervisor actually while y'all getting getting ready i'm going to have miss donoghue chair vice chair donoghue do her disclosure thank you madam chair as a member of the loudon county school board i make the following disclosure to the school board and [02:03:39] the general public in connection with the item on tonight's agenda regarding employee salaries the budget and or health insurance and any other discussion that may include or affect salary and benefits for lcps employees specifically my spouse my minor children and i are enrolled in lcps health insurance that may be affected by any potential changes to employee salaries the budget and or health insurance additionally my sister-in-law is an lcps employee who does not reside with me and is not dependent on me these subjects include thousands of employees well in excess of the statutory three employees whose interest may be affected of which my spouse my children my sister-in-law and I am included I can and will participate fairly objectively and in the public interest this disclosure will be [02:04:17] reflected in the public records of the clerk of the school board for five years Thank You Vice Chair Donohue Miss King we're ready well good evening I'm very pleased to be here tonight my role as gifted supervisor supporting the important work of the gifted education advisory committee this group brings together a wide range of perspectives with a shared commitment to improving gifted education in our schools. I'm proud to introduce our GIAC chair and executive committee member Patty Peterson [02:04:51] and Jennifer Shea who will share the committee's spring update this evening. Good evening and thank you for this opportunity to address the board. We're here this evening to share some information about the work of the Gifted Education Advisory Committee to make some recommendations about gifted education in LCPS and highlight some of the accomplishments of the gifted staff and students. [02:05:19] I'm Patty Peterson, the GIAC chair, an LCPS resource teacher, and the parent of gifted learners. That makes this dear to my heart. The Gifted Education Advisory Committee serves as a support group to review and make suggestions about gifted programs and to promote community awareness of gifted education. [02:05:39] School personnel, both teachers and administrators, community members, and parents or family members serve on the committee. Good evening. I am Jennifer Shea, a middle school gifted resource teacher and a parent of gifted learners. [02:05:56] These are the norms that GEAC has established as a way for us as a group to conduct business efficiently and effectively. In LCPS, the development of gifted education programs and protocols is a deliberate and strategic process. [02:06:20] Our work is grounded in multiple frameworks that guide our efforts to make services equitable, rigorous, and responsive to the diverse needs of gifted learners. We align closely with the Virginia Department of Education's regulations for gifted education, ensuring compliance and consistency across the division. [02:06:37] Our practices are also shaped by the LCPS strategic plan and the superintendent's post-entry plan, both of which emphasize equity, access, and excellence for all students. The LCPS local plan for the education of gifted students and our mission statement provide a clear vision and direction for our work, while best practices in the field and guidance from the National Association for Gifted Children help us stay at the forefront of innovation and effectiveness. [02:07:06] Together, these frameworks inform a comprehensive and thoughtful approach to gifted education, one that is not only compliant, but also aspirational. Our protocols are designed to identify and nurture potential in students from all backgrounds, ensuring that every gifted learner has access to the opportunities and support they need to thrive. [02:07:29] This year, the Gifted Education Advisory Committee engaged in a rich series of discussions designed to deepen our understanding and strengthen our practices in gifted education. Our meeting topics included an overview of the gifted programs and services, an alignment of our vision and mission, an introduction to LCPS special programs, a presentation focused on gifted learners and perfectionism, which was presented by Dr. [02:07:47] Heather Applegate, LCPS supervisor of psychological services, and a presentation on supporting twice exceptional learners presented by Dr. Matt Sikoresky, clinical psychologist and author. [02:08:06] We are especially proud to conclude the year with a joint meeting with the Special Education Advisory Committee. This collaboration allowed us to explore the shared goals and challenges, particularly around supporting two e-learners, students who are both gifted and have learning differences. [02:08:24] Partnering with SEAC reflects our commitment to inclusive, cross-functional collaboration that ensures all gifted learners, regardless of background or need, receive the support and opportunities they deserve. I'd like to walk you through some of this year's highlights from our gifted program which serves 2,288 elementary students and 2,678 middle school gifted learners in addition to all the kindergarten through third grade students who are served through the SEARCH program and the over 1,000 students who participate in EDGE groups. [02:09:04] The gifted team offered over 95 professional learning sessions on 65 different topics for teachers, administrators, and families, and hosted a variety of guest speakers and experts in the field who shared valuable insights and perspectives. [02:09:21] As part of our ongoing commitment to equity, we've continued efforts to expand access to gifted services for high-ability learners from historically underrepresented groups. This year, we strengthened the collaboration with other LCPS offices, specifically by including representatives from the English Learners and Special Education Departments on our Gifted Evaluation Review Committee. Their perspectives have been instrumental in helping us more effectively identify and support students whose talents might otherwise go unrecognized. [02:09:55] We hosted five EDGE Family Academy meetings this year, which are designed to equip families with tools and strategies to support their high ability learners at home and in school. We were thrilled to engage with over 95 families through these sessions, building stronger partnerships between home and school. [02:10:14] And finally, the Gifted Education Office is collaborating with the Office of Research, Assessment and School Improvement to develop and implement program evaluation tools. This work will help us assess the impact of our services and guide future improvements to better meet the needs of all of our gifted learners. [02:10:35] Based on themes and feedback shared throughout this year's GEAC meetings, we have put together a set of recommendations to help strengthen and sustain gifted services across LCPS. First, we recommend continued investment in the gifted education program to ensure adequate staffing and to provide teachers with access to high-quality resources and dedicated instructional spaces needed to deliver strong, equitable services. [02:11:05] These foundational supports are essential to delivering meaningful, engaging, and equitable learning experiences for our gifted learners. Second, we recommend revisiting the current staffing standard for elementary gifted resource teachers and continuing to refine the elementary gifted instructional schedule. [02:11:25] These adjustments would help manage teacher workloads more effectively, enhance instructional impact and ultimately support student success across all schools. And finally, we recommend ongoing support for the implementation and expansion of special programs that offer multiple rigorous pathways for students. [02:11:46] These programs provide opportunities for advanced learning and help us meet the diverse needs and interests of high ability learners. Now we would like to highlight some of the accomplishments of gifted staff and gifted learners during the 2025 school year. [02:12:05] GEAC is proud to recognize Patty Peterson, our dedicated GEAC chair, and the gifted resource teacher at Algonquian Elementary School, who has been named the 2025 Virginia Association for the Gifted Teacher of the Year. This prestigious award honors educators who demonstrate exceptional commitment, innovation, and impact in the field of gifted education. [02:12:27] Ms. Peterson is a true leader in our community, and her passion for nurturing high-ability learners makes her incredibly deserving of this recognition. we are thrilled to celebrate her achievement congratulations patty we are also proud to highlight the outstanding accomplishments of two other members of our gifted education team who are making an impact well beyond lcps sarah reaps content specialist in the gifted education office has been invited to present at several state-level conferences and meetings where she shared her [02:13:05] expertise on productive struggle a key component in helping students build resilience confidence and deeper understanding. And Jennifer Daniel, gifted resource teacher at Sterling Elementary, has been invited to write a blog for the National Association for Gifted Children, reflecting on her experience as a Javits Frazier Fellow and the importance of culturally responsive practices in gifted education. [02:13:30] Together, these educators exemplify the passion, innovation, and leadership that drive our work forward, and we're incredibly proud to celebrate their achievements. This year, the gifted office launched a pilot partnership with Orbelink STEM Academy. This initiative, implemented at Belmont Ridge, Brambleton, and Smarts Mill Middle Schools, aimed to enrich Spectrum students' learning experiences and challenge them to apply engineering concepts in real-world contexts. [02:13:58] Students thoroughly enjoyed taking on the roles of electrical and mechanical engineers, and we look forward to expanding the partnership in the future. And as the teacher at Brambleton that implemented this STEM grant this year, the results were incredible with problem solving, critical thinking. [02:14:15] My students just grew leaps and bounds in resilience this year from this STEM grant, and we're excited to continue it. Now I'd like to mention two elementary highlights. Tolbert Elementary School just held its fourth annual Tolbert Expo, where students from Fusion, DCI, and Edge in grades 3 to 5 presented topics of their choice based on inventions and innovations. [02:14:40] There were about 70 participants, all with unique topics. Topics that range from flight to pianos to four-dimensional shapes. As part of the Space for Teachers program, Hillsborough Charter School Academy 4th and 5th grade students designed microgravity experiments that their teacher, Megan Tucker, conducted on a microgravity flight as part of the Space for Teachers program. [02:15:01] The students have been busy competing at regional, state, and world competitions this year. [02:18:10] As you can see, students from Eagle Ridge, Stonehill, and Watson Mountain Middle Schools, to name a few, have been stretching their critical thinking skills at competitions such as the Stock Market Game, Invest Right, eCyber Mission, Step Up Loudoun, the Loudoun County Public Library Short Story Contest, the World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth, the American Mathematics Competition, the NASA Tech Rise Competition, and VEX Robotics. [02:18:37] We also received word that Spectrum students at Harmony Middle School competed in the Foxcroft STEM Challenge competition and took first place overall. Congratulations to all of our students on their accomplishments. So this year, four outstanding gifted resource teachers are retiring from LCPS. [02:19:03] We will miss them greatly, but wish them all the best as they enter this new chapter in their lives. Martha Rombach, Evergreen Mill Elementary School. Jennifer Quante, Culbert Elementary School. Gina Chasar, Mercer Middle School. [02:19:19] And Rick Peck, Seneca Ridge Middle School. And I just would like to acknowledge that Gina has been in the gifted program for 20 years and LCPS for 40 years. You cannot tell it from her picture, but we will miss her greatly. [02:19:42] Okay, so thank you so much for your time and continued support for gifted education in Loudoun County. We look forward to returning in January with our next update where we'll continue to share progress, insights, and voices from our community. And until then, we remain dedicated to nurturing the potential of every gifted student across the division. [02:20:01] Thank you. Thank you, Ms. King. Board members, do you have any questions? Yes. Vice Chair Donohue. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you very much for the information and for everything that you do for our students. I was just curious if you have noticed any trends as far as a percentage of students identified as gifted, if there have been increases, decreases, staying relatively the same. [02:20:30] I know. I was just looking at our numbers, and we do have a slight increase based off of our school, our spring eligibility process. So we'll have some additional students, and I can get those numbers for you. They're sitting right on my desk. [02:20:46] So I think that with the collaboration that we've been doing with other departments, we have been able to increase students for services that may have been overlooked in the past. So we're very pleased about that, and we just hope to continue growing. [02:21:06] Thank you. Mr. Streffi. Thank you very much. Thank you so much for the presentation. From my side, my question is more in line with Ms. Donahue's in that what trends are we seeing for twice-exceptional students or students from underrepresented backgrounds who might be culturally or linguistically diverse, and if we're seeing those trends, and in terms of being able to engage families more through the EDGE program, for example, what types of data are we seeing? [02:21:35] From my initial analysis of this year's spring eligibility process, we have made movement in two areas. One, identifying more students who are potentially twice exceptional. So we're very excited about that, and I'm happy to share numbers with you, and also for our English learners. And so we're very proud of that. We're still working hard to make sure we're developing the partnerships we need to continue that work, but right now we're seeing positive movement in that direction. And one thing I would like to highlight as well is [02:22:12] our EDGE Family Academy program where we have five in-person meetings each year for parents of EDGE students to come together and we bring in speakers and we try to increase the tools that they have to help support their high ability learners. So that has been another way for us to help engage those families. Oh and also we have been partnering with the FACE program and we have presented every year, and two times this year, I believe, to that group as well. [02:22:48] Ms. Chernoff. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you all, Ms. King, and all of you for all your wonderful accomplishments and your work throughout the year. I wanted to especially thank you for the recommendations. Yesterday at our board retreat, we got to share some of our forward-thinking thoughts about the budget, and the staffing standard conversation was part of that, so we'll definitely note that and keep that in mind. [02:23:09] So we lean on you all to bring those things to us so that we can be mindful as we approach that season. And then I just wanted to say I love seeing the projects, and I love that they were not done on a Chromebook. It was great to see that they were actual models. [02:23:25] I'm old school that way, but that was really cool, especially the plants on the roof there, how that was brought to life. So thank you for all your work. Congratulations to all of you and all the members of your team. Thank you. Ms. Chernow, if anybody else? [02:23:42] - Oh, Ms. Chandler. - Thanks, hi. It's nice to see you, Ms. Peterson. As someone who's spent a great deal of time in Algonquian Elementary School, I just wanna say thank you and congratulate you on your award. This is a question that I do have for the panel. [02:24:00] Given that most students in LCPS are not categorized as gifted and talented, how does your organization engage with learning opportunities with those students? - First of all, all kindergarten through third grade students participate in search. [02:24:17] which means we get to meet and get to know all of these children. Granted, it's biweekly, so we only see them every other week, but we are searching for those kids who are showing SPARK and engaging them in a variety of different activities that demand critical thinking and communication. [02:24:36] So I think we get to know them when they're younger. One of the benefits of the DCI Language Arts and Math program that's now part of our Fusion program is that students who may not be found GIA but are shining in language arts or in math get that opportunity to work with us when we either push into the classroom or in some of our cases we pull out into a separate room to work with them. [02:25:02] And teachers can also send high-flying students who are finished with a unit that they happen to be working on and they can do the enrichment activities with us. So I think that continues that connection. I know this week has been hard because I've seen some of my third grade classes for the last time, unless they've been identified as gifted. [02:25:22] And when I tell them, well, you know, next year we don't do search in fourth grade, they're crushed. They're so disappointed that they don't get to come every other week and do the interesting things that we do in class. But I think they're still on our radar. And when teachers come to us later, you know, as fourth or fifth grade teachers say, you know, I'm seeing something with Johnny, we know Johnny, and we can follow up with that. [02:25:46] So I do think we are connecting with all of our elementary students, okay? - Any other board members? No? Thank you so much for your presentation. Thank you, yep. [02:26:08] All right, and we will now move on to item 11, the superintendent's report, presented by Dr. Aaron Spence, our superintendent. - Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board. It's my pleasure, as always, to share some good news from around our school division. I'd like to start by asking Mr. Ryan Sackett to please stand. [02:26:27] I'm pleased to note this evening that Mr. Sackett has been selected as the next principal of the Academies of Loudoun. Mr. Sackett comes to LCPS from the Maryland State Department of Education, where he served as the coordinator of school support. [02:26:47] Previously, he was the coordinator of career and technical education for Anne Arundel County Public Schools and the assistant executive director of the Center for Applied Technology, also in Anne Arundel County. Mr. Sackett began his career in education at South River High School in Edgewater, Maryland, where he was a STEM educator. [02:27:03] Mr. Sackett, welcome to LCPS, and congratulations on your new role. I'd like to ask Dr. Tara Wooliver to please stand. Dr. Wooliver has been selected to be the next principal of Potomac Falls High School. [02:27:22] Dr. Wooliver is currently the principal of James Wood Middle School in Frederick County, Virginia, and prior to this role, Dr. Wooliver held assistant principal positions at John Champ High School and Trailside Middle School. Earlier in her career, she served as supervisor of social science, health, and wellness for Frederick County Public Schools. [02:27:43] Her background also includes serving as the social science department chair at Millbrook High School and as a social science teacher at James Wood High School. Dr. Willover, we welcome you to your new role as well. If I could ask Dr. Carlin Floyd to please stand. [02:28:03] You all will recognize Dr. Floyd, who this evening has been named the director of Diagnostic and Prevention Services. Dr. Floyd has a distinguished career spanning nearly three decades, supporting students, educators, and families across multiple leadership roles. [02:28:24] She joined the LCPS team in 2023 as the supervisor of school administration. Previously, she was the principal of Woodson High School in Fairfax County. Her background also includes serving as director of student services at Woodson High and the principal of Quandah Road School and Alternative School in Fairfax County. [02:28:40] Throughout her career, she has held various leadership positions, including assistant principal, special education teacher, and mathematics teacher, and we welcome Dr. Floyd to her new role. And then if I could ask Ms. Kimberly Brown to please stand up. [02:28:59] This evening we're pleased to note that Ms. Brown has been named the Director of Human Resources and Talent Development's Office of Employee Benefits. Most recently, Ms. Brown was the Director of Human Resources for Fauquier County Government and Public Schools. [02:29:18] Previously, she was the Executive Director of Human Resources for Roanoke City Public Schools, and her experience also includes serving as the Director of Human Resources for Lewiston Public Schools and the Portland Public Library, both in Maine. Ms. Brown, we welcome you to LCPS and to your new role. Congratulations. In other news, before today's school board meeting, LCPS hosted the 2025 Green Team's Gallery Walk. [02:29:46] The 25 LCPS Green Team leads showcased and celebrated the fun, eco-minded projects that their students carried out this year. From school gardens and bluebird boxes to student-led recycling campaigns and revamped outdoor learning spaces, these green teams are striving to incorporate environmental stewardship and sustainable practices into their learning. [02:30:05] We'd like to take the opportunity to thank this year's Green Team Leads for facilitating meaningful hands-on learning experiences for our students, and we also extend our sincere thanks to their school leaders, fellow educators, and students who collaborated to successfully implement these projects that have been spotlighted. [02:30:22] We're grateful for your dedication, enthusiasm, and leadership, and for more information about the LCPS Green Teams program, please contact Clark Seip in the Office of Sustainability. Next, I'd like to take a moment to recognize the Together in Remembrance event, which brought more than 3,100 first-grade students from 36 LCPS schools together to honor Memorial Day. [02:30:46] Students in these schools built American flags with veterans, service members, older student buddies, and community volunteers. These flags were displayed, donated, or taken home as a tribute to those who served and who sacrificed. The event reflects the power of learning through service and the strength of our community partnerships. [02:31:03] We want to thank the Division of Family and Community Engagement, our sponsors, and our educators for bringing this meaningful experience to life. Next, I want to recognize that the first Loud and Now Excellence in High School Journalism Award ceremony celebrated our top student journalists in the county. [02:31:27] Journalism programs at every local high school were invited to submit work in four categories, feature writing, news writing, photography, podcast, and video. Of the 64 total nominations, the winners were Potomac Falls High School student Grace Armstrong for Best Feature Article, Dominion High School student Evelyn Manceray for Best Photography, Aileen Gonzalez and Samantha Chang for Best Podcast, and Potomac Falls High School student Haley Thompson for Best Videography. Rockridge High School duo San Vichala and Melissa Wass, shown on this slide, won both the Best News Writing category and the Grand Prize Award. [02:32:04] Congratulations to all of those student journalists. We also want to congratulate Nellie Beeman, Eagle Ridge Middle School teacher, who has been named the Society of the Cincinnati's Virginia Teacher of the Year. This is an award that recognizes exceptional educators who bring the story of the American Revolution and Virginia's critical role in it to life for students across the Commonwealth. Ms. Beeman's dedication to historical literacy and engaging instruction stood out amongst applicants from across the state. Her teaching reflects not only a deep knowledge of the Revolutionary War, but also a commitment to highlighting the voices and [02:32:41] contributions of underrepresented groups in shaping our nation's history. Next, I want to acknowledge that the College Achievement and Multicultural Program for Unique Students, or the campus program held its 2025 senior celebration last week, honoring our 143 campus seniors. Campus is an academic and college preparatory program designed to remove barriers to higher education for students who will be the first in their families to attend college. [02:33:11] Of the seniors celebrated this week, 90% have indicated they are continuing their education at either a two-year or a four-year college. In total, there are 759 campus students at 18 LCPS high schools, and next year campus will be expanding to serve over 1,000 students. [02:33:28] During the ceremony, the Loudon Laurels Foundation presented scholarships to Samantha Tenta of Loudon County High School and Root Tobar Rodriguez of Tuscarora High School. Each student will receive up to $40,000 in funds to support their undergraduate study. The Loudon Laurels Foundation is dedicated to developing future civic leaders through scholarships and mentorships, and since its establishment in 2013, has awarded 31 scholarships to LCPS students, totaling nearly $1.3 million, and we appreciate their partnership. [02:34:05] Next, the Special Education Advisory Council held its annual Recognition of Excellence in Supporting Special Education Awards Ceremony last Wednesday, June the 4th, at Loudon County High School. This amazing awards ceremony recognized educators, students, programs, and community members who demonstrate excellence in the LCPS special education community. We want to acknowledge and appreciate these individuals, groups, and programs who are identified as having gone above and beyond what is expected to be meaningfully inclusive for our students. And then finally this evening, I just want to take a moment to recognize the extraordinary efforts of our [02:34:42] educators participating in letters or language essentials for teachers of reading and spelling professional learning. Since the fall of 2022, more than 950 LCPS educators have completed volume one and over 550 educators have completed volume two of this intensive research-based training program that's grounded in the science of reading. To be certain, letters is not a curriculum. It is a deep exploration of how reading develops, how students learn, and how to support learners at every level. Completing letters requires approximately 180 hours of training and most [02:35:18] educators do this on top of their full-time teaching schedules. This commitment demonstrates a powerful dedication to improving outcomes for students, ensuring our learners receive effective evidence-based literacy instruction. This work also directly supports the LCPS instructional framework and advances our mission of equity, excellence, and access. Literacy we know is the gateway to all learning and thanks to the resilience of our educators more students are gaining the foundational skills they need to thrive and so to all of our letters trained educators thank you your impact is profound and lasting and madam chair that concludes my report [02:35:54] thank you dr spence all right we will continue on with our in person and we will continue on with public comment thank you for engaging with the school board through the public comment process The school board welcomes comments from the Loudoun County residents and believes that strong community engagement and outreach are important components of a successful school system. [02:36:31] Speakers must limit the comments to the time allotted. Based on the number of speakers in the agenda this evening, all speakers have been allotted one minute each for public comment. Please be advised that speakers who miss their time slot will not be called at a later time. Decorum and civility. All audience members shall maintain civility, decorum, and respect for the functioning and the dignity of the school board at all times. [02:36:53] Please remain seated unless arriving, departing, speaking at the podium, or during a break. Violations of civility, decorum, and respect include shouting, heckling, jeering, applause, or other noise which disrupts or delays the meeting. Obstructing speakers from being able to see the school board and vice versa. [02:37:12] Interrupting speakers. Attempting to speak when not called to do so by the chair. and approaching a speaker otherwise attempting to intimidate, disparage, or distract a speaker, staff member, or other meeting attendees. Speakers should refrain from vulgarity, obscenities, defamation, profanity, or other like breaches of respect, nor may speakers target, criticize, or attack individual students or individual division employees during public comment. [02:37:40] As a reminder, school board policy 2520 states speakers may not target, criticize, or attack individual students during public comment. Speakers should communicate those concerns to their school principal or an appropriate school official. [02:37:57] The school board requests that comments on an individual student or employee-related matter not be shared at public meetings where the disclosure could violate applicable confidentiality requirements. I want to take a moment to clarify a few things. As I explained previously, speakers can personally identify a student or employee without stating a student's or employee's names. [02:38:21] That is, personally identifiable information is any information that a reasonable person can link together to pinpoint an individual student or employee and where that individual student or employee is known to others in their school and surrounding community based on the context that is shared. [02:38:41] The school board welcomes you to share your concerns, but ask that to the extent you have prepared remarks that target, criticize, or attack any individual students or employees, you generalize such remarks to ensure compliance with board policy. [02:38:57] For example, comments that target, criticize, or attack a student or an employee, or a student or an employee from a specific name school or a student or an employee with any characteristics where the information could personally identify that student or employee to others in the school or broader LCPS community would violate school board policy. However, comments that discuss [02:39:31] general concerns with students or employees at schools and do not target, criticize, or attack an individual identifiable student or employee is permissible under school board policy i as the school board chair am charged with the responsibility to maintain order during school board meetings accordingly when reasonable i will warn of breaches of decorum civility and respect and ask the speakers please redirect their comments prior to possibly discontinuing individual speaking [02:40:06] privileges or taking other actions to preserve the civility decorum and orderly conduct of the meeting. Such action includes calling a recess in order to maintain and or restore order. If speakers fail to comply with board policy regarding public participation, you will receive a warning and a request to redirect or generalize your comments. Should you fail to redirect or generalize your comments after that warning, you may be asked to yield the microphone, at which time you should yield the microphone, as well as the floor, and take your seat. And then I will call [02:40:43] the next speaker. To the extent necessary I will also warn of breaches of decorum civility and respect from attendees prior to taking other actions to preserve the orderly conduct of the meeting. Speakers should face the dais and direct their comments to the school board. Per school board policy 2520 members of the school board will not answer questions or respond directly to the public during the public comment period. Violations of decorum or civility by any meeting attendee may result in the chair directing staff to remove the attendee from the remainder of the meeting. [02:41:19] Repeated or persistent violations of decorum or civility by the audience may result in on the decision of the chair. Public comment being tabled until a later point in the meeting's agenda, limiting the number of attendees in the meeting room during public comment for safety reasons, or the public comment period ending for the evening. [02:41:41] Copies of materials for board members should be given out to the public information officer in the media box at the back of the boardroom before the start of the meeting please provide 12 copies of the materials under no circumstances may a speaker approach the dais the public is reminded that access to school board meetings is available through lcps tv on comcast channel 18 and 1070 hd and verizon fios channel 43 the live stream of the meeting may be viewed on the website for this meeting we also have i think like 130 comments um and so like we did last time we're [02:42:19] going to i'm going to have them with my vice chair uh donahue um we'll now go ahead and start with our virtual public comment and we'll start with jennifer maces followed by shiva challa good evening i'm a mom of three students from ds 7.2 and i'm here in support of the staff plan for the the Dulles South attendance zone change. There are four proposed plans rooted in personal preference, but only one plan, the staff plan, is rooted in policy. Proximity and safety are top [02:42:56] priority and right now 7.2 and 7.5 are so close to Willard that there isn't even a single stoplight separating us from the school and we have wide walkable paths to the school with no major intersection. If any portion of Lena Mill were moved to Mercer, not only one, excuse me, not one of our students would be in a walk zone for Mercer. However, there are already a multitude of established walk zones to Mercer from 1312 and 1313 to be utilized in the staff plan, which would go unused in all other plans than the staff plan. The staff plan is also the only plan that doesn't separate contiguous communities and keeps neighborhoods geographically together. [02:43:36] Thank you for all that you do for our students, and please vote for the staff plan for our children's safety. Thank you. Thank you. Shiva Chala, followed by Denikar Kanaganti. We do not have a virtual participant by that name. Denikar Kanaganti, followed by Venugopal Divya. We do not have a virtual public speaker by that name. Venugopal Divya, followed by Catherine Thomas. [02:44:13] Hello. Yes. Go ahead. This is Venugopal Divya. I just want to give my opinion. I strongly oppose two eighty nine and zero four zero uh timekeeper can you please pause the clock is something going [02:44:43] on with his um microphone it sounds like a bad cell connection uh okay um can we give him 15 more seconds uh ma'am i strongly oppose uh two eighty nine and zero four zero hello yes keep going uh [02:45:20] strongly oppose uh zero four zero and two eighty nine ma'am thank you thank you wanted to say um katherine thomas followed by meredith ray good evening my name is katherine thomas and i am a resident of lena mill zone dso 7.2 with rising first third and fifth graders i'm speaking tonight to ask you to support the proposed staff plan i know that rezoning is a difficult decision and that there will be disruption to some students the staff plan was developed through an independent [02:45:58] impartial process that followed policy 6530 and considered many critical factors whereas some of the other proposed plans were developed by individual community members who may not have taken all factors into consideration. The staff plan prioritizes walk zones by allowing many more students to be able to walk to Mercer and what were previously established walk zones. This is in contrast to plans 040 and 289, which would add a few walkers from DSO 7.5 to Champ, but it would be far fewer than the number of walkers if the staff plan were to be adopted. Thank you for your time tonight and for prioritizing safety and logic in this difficult decision. Thank you. [02:46:41] Meredith Ray followed by Roshna Bala. There are nine failed or about to fail Republican candidates with us tonight. There was a rally in the parking lot with their lieutenant governor candidate that never happened and about 15 people showed up. But our local reporters want you to believe that there's a crisis in the classroom. It's really sick that you think that children who are trying to go to school are simply vessels to use so you can get what you want, which isn't to care for them or to ensure their safety. You want power. You want profit off the backs of our kids and to harm the most marginalized of them. You want to win elections, and you're really not even good at [02:47:21] that. [02:47:49] Thank you. Roshna Bala, followed by Aneesh Chopra. Hi, I'm Roshna. I live in Lina Mill Indola South District, 07.2. I would like to say thank you for your allowing me to the opportunity to speak here today. I urge the board to make its decision based on logic, policy, and safety. [02:48:04] The staff plan is the only impartial, policy-driven option, and choosing otherwise would set a concerning precedent, where personal preference overrides established guidelines and community-wide safety. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you, Anei Chopra, followed by Arav Reddy Guntru. Hi, my name is Anae Chopra. I'm currently a seventh grader at Willard Middle School who [02:48:42] lives in Lena Mill in Dulles South District 07.2. I'm supporting the staff plan. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share my thoughts and opinions today. First of all, John Champ is not within walking distance for all students. As students would have to walk a fair distance just to get near to school, they don't have to walk more just to get to John Champ, making and forcing more families to take more time just to make sure that the students get to school safely. [02:49:07] Also, the other route from Braddock, which you take a left turn, is dangerous and accident-prone. Just two years ago, after 10 to 20 minutes after I dropped off my little brother, there's an accident at that very turn that happened on the first day of school, let alone. Changing the plans to make students from Lena Middle go through the back of the community to take the left turn would jeopardize the safety of many students. For these reasons, and for the safety of many students, please choose the staff plan. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Arav Reddy Gunturu followed by [02:49:37] Maya Roney. Can you hear me? Yes, ma'am. Good evening. My name is Arav Reddy Gunturu. I'm a seventh grader at Willard and a resident of Braddock Corner DS12.6. My parents have been living in Braddock Corner for 18 years and me for 13. Braddock Corner is surrounded by Kirkpatrick Farms. I went to Pinebrook Elementary. In the last rezoning, Pinebrook was split. I missed half my friends in middle school. Now the staff plan splits our zones once again, and in high school, I will [02:50:15] miss almost all of my friends. I enjoy band at Willard, and I'm looking forward to continuing the same at Lightridge. Rezoning would mess up all my plans for high school. Please keep Kirkpatrick Farms and Braddock Corner zones together. Please reject the staff plan. Thank you. Thank you. [02:50:33] Maya Roney, followed by Jessica Greenberg. There's no virtual participant by that name. [02:50:55] Jessica Greenberg, followed by Noah Greenberg. There's no virtual participant by that name. Noah Greenberg, followed by Jennifer Korm. There's no virtual participant by that name. [02:51:17] Jennifer Korm, followed by Laura Larson. There is no virtual participant by that name. Laura Larson, followed by Alan Chang. [02:51:37] As a parent of two LCPS graduates and a lifelong Loudoun resident, I want to say that I expect our schools to protect all students, and that includes trans kids. [02:51:55] Schools should be places where students can focus on learning, not where they're made to feel ashamed or afraid. Supporting trans students isn't about ideology. It's about making sure every child can thrive in the classroom. Studies show that trans youth who are affirmed in their identity with correct names and pronouns, as well as safe bathrooms, have much lower rates of depression and suicide. When we create safe, inclusive environments, all students benefit. That's what our school should be about, because every student deserves to be seen, respected, and safe every day. [02:52:29] On another note, Republican politicians should stop using LCPS as a political pawn. It's very disappointing to see this continue to happen. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Alan Chang, followed by Pradeep Dharma Varapu. Good evening my name is Alan Chang and our family of three children have been heavily involved in Loudoun County Public School Systems for over 35 years now and still counting. Most recently our family served as the parent representative on the principal interview panel for Watson Mountain Middle School. I'm here today to show my support [02:53:09] from my dear friend Luke Woodis to attend Blue Ridge Middle School next year. I truly appreciate the board's consideration in this important matter and thank you very much and hope you have a Dharmavarapu, followed by Anjani Turlapati. [02:53:38] Good evening. Can you guys hear me? Yes. Thank you. Thank you, LCPS, for this opportunity. I am Pradeep from DS4.6. My son, Suchet, is a rising freshman to White Ridge. I support Plan 40 as it allows my son to enter and graduate from White Ridge High School. [02:53:55] It's unfortunate that the students who are the core and critical stakeholders impacted by the rezoning have not been explicitly asked about their high school choice. The reasons could have been oversight or complex, but we are thankful that at least their opinions have been collected through this public forum. [02:54:12] For zones like DS12.6 that have more than one high school in proximity, letting an existing and planned community go for a high school of their choice should have been a natural transition as a zoning plan. Instead, LCPS, with all the best intentions, appears to be signaling it still towards your communities just because of home prices. [02:54:32] We also contribute to shared wealth if such were to be a factor. Thank you. In conclusion, we support Plan 40. Thank you. Anjani Tirlapati, followed by Sushay Dharmavarapu. [02:54:48] Good evening, everyone. My name is Anjani Tirlapati, and my son is a rising freshman to Lightrish High School in 2025-26 school year. We are from the planning zone DS 12.6, and we live in the Braddock Corner community. [02:55:06] I strongly support Plans 40, 289, or 935, which will not make any changes to our community and strongly oppose the staff plan. My son will graduate from Willard this week and is very excited to join Lightridge with whom he already spent a lot of time to set his four-year academic career plan and music roadmap. He's an advanced honors band student and is a part of their marching band already. Their courses truly align with his career path and goals. In his school journey so far, he has cultivated a strong circle of friends for life and plans to continue their journey together in Lightridge. As a mother [02:55:41] of a rising sophomore by 26th, 27th school year, living in an old plan community. I say a strong no to the staff plan and strong yes to plans 40, 289, and 935 so that my son can continue with Lightridge. Thank you. Thank you. Suche Dharmavarapu, followed by Fred Peters. [02:56:34] An unmute request was sent to the individual. They do not appear to be in front of their computer to accept. Okay. Fred Peters, followed by Rati Gupta. [02:56:54] Hi, this is Fred Peters. I'm a resident of Loudoun County since 2014 in the condos at Lansdowne Town Center, and I'm speaking tonight in support of the Woodis family for the requested transfer and placement of Luke to Blue Ridge Middle School. [02:57:13] as an earlier speaker suggested, that's important and something we should do. I think the middle school first year is particularly important academically and developmentally, and it's a reasonable and necessary request by the Wittes family. I also would like to applaud and compliment the board on what they did earlier this evening by taking an eight-minute dinner break. As a taxpayer in Loudoun County, I think that was a very respectful use of our resources and of our time so i appreciate all the time you folks put in and and how you manage your business [02:57:49] thank you thank you rati gupta followed by van katesh balina we do not have a virtual participant by that name van katesh balina followed by joanna mana manalo hi this is van katesh balina i'm a member of u.s army reserves and current resident of lenamel [02:58:20] and i strongly support the staff plan i yield the rest of the time thank you thank you joanna Manalo, followed by Karen Haddon. Good evening. My name is Joanna Manalo, resident of Lena Mill and DS07.2. I have one elementary age student and one and a rising seventh grader at Willard. [02:58:47] I'm speaking tonight on the rezoning of the Dulles South Secondary Schools. I recognize that this is a complex decision and is impossible to satisfy everyone, but I am asking you to base your decision on logic, policy, and the safety of our students. I ask that you stand on the plan originally created with this in mind, the staff plan. It is the only impartial policy-driven option. The staff plan prioritizes proximity, ensuring attendance zones are contiguous, and that students attend secondary schools close to their homes and neighborhoods. It fosters stronger community ties, reduces travel risks, and aligns with practical policy-based reasoning. [02:59:25] I urge you to adopt the staff plan to uphold fairness, safety, and the integrity of our district's policies. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you. Karen Haddon followed by Kruti Naik. Good evening. I have Lightridge students from the classes of 24, 25, and 28 and a rising fifth grader at Pinebrook. 18 years ago, we bought our Kirkpatrick Farms home in the same community as my sister so that our kids could grow up together. Now the staff plan separates my 10-year-old from her family right before middle school. In fact, it is the only plan [03:00:03] under consideration that splinters a community in this way. Mercer is not a safe walk zone from 13.3 and I know this because I had to drive my older kids there every day in 2018. Fighting the staff plan feels like David versus Goliath. It's like they strategically carved out and isolated the most modest section of the neighborhood and made it especially hard for us to present a united front like other communities have done. Why are families who have lived here in KPF for two decades being splintered and displaced to accommodate the new high-end developments? And the assertion that other homeowners deserve to stay because they have made million-dollar investments is incredibly offensive. Boundaries should never be based on wealth. It's disheartening to feel like our [03:00:41] voices count less because we are fewer or because our homes are perceived to be valued less. Please reject the staff. Thank you. Kruti Naik, followed by Kelly Rosner. Hi, good evening, everyone. I want to express my support for Plan 040, keeping Lena Mill community at Willard and Lightridge. My daughter is transitioning to Willard for 2025-2026 school year, and the transition to another middle school in midway in the middle school years [03:01:16] will be very disruptive and emotionally challenging. In addition, I also second the comments made by other members about the safety issues and inconveniences with changing in the walk zones. Thank you for your time and attention. And once again, I want to express my support for Plan 040. Thank you. Thank you. Kelly Rosner followed by Omer Butt. Can you hear me? Yes. [03:01:49] Good evening. My name is Kelly Rosner and I'm an original owner in Roddick Corner DS 12.6 since 2009. We asked the board to confirm that no members of the GIS and planning team live within the Dulles South school zones to ensure impartiality. In the Plan 6 additional rationale submitted by Jeff Morris on April 8, 2019, he said DS 12.6, DS 13.3, and DS 13.12. These three communities are part of the Kirkpatrick Farms community, which is both north and south of Braddock Road. While close to MMS, then WMS, and about the same distance to JCHS versus LRH, [03:02:28] Plan 6 chooses to keep the community together, moving them to WMS and LRH while relieving the overcrowding at MMS JCH. The staff plan is not the best option as it breaks up DS 12.6, DS 13.3, and 13.12 from their cluster. Plan 40 and 289. Thank you. Omer Butt followed by Amit Sharma. There's no virtual participants signed in with that name. Amit Sharma followed by Cody [03:03:07] Brown. There is no virtual participants signed in with that name. Cody Brown followed by Rosie hello yes sir okay sorry uh thank you uh i am here to uh address policy 8040 i saw this on facebook uh and then there will be a protest about this um i am committed to the excellence [03:03:46] and fair treatment of all that is the last line in the u.s navy sailors creed uh excellent and fair excellence and fair treatment are not static things uh feelings are real but so is data the transition from childhood to adulthood is a confusing and painful time for any kid. For queer and trans kids, it's often terrifying because instead of being allowed to grow, they are shamed, isolated, and legislated out of existence. They say this is about safety. It's not. The data is clear. Trans kids are not a threat. They are the victims most of the time. Most sexual violence is [03:04:21] committed by adult men. Often the victims know and trans kids are more likely to be the victims. If we are to care about kids, we should go out to perpetrators and not kids who are just trying to survive. Thank you. Rosie Masumi followed by Shelly Fontanella. I'm speaking on behalf of my family in DS 13.3 Kirkpatrick Farms. Every plan currently under consideration by the board was carefully thought out by community residents to keep neighborhoods together or allow them to stay in their current zones except for the SAF plan. Why is Kirkpatrick Farms the exception under this [03:04:59] plan. The number of students affected in DS 13.3 is small, about 150 in total. This change will not significantly impact capacity, but it will cause emotional disruption and stress for our children and families. It's unnecessary and deeply unfair to separate us from the rest of our neighborhood. [03:05:14] If you are not leaning toward plan 40 or plan 935, plans that keep communities together and instead leaning toward the staff plan, I respectfully ask you to consider an amendment to keep the students affected in Kirkpatrick Farms together. At the June 2nd meeting, the board acknowledged that another DS zone is being considered for an amendment. [03:05:31] If flexibility is possible for another zone, it should be possible for us as well. We're not asking for special treatment, just equal and compassionate consideration. Please keep KPF whole. Thank you. Thank you. Shelly Fontanella, followed by Elizabeth Whitley. [03:06:01] The virtual speaker is unmuted, however, we hear no audio. I'm sorry, what did you say? The virtual speaker is unmuted, however, we hear no audio. [03:06:21] Is there any way to do a chat or something, tell them that they're unmuted, but we can't hear them? [03:06:41] we have sent the request again and still hear no audio okay um dj whitley followed by zoe woodies um hi this is actually elizabeth whitley i'm sorry did i miss you i'm sorry elizabeth [03:07:07] miss whitley yeah it's okay elizabeth whitley followed by cj whitley thank you go ahead okay i think we're okay now yes all right thank you as a resident of kirkpatrick farms ds 13.3 who has been working closely with neighboring cluster communities negatively impacted by the staff plan [03:07:36] I hope that you remember our kindness and empathy while researching ways to logically solve the overcrowding issue while affecting the least amount of people, instead of using our house payments to justify why we need to stay where we are. We have all fought our own battles with VDOT for safe roads, and other communities will simply have to do the same, especially buy-right communities that weren't built with schools or safe roads in mind. [03:07:58] The staff plan keeps the higher-priced buy-right communities together while rezoning proffered communities and splitting apart Kirkpatrick. This is detrimental, does not truly solve the problem, and validates the speakers who boast they spent millions on our homes to guarantee specific public schools. [03:08:14] Loudon has prided itself on diversity, but the staff plan doesn't promote that. It also damages the sense of community that the longstanding communities have worked to instill in its residents and schools. We do not support the staff plan and are behind Plan 40 or 935. Anything for our community. Thank you. [03:08:32] C.J. Whitley followed by Zoe Whitties. I'm TJ Whitley. I'm here from District 13.3. The staff plan splits Kirkpatrick Farms in half and disrupts a long-standing community cluster while ensuring that million-dollar communities remain together and at their desired schools. [03:08:52] Not only does this feel discriminatory, it promotes the lack of economic diversity in our Dulles South schools and the idea that your self-worth is tied to your net worth. Not only has this rezoning created animosity within communities, but children have heard that they are only worth as much as what their parents spent on their house. [03:09:10] A proving staff plan will embolden these beliefs and cause harm to the children viewed as less than. I have concerns that a person deeply involved in the planning team has property within the area considered for rezoning. As it has been well established in meetings, there is belief that being zoned for Willard and Lightridge increases property values. [03:09:29] This feels like a conflict of interest, and I urge the board to look into this before voting. I support Plans 40 and 935. Thank you. Zoe Wittes, followed by Palak Desai. [03:10:14] The participant is unmuted. However, we are hearing no audio. [03:10:27] And you chatted with them and told them? They can hear the audio from this broadcast and know that we cannot hear their audio from their device. [03:10:47] Okay. They can hear me. I hope that they can go ahead and email us their comments. And I'm sorry for the technical difficulties. Palak Desai, followed by Sally Yates. [03:11:08] Hello, school board members. I live in a Braddock Corner community, DS 12.6. My son will be going to Light Ridge High School next year. There are significant concerns with the staff plan that I have. Staff plan forces some students to move out of the John Champ High while others move into that very same school. [03:11:29] The split, the long-established planned community of Kirkpatrick farm communities and planned, which is the planned community, should be prioritized in the attendance zone process as allowing county to receive financial contribution from these developers of these planned communities to offset the impact of the growth. [03:11:50] Staff Fund also forces few students in Braddock Corner, which is a very small community, long-established planned community, to move, making negligible differences in overall numbers. Forces high school students to move to address middle school issues. [03:12:08] No guarantee that students in these planning zones won't have to move again in age. Thank you. Sally Yates, followed by Luke Woodies. Hello. [03:12:29] Yes, please go ahead. Oh, sorry. Good evening. My name is Sally Yates. I live in DS 7.2, have a rising 7th grader at Willard Middle School, and I'm speaking again regarding the Dulles South attendance zone changes. I respectfully urge the board to make its decision based on logic, established policy, and student safety. [03:12:49] Of all the options, the staff plan stands out as the only impartial policy-driven solution that reflects these priorities. Thank you so much for your time and continued service to our community. Thank you. Luke Woodis, followed by Melinda Woodis. [03:13:11] Hello? Yes. Is this Mr. Woodis? Luke? Luke? Hello? Yes. Luke? Go ahead, speak, Luke. Go ahead, speak. Go ahead. Hi. [03:13:26] Hi, my name is Luke Woodis, and I was zoned to Smart now, and I would like to go to Blue Ridge because my friends are there. [03:13:43] That's not a problem. Go ahead. So, basically, he's nervous. So basically we were zoned from Kenneth Corbett to Smart School where all his friends are going to go to Blue Ridge. And we feel that this was being pushed on us by Kenneth Corbett, by Monica Edwards, and Kurt Dawson. [03:14:05] And we've heard a lot of stories where people in Smart School have been bullied, have been forced to join MH13. This is what we're hearing from the school. My son has a lot of friends that will be going to Blue Ridge, and he would not like, I think would do a very own justice for him to go to Smart Smell. [03:14:27] So that's my comment. Thank you. Does that, I'm assuming that is Melinda Woodis too? We do not have a virtual speaker signed in with that name. [03:14:44] Okay. I'm assuming that that was probably both. Okay. We'll move on to, is there, I don't think that that. [03:15:06] Okay, so we'll move on to the in-person speakers. Julia Holcomb, followed by Brenda Bankson. [03:15:27] Hi, my name is Julia Holcomb. I've been a teacher for 25 years, and the teacher phrase that keeps coming into my mind these days is that it would be a wonderful thing if these meetings could stay on task. [03:15:47] When candidates like Delegate Hickens trot out their issues, which they toss red meat to their right-wing base, they derail the conversation and prevent us from addressing genuine problems and caring for the students from who we should be serving. Complaining to the editor of Loudoun now that you had to wait to speak, as we all did, that you only had 60 seconds to speak, as we all did, that confidential information about an active investigation is in fact confidential, wastes time and muddies the waters of what requires great clarity let's stay on task we have a lot to do [03:16:27] thank you thank you Brenda Bankson followed by Amy Riccardi for detailed rules on public comment who can't follow well hold on one second time [03:16:53] he broke can you please hold I'm sorry is your mic on I'm sorry he's checking it thank you mr. Smith yes okay thank you so [03:17:30] much. Thanks for starting over. Thanks for detailed rules on public comment. Who can't follow rules for one minute? An opportunistic lawmaker who encouraged the crowd to heckle you. The Virginia AG focused on LCPS for four years with failed lawsuits while ignoring Liberty U's sexual assault cover-ups. Project 2025's viewpoint discrimination is led by Heritage Foundation and advised by ADF [03:18:07] to deny freedom. They would rather our LGBTQ kids not thrive, much less survive. Recall the ghouls of Westboro Church who tormented grieving families? My sincerely held belief, trans students should feel safe from cheap tricks of these groups and all bullies in school at church or in the media for pride be yourself thank you Amy Riccardi followed [03:18:39] by Adam Johnson good evening at yesterday's school board retreat this body decided or discussed the possibility of further limiting public comment but what I found really ironic is you continue to have a hundred and forty people wanting to come speak meeting after meeting on a range of topics from zoning, 80-40, you had boys wanting boys volleyball last time, and all kinds of other things. And I can't believe this body would even consider not continuing with public comment. [03:19:19] One of your biggest priorities and one of your mandated laws, in fact in the Virginia Code, is that you listen to the public and you have opportunities to do that. Most of you don't have town halls. Very few of you have any substantive newsletters. And to shut down public comment is absolutely ridiculous or even to minimize it further you've taken away the video cameras because you don't like what people are saying and you have a really difficult time being criticized for your viewpoints and all i'm going to say is you need to start listening to these people if you don't want 140 people coming every week thank you amy johnson adam johnson [03:19:56] followed by mia johnson the evening members of the board my name is adam johnson and i'm a resident of Lena Mill Community DS07.2. [03:20:17] My wife and our two daughters have attended the past two meetings to speak on behalf of our family and our community. I'm here tonight to continue the advocacy and to emphasize how important this decision is for all of us. The staff plan is the only impartial, policy-driven option on the table. [03:20:35] It aligns with the principles this board is meant to uphold. Fairness, logic, and student safety. I urge you to support the staff plan. Thank you for your time and your service. Thank you. Members in the audience, I think that when you come up to public comment, try and put the mic a little closer to your mouth, because I think that it's probably kind of low. [03:21:03] So Mia Johnson, followed by Catalina Johnson. Members of the board, my name is Catalina Johnson, and I'm a fourth grader at Goshen Post Elementary. I live in the Lena Mill community in District DS 07.2. [03:21:19] I'm here to speak for my sister, Mia, who couldn't be here tonight, and to stand up for my family and my community. I came last week, too, and I just want to say again, please, make your decision based on logic, policy, and most importantly, student safety. [03:21:35] I respectfully ask that you vote for the staff plan. Thank you. So, I'm sorry, are you Catalina? I'm Catalina, it's just my sister's not here tonight, so. Okay, thank you for letting me know. Okay. Sarah Storms, followed by Michelle Staton. [03:22:01] Hello, I'm a parent in Lena Mill, DS07.2, with a rising 6th grader and a rising 3rd grader. I'm here tonight to respectfully urge you to support the staff plan and oppose plans 289 and 040. [03:22:17] The staff plan was developed through an independent, policy-based process that prioritizes logic, geography, and safety. In contrast, Plans 289 and 040 were created by individual neighborhoods and do not align to LCPS Policy 6530. [03:22:33] As we outlined in the presentation, all school board members have received the number of middle school students in current or planned walk zones for Mercer far exceeds the number of high school students in a not yet planned walk zone for John Champ, where over 60 homes in DSO 7.5 actually exceed the 1.45-mile walking distance boundary set by LCBS Policy 6210. [03:22:56] Some change isn't inevitable, but your decision should be grounded in policy. Please choose the plan that best supports safety, logic, and long-term stability, the staff plan. Thank you. Thank you. Michelle Staton, followed by Amanda Kamiri. [03:23:13] Hi, my name is Michelle Staton, and I'm a mother and a teacher as well. One of the things I teach my children and my students is not to lie. Sadly, our public schools are doing the opposite by telling students that they can actually switch genders. [03:23:30] It's untrue. Anyone not wanting to participate in this lie is bullied into silence or submission. The perfect example of this is when three boys dared to ask the question, why is a girl in the boys' locker room? For asking this question, they are being bullied with a Title IX investigation. [03:23:48] Excuse me, timekeeper, can you please stop? the positive clock as I share dramatic comments during the outside of public comment period speakers should refrain from targeting criticizing and attacking individual students during public comment as that's against school board policy please redirect and generalize your comments and students and Jen is one of them we want to hear your comments while ensuring with compliance with policy time creeper please resume the clock okay well your policies are signaling to our boys that they will undress in front of girls or they better not complain or else they're toxic. You're telling our girls that you will use the bathroom [03:24:28] with boys and like it because your discomfort is just your bigotry showing. Your compassion is wrapped in intimidation. You're on the wrong side of history. Silence in the face of injustice is not neutrality. It is complicity. And they will not do this lightly. [03:24:46] thank you um please keep your um who's who's um so if the audience um claps i will have to give you a warning and a second warning and then ask uh ask you to leave please because it is a disruption to the meeting um so you can do this just no clapping thank you for [03:25:16] your understanding. Okay, Amanda Kamary followed by Tumai Harding. Reverend Amanda Kamary, pastor in Percival and resident of Round Hill, speaking in support of policy 8040. First, I want to say that hate speech, intolerance, and political ideologies posing as religious beliefs have no place in our schools, especially as the board considers LCPS policies. But since this seems to be the forum where residents choose to use that kind of inappropriate and hurtful language, I'd like to counter with this. One only needs to look at the biological diversity of God's creation to [03:25:53] see that using the book of Genesis to argue that God and humans are limited to two genders is a shallow reading of a sacred allegory about a God who made all of us in God's image, straight and queer, trans and cis. Being made in God's image means that we are also capable and called to embody God's love and compassion. And as a person of faith, I'm compelled to believe that we should be doing everything to protect our kids and keep them safe with compassion, love, and research. [03:26:19] And verified research shows that gender-affirming policies like 8040 help keep everyone's kids safe and alive. Thank you. Thank you. To my hearting, followed by Thripura Gunty. [03:26:38] Good evening, school board members. I urge you to repeal policy 8040, which allows students to use locker rooms based on gender identity, not biological sex. This policy violates privacy and safety as seen in the unjust policy investigation of three boys who simply express discomfort with a biological female in their locker room. Policy 84. Again, timekeeper, can you please pause the clock? As I shared during my comments during the outset of the public comment period, speakers should refrain from targeting, criticizing, or attacking individual students during public [03:27:14] comment as that is against school board policy please redirect or generalize your comments we want to hear your comments while ensuring compliance with policy timekeeper please resume the clock policy 8040 fuels division and unfair investigations punishing students for reasonable concerns repeal it now to restore privacy fairness and common sense in our schools thank you thank you From Tripura Ganti, followed by Jason Harding. [03:27:54] - Good evening, my name is Tripura Ganti, I'm parent of two middle schoolers, current sixth and eighth in school zone, DS 7.5 in Lena Mill. I know this is a difficult decision and that no plan will feel like a win for every family, but I truly believe that the school board has the opportunity to lead with fairness, logic and compassion. [03:28:14] The staff plan is the only impartial policy-driven option that upholds LCPS guidelines while minimizing disruption and prioritizing safety for communities like ours. Please do not forget the seven crashes and seven violations exiting a community to the left. [03:28:30] Choosing a plan that deviates from those principles risks setting a precedent where emotion outweighs established policy. I urge you to do what's right, not just for today, but for the long-term trust in this process. Thank you for your time and dedication to our students. [03:28:47] Please vote for the staff plan. Thank you. Thank you. Jason Harding, followed by Mohammed Chair. Mohammed Chair, followed by Salma Chala. [03:29:36] Salma Chala, followed by Michael DeVell. Michael DeVell, followed by Junaid Khan. [03:29:57] Good evening. I'm a parent of two kids in Loudoun County Public Schools. I came here tonight to speak in support of Policy 8040. All of our kids are important, no matter how few. And yet, I see grown men, our governor and his acolytes, AG Mayaris and Delegate Higgins, signaling out transgender [03:30:32] and non-binary children to attack, wasting our money on their ill-fated legal challenges. And what do they have to show for it? Mayaris has lost time and time again. [03:30:47] Why do it then? Because they want to distract voters from their incompetence and their inadequacy as elected officials. To our transgender and non-binary students, we are here to support you. To those elected officials who target our kids, stop wasting our money and do your actual job. [03:31:07] Thank you. [03:31:08] Junaid Khan followed by Junyothi Pandugula, followed by Peg Kline, followed by Deepti Doda. [03:31:55] My entire career has been focused on protecting children. a prosecutor, an attorney for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and working for the church. Child abuse thrives in darkness. In the past, society would not believe victims. [03:32:12] We would shame or threaten them into silence. We learned that in order to combat sexual exploitation, children need to be taught to tell if something makes them feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused. LCPS, with current events, is doing the exact opposite. [03:32:29] By targeting or punishing students and parents who speak up, LCPS is promoting the harmful message of, shh, don't say anything. If you tell, it's going to come back on you, all in an effort to cover things up for its own benefit or political ideology. [03:32:45] When disclosure results in punishment and shames and intimidates children and erodes trust, if you truly listen to what parents are telling you tonight, you'll recognize how your actions have eroded trust in what used to be a good school district. Thank you. Deepthi Doda, followed by Paige R. [03:33:07] Good evening, respected staff members. I'm a parent of a rising fifth grader from Lenamill Community 7.5. I strongly support the staff plan because it better complies with the policy 6530, while plan 040 violates it in several ways. [03:33:32] First, on capacity D.1, plan 040 pushes Willard to 105, And Lunsford Middle School to 97% by 2027, resulting in overcrowding. The staff plan keeps all middle schools under 100% in one year and peaks at 104, still staying within the safe margins. [03:33:54] Second, on transportation, section D.4, Plan 40 assigns most students on a three-mile trip to Mercer Middle School, which is double the distance to Willard Middle School, which is 1.5 miles. [03:34:09] Most of the Lenimal community is not in the walking zone. Just passing Goshen Post property is not encouraged. - Thank you. Page R, followed by Fayez Shah. [03:34:28] - Hello, I am a student in Loudoun. I want to talk about the golden rule and how you should treat others the way you want to be treated. If I understand this at 10, everyone in this room should too. It is simple, you don't have to understand, you just have to be kind. [03:34:43] It is really scary having angry parents yelling about your existence i think it must i think what it must be like and i would never be mean to it i'm sorry can you hold the hold right there just wait um excuse me is there some thing going on over there with a recording of some sort that's interrupting a child okay um [03:35:18] would you please um let's see how much let's put 10 more uh 15 seconds i think we can do it's 15 seconds on the clock to continue. So take a breath and then you can continue. It is really scary having angry parents yelling about your existence. I think what it must be like and I would never be mean to another student because they are different. That's called empathy. We need more empathy. Our differences make us great. Please mind your own body and be kind. Thank you. Thank you. Fayez Shah followed by Donna Widowiski. [03:36:01] Respected board members, my name is Fayaz, mom of twin 8th graders at Willard, resident of Lina Mel DS 7.2. Rezoning is difficult for all students and all families. No community wants it, but when necessary, the decision must be impartial and based on predefined guidelines. [03:36:20] The staff plan was developed following policy 6530. The rationale is logical. It does not favor a community over another. It prioritizes proximity, accessibility, and most importantly, [03:36:31] student safety. It returns students to their home clusters. Existing walkways will be used as best as possible. It does not introduce cumbersome traffic patterns. I respectfully urge the board to make its decision based on logic, policy and safety and adopt the staff plan, which is the only impartial policy driven option. Choosing otherwise would set a concerning precedent where individual preferences override established guidelines and compromises community wide safety. [03:37:00] Thank you for your time and Thank you. Donna Witawiski followed by Shahabuddin Shah. Hi. I am a mother, grandmother, and a former member of the United States Secret Service. [03:37:23] We all live in Loudoun County. When I was in high school in Northern Virginia, I received Female Athlete of the Year. It was a time when biological boys played in biological boy sports and biological girls played in girls' sports. [03:37:47] The Democratic Party claimed at that time that they were the party of women. This is no longer the case. The election of November, Feb, 2025 proved that the majority believe that there are only two sexes. [03:38:15] The U.S. Department of Education announced June 7th. Thank you. Thank you. Shahabuddin Shah, followed by Bita Najee. Good evening. Good evening, board members. My name is Shah, and I live in Lena Mill, DS 7.2. [03:38:39] I have twins in 8th grade at Willard. I am here to support the staff plan, which follows policy 6530. This plan puts student safety first by managing the traffic flow, ensuring safe walking roads, and keeping schools close to home. [03:38:58] It brings students back to their home clusters, strengthens the communities, and treats all areas fairly. It's important that the board upholds these principles, bending the rules for personal preference risks setting a precedent that could compromise safety, fairness, and long-term planning. [03:39:16] Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you. Bita Najee, followed by Arhan Shah. Good evening. [03:39:33] My name is Bida Nagy, and I live in Lena Mill, DS 07.5. This is my third time speaking, and I'm 13 days out from my surgery. I still can't walk or drive, but I'm here. I'm here because this rezoning matters deeply to me and my family and my community. [03:39:52] If the rezoning is inevitable, please choose the staff plan, as it is based on logic and safety and not emotion. It's unbiased and considers things like traffic, walk zones, future growth, and even past temporary zoning. The dangerous left turn off Braddock, already a daily hazard for Lena Mill families going to Goshen Post, would worsen if we add Mercer and Champ traffic. [03:40:17] Cross traffic from communities going west on Braddock to Willard and Lightridge would further worsen the problem. Walking to Mercer isn't even an option for us. Please support the staff plan and vote no on 40 and 289 for the safety and well-being of all the students. [03:40:33] Thank you so much. Thank you. Arhan Shah, followed by Nadia Neji. Good evening. My name is Arhan Shah, and I live in Lena Mill, and I'm in 8th grade at Willard Middle School. [03:40:53] I really want to go to Light Ridge because of all the times we had visited for field trips and tours. I feel like if we go to John Champ, it won't feel as welcoming. I also wanted to stay together with my friends who live in Lena mill I am also I also am friends with people in higher grades which are currently attending lightridge I don't want to be separated from the people I care about lightridge is so much closer to us than John champ also when I get my driver's license I want to be safe I don't think the left turn out of our community to get to John champ is safe if we got to go to lightridge it would be safer for everyone because we we instead have to take a right turn please pick the staff plan [03:41:31] that keeps us closer to our community and keeps us safe. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Nadia Najee followed by Santos Munoz. Hi, my name is Nadia Najee and I'm in 6th grade at Willard Middle School. [03:41:52] I live in Lena Mill DSO 7.5 and I'm really worried about the school changes being talked about. If Plan 040 or 289 goes through and I have to go to John Champ, I'll be one of the kids most affected. When I'm in high school and driving, I'll have to make daily left-hand turns across busy Braddock Road against traffic coming from other neighborhoods east of us. [03:42:11] It's already hard to turn there now, and it'll only get worse. That's really scary to think about as a new driver. If I could stay at Willard and go to Light Ridge, it would be so much safer for myself and others coming from Lena Mill. That route doesn't involve as many dangerous turns, and I wouldn't have to cross traffic from both directions. [03:42:27] I know someone has to move, but I hope safety is a big part of your decision. Please vote for the staff plan, and please do not vote for plan 040 or 289. Thank you for listening. Thank you. Santos Munoz, followed by Zane Neji. Good evening. [03:42:50] My name is Santos Munoz, and I'm here to urge you to stop and listen. This board continues to make decisions against the public trust, from defending policy 8040, which ignored biological reality and court rulings, to poorly executed rezoning zones that have blindsided families, destabilized communities, and dismissed public input. [03:43:10] At the same time, you resisted adopting policies like affirming parental rights, student privacy, and safety, like Sheriff Chapman's proposal to expand SRO. This is simply unacceptable. However, these are not isolated actions, it's a pattern. Pattern of ignoring law, dismissing parents, and putting politics over our kids. [03:43:29] It's time to change course. I urge you to this board to replace 80/40, fix rezoning masks, prioritize safety, and start listening to the very families that you were elected to serve. Our students' future depends on it. Inaction, bottom line, is the election of duty. [03:43:45] Thank you. - Thank you. Zane Najee, followed by Anusha Bimidi. [03:44:00] - Hi, my name is Zane Najee. and I'm an eight-year-old in third grade at Goshen Post. I live in Lena Mill DSO 7.5. I'm speaking today for myself and my big sister. She's in sixth grade, and I'm really nervous about switching schools again. When she's older and driving to John Champ, she had to make scary left turn turns on Braddock Road with cars coming from all directions. [03:44:24] That's not safe. And for me, even though I'm not in middle school yet, I will be soon, and these changes will affect me too. I've already had to change schools a lot, and it's been hard. I've heard some people say our part of Lena Mill is newer, so we should be the ones moving, but that just means we've already gone through more changes, not less. [03:44:45] Please vote the staff plan and stay in order to plan 040 and 289. Thank you for listening. Thank you. Anusha Bimidi, followed by Gina Soden. Good evening, everybody. [03:45:03] I'm Anusha Bimidi from Zone DS 7.5. I live in Lena Mill community. I have a rising 6th grader and a rising 3rd grader. I understand that changing schools is not ideal for any kid. They may have built lifelong relationships and it is a really challenging situation for them to switch schools and their teachers and everything else. [03:45:23] I strongly support the staff plan and believe this is the only unbiased plan based on logistics, policy and student safety. I sincerely request the board to consider only the staff plan and say no to 040 and any other plan. I also request the Board to reflect that approving any user plan will favor one community or neighborhood at the expense of other community. [03:45:44] User plans will always be biased without thorough analysis, and they will create unnecessary conflicts in public forums. Please vote for the staff plan. I sincerely thank the school board for listening to me. Thank you. Thank you. Gina Thoden, followed by Shirlina Mann. [03:46:00] Hi, good evening. I'm here today again, just like I was after the rapes of a few years ago, to urge the immediate repeal of policy 8040. [03:46:19] This insane policy, which allows students to use bathrooms and locker rooms based on their identity instead of their biological sex, undermines student safety and violates First Amendment rights. It prioritizes the interests of a tiny fraction of our student population over the interest of the vast majority, dismissing the real concerns of students whose rights to free speech and privacy are violated by being forced to share private spaces with the opposite sex and then being silenced when they dare complain about it. It is a travesty that three boys are under investigation right now for simply [03:46:57] expressing unease about undressing in front of a girl. Again, timekeeper please please pause the clause as I shared during my comments during the outset. excuse me okay so excuse me I'm sorry turn the mic off please excuse me speakers should refrain from targeting criticizing or attacking individual students during public comment as that is during school board policy please redirect or generalize your comments we want to hear your comments while [03:47:32] ensuring compliance with policy there is there are rules to public comment and we have said at attacking individual students which is what just happened please redirect your comments attacked anyone but not to mention the rapes that happened a few years ago what exactly is to prevent that from happening again a boy identifying as a girl raped a woman in the student in the girls back thank [03:48:03] you okay pause and I will move this to I'll remind the audience to keep the disability of the boardroom. And we'll move on. Okay, Vice Chair Donohue, I think it's your turn. [03:48:43] Thank you, Madam Chair. Our next speaker is Sherlina Mann, followed by Robin S. My son had just turned nine years old when Loudoun County Public Schools Title IX office wrongfully convicted him of attempted sexual assault with the purpose of sexual gratification. [03:49:02] Despite our appeal, which included recanted statements, new witnesses, evidentiary motive, and procedural inaccuracies, LCPS Title IX completely dismissed all submitted supporting evidence and upheld their initial finding. Even knowing all pertinent information, LCPS Title Coordinator said verbatim, "This is our policy and I fully support it." [03:49:23] After meeting with the top of LCPS administration, who were initially disturbed and expressed shock and dismay that our nine-year-old be subject to such an egregious accusation, have now cowardly hidden behind policy to protect their interests and agenda rather than protecting innocent children. [03:49:39] Our son has been denied due process, violating federal law. We demand an independent review and an acceptance of new evidence. His record must be expunged immediately. Our entire community is outraged by such bureaucratic stonewalling. Deliver justice to our son and the rest of the Loudoun County residents. [03:49:57] Thank you. speaker is Robin S. followed by Tribuyan Ganti. Let's imagine. Imagine extending our advocacy to the most vulnerable among us. Imagine protecting children from gun violence, banning guns instead of books. Imagine no student goes hungry and is able to reach their full potential. Imagine strengthening our commitment to intersectional inclusion because diversity is what makes us great. Imagine building bridges with our conversations instead of fanning flames [03:50:33] of division. Imagine all students are secure, safe and seen instead of terrorized and targeted. Imagine finding ways to uplift the trans community instead of bullying them. Imagine spending our time, money, resources for strengthening literacy, SPED, second languages, instead of using them for political clickbait. Imagine our community comes together to fight for the safety of our students imagine we all had hope instead of fear safety for all students all students even marginalized group students thank you [03:51:08] thank you our next speaker is three boo and gunty followed by Camille Blackwell good evening respected school board members my name is oh wait never mind sorry yeah if we can stop the clock so that he so that the speaker can get situated with the mic. Good evening, respected school board members. I'm a fourth grader from [03:51:45] Lena Mel in zone 7.5. I really support the staff plan because it means I can stay at Willard Middle School and Light Ridge High School with my best friend Muzakir. I heard we might go to different school and that makes me feel really sad. We have big plans to finish making our AI video game together in high school. Also, I looked up Mercer Middle School online. It's about three miles away with lots of stoplights, which seemed like it would just take forever to get there. [03:52:13] We're just 1.5 miles away with less traffic, so I'd get home faster, have more time to play basketball, and maybe enjoy an extra bag of chips. Please vote for the staff plan to keep our community united, helping with continuity and traffic flow. [03:52:32] Please discard plans 040 and 289. Thank you very much for listening. Thank you. Our next speaker is Camille Blackwell, followed by Chris Stevenson. Excuse me, my voice. [03:52:50] My daughter provided very compelling witness testimony supporting the innocence of the little nine-year-old boy accused of attempted sexual assault. But her testimony was completely thrown out because they said it wasn't new. But we had just learned about the case, and she was an entirely brand-new witness. To date, no one has been able to provide what would constitute new evidence. [03:53:10] This denying of due process is a violation of federal law. A 2022 grand jury investigation into LCPS Title IX found, and I quote, a stunning lack of openness, transparency, and accountability, a remarkable lack of curiosity, and an overly narrow view in handling sexual assault cases, end quote. [03:53:28] Yet here we are again, this time with a nine-year-old accused of attempted sexual assault with the purpose of sexual gratification, which is not even developmentally accurate for his age. Young elementary children are vastly more immature socially, emotionally, cognitively, sexually than high school or even middle school kids. [03:53:44] They should not be held to the same standards in these investigative processes. To do so is irresponsible and, quite frankly, cruel. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Chris Stevenson, followed by Hadley Sorenson. On Memorial Day, President Trump called people with whom he disagrees scum. [03:54:13] He recently called the president of the Federalist Society a sleazebag. This is high-stakes public ridicule and shaming or bullying. Proud Boys leaders who were found guilty of seditious conspiracy are suing the federal government for $100 million, claiming their constitutional rights were violated by the Justice Department. [03:54:31] President Trump laid the groundwork for this with his January 6th pardons and by calling the prosecutions a grave national injustice. These are lies. President Trump models bullying, serial dishonesty, disdain for the Constitution, and rewriting history, all of which contravene values, behaviors, and facts that LCPS is committed to teach. [03:54:55] His election has compromised our children's education and future. Please issue a statement protecting LCPS faculty and staff who speak the truth when the president lies, deceives, subverts the Constitution, and engages in public ridicule and shaming. [03:55:12] Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Hadley Sorensen, followed by Dorothy Roney. I would like to reiterate the previous request to introduce boys volleyball to our high schools for the 26-27 season. [03:55:31] My son is a freshman at Briar Woods, and he's been playing the sport for five years. in order to play competitively now we have to travel to Fairfax County three nights a week. He and his friends would love the opportunity to represent their school playing the sport they love. Boys volleyball is growing rapidly in popularity and with it now in our neighboring counties it seems like we should get ahead of the curve. Bringing it to our high schools will make the sport more accessible and affordable for people who might not otherwise be able to play and would mean a great deal to the many students here who are passionate about the sport. The information session held last week that you'll hear more [03:56:06] about made it clear that there are more than enough interested students in our county to create just a single varsity team for each school. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you. Our next speaker is Dorothy Roney followed by Michelle Polisano Shafiq. Good evening board members. I'm here to speak on the staff behalf of the staff plan. My daughter is sixth grader at Willard was to speak and got mixed around with virtual versus in person so I apologize for that because I feel like you to hear from the students more than the parents the true impact that has on the [03:56:46] students the the great academic impact that will have on the students to change grade to have rising twins or rising seventh graders at Willard I'm the mother of five five children and I live in Lena mill DS 07.2 I'm asking that you keep our children at Willard and in Lightridge these schools have been a source of stability friendship and growth uprooting them now would cause disruption not act not only academically but emotionally and socially as well I urge the board to lead with fairness consistency and focus on the student well-being the staff plan is the only option grounded in policy and free of [03:57:23] from bias choosing the alternative would be a concerning presidents one with purpose personal preference takes priority thank you thank you our next speaker is Michelle Polisano Shafiq followed by Katie Herbert Michelle Polisano Shafiq our next speaker will be Katie Herbert followed by Lee Scott [03:58:00] Good evening. I wanted to give you all a quick update on how things have gone since I last spoke about boys volleyball in high school. Last Tuesday, we had an information meeting. Thank you for all of you that shared that post on social media. Really appreciate it. [03:58:16] Despite this busy end of school year season, we had over 25 families show up with boys representing multiple high schools around Loudoun. This was a great start and showed that boys are looking for this option. Since the meeting, we've been emailing our principals and requesting that they submit their request to review adding boys volleyball for a high school sport starting in 2026. [03:58:35] A few principals have already taken action. I've also spoken to local collegiate coaches from George Mason and Marymount. They're very excited about this potential addition for LCPS, and they have committed to holding coaching training as well as assisting in any way they can. I'm still waiting on some numbers from a few organizations, but the excitement I saw from boys and parents last week really showed that we have the boys at the ready. [03:58:59] Additionally, when we do get a better grip on numbers, I would just add that we're only looking to field one varsity team at each school. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Lee Scott, followed by Matt Malone. Good evening. In November of 2024, my husband and I were contacted by our elementary school guidance counselor, assistant principal, child protective services, and Title IX about an incident that had involved our child. They took a statement from our child, which would later be used as evidence in this case, without our permission. I asked for a copy of the statement [03:59:34] and I was given that I was supposed to be foie-ing it. After speaking with my child and gaining additional insight into the situation, we declined to allow Title IX speak to our child. This whole event was very traumatizing for our child due in part to the intimidating nature of the investigation. We were very disappointed with the process that took place as we felt this should have absolutely been handled at the elementary school level. This is clear injustice and the abuse of Title IX. Our community and children deserve better. One false accusation can set the Title IX machine in motion devoid of evidence, facts, or impartiality. Accountability and [04:00:11] common sense are definitely lacking in LCPS. Thank you. Our next speaker is Matt Malone followed by Kaylin Rosen. Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the school board. We urgently need at least one full-time school resource officer at all LCPS schools. Let's not overlook the risks to elementary schools where my daughter attends as we divert resources to other schools. All students must be protected by trained personnel. [04:00:50] Also, this raises the issue of safe spaces in schools. Boys and young men need safe spaces. Girls and young women need safe spaces. We can accommodate those others in other ways other than putting girls and boys in awkward situations. [04:01:09] We would like you to vote on Policy 8040 so that the voters, some of which are former students, will know exactly where you stand on this issue come November 4th, 2025. Vote no for WOKE. Thank you. Our next speaker is Kalen Rosen followed by Crystal Adams. Hi, my name is Kalen Rosen and I'm an eighth grader here in Belmont Ridge Middle [04:01:44] School. I'm going to Riverside High School next year. I've been playing volleyball since I was eight years old. Both my parents played in college and is a huge part of their lives, not just as a sport, but as a way to stay active, meet friends, and be part of a bigger community. That's why it's hard for me to understand why boys' volleyball isn't offered in our high schools. [04:02:05] My older cousin actually had to move away from Ashburn to California just to play the sport he loves in high school. I don't think we should have to leave our homes to find places that have boys' volleyball. Boys' volleyball is one of the fastest growing high school sports in the country. Places like Richmond, Virginia Beach, and even Fairfax County already offer it, and it's a big success. [04:02:24] My uncle even played boys' volleyball in high school in Virginia Beach back in the 90s, and it's still part of his life today. High school volleyball gives students like me a chance to be part of a team. Not every boy fits into the mold of a football, basketball, or baseball player. It also helps me stay active and develop important life skills like communication and discipline. [04:02:45] Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Crystal Adams, followed by Alicia Brand. Good evening, board. My name is Crystal Adams. [04:03:00] I'm a parent from Lena Mill in Zone DSO 7.2 with a rising 6th grader, urging you to support the staff plan and reject plans 289 and 040. The staff plan follows LCPS policy 6530, prioritizing proximity, safety, and community alignment. [04:03:18] In contrast, plans 289 and 040 were created by individual communities, ignoring policy standards and introducing serious safety risks. This includes rerouting walkable zones and forcing families, especially teen drivers, into dangerous left turns into Braddock Road, where seven accidents have occurred in just two years. [04:03:38] Please choose the plan grounded in logic, safety, and policy, not politics or emotion. We all have a motion about this. We have to follow logic and set a good precedent. Support the staff plan. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Alicia Brand, followed by Nikki Maples-Reynolds. [04:04:00] Parents are not fooled. You put ideology over safety and dignity. You launched a retaliatory Title IX probe against boys who simply said they felt uncomfortable with girls in their locker room, and now you're targeting nine-year-olds? Your actions aren't about protecting kids. They're about silencing them. The AG called it a disturbing misuse of authority. And Mansfield, your lie to Newsweek denying a probe, was a reckless indifference to [04:04:34] the truth and its child abuse. You chilled free speech. You silenced voices and abused these boys. You caused and covered up real harm in the name of activism. This is 2025, and now feds are watching you stop the cover-up, stop the intimidation, start protecting every child, because these boys aren't statistics. [04:04:55] They are our sons, and we will not stay silent while you sacrifice them for your politics. And go boys volleyball. Yay. Thank you. Our next speaker is Nikki Maples Reynolds, followed by Renee Smith. [04:05:28] No, Nikki Maples-Reynolds. Our next speaker will be Renee Smith, followed by Nicole Kennard. LCPS can spin it for the media, but you can't spin it for me. My son is still under investigation, and that makes the public denial of this Title IX case a lie. He didn't threaten anyone. He stated a belief backed by faith, and you're trying to make an example out of him. The attorney general [04:06:05] called out what you're doing, targeting Christian students, abusing Title IX, and enforcing silence through fear. End the investigation, repeal policy 8040, and stop turning our schools into ideological battlegrounds. Your agenda ends where our kids begin, and you've crossed the line. [04:06:28] Thank you. Our next speaker is Nicole Kinnard, followed by Emoga Gunty. Hi. I'm here as a parent in DS 7.2, Lena Mill, a contiguous community with no man-made barrier affecting accessibility. I'm here today to urge the board to make its decision based on logic, policy and safety. The staff plan is the only impartial policy-driven option, and choosing otherwise would set a concerning precedent where personal preference overrides established guidelines and community-wide safety. Plan 40 provides walk access for fewer students [04:07:04] to CHAMP, which during the winter months will be darker due to later dismissal, in contrast to the staff plan, which enables more students to walk to Mercer. In 40 and 289, the students who would be walking from 7.5 to Champ will be high schoolers versus middle schoolers as in the staff plan. Some of those Champ walkers will be drivers turning left onto Braddock during a higher traffic cycle with buses and students from east of Champ adding to the congestion. Overall the staff plan makes the most sense and rooted in policy. Thank you for your time. Thank you. [04:07:37] Our next speaker is Amoga Gunti followed by Karthik Gunti. Hi, my name is Amoga Gunti and I'm a rising 7th at Willard. I live in Lena Mill and my school zone is DS 7.5. Willard feels like home to me. [04:08:00] I've made great friends, supportive teachers, and I'm active in sports. Moving schools in eighth grade, my last year of middle school, would be really hard and unfair. Plans like a staff plan let me stay at Willard and go to Light Ridge with my brother and friends, just like we expected. [04:08:16] Please vote based on policy, safety, and our close proximity to Willard. Help keep my community friends and family together please support the staff plan and let the boys play volleyball thanks thank you our next speaker is karthik gunty followed by philip woodus hi my name is karthik gunty and i'm a rising ninth grader at lightridge high school i live in lena mill and my school [04:08:53] zone is ds 7.5 i'm here to ask you to please let me stay on track to finish my high school at lightridge changing schools in 10th grade will be really tough i would lose the friends teachers clubs and routines i'm built in just as i'm adjusting to this transition please boast please vote based on policy our proximity to willard and lightridge and safety of the high school delivers a school and community at large please vote for staff plan and stay noted 040 and 289 also i've been playing volleyball for some time and i have to travel really far each [04:09:31] day to go play so please let them um please let the high schools play um have boys volleyball thank you for listening thank you our next speaker is philip woodis followed by melinda lawrence nash good evening no parent should have to fight so hard to achieve parental choice or to get the [04:10:08] attention of this board dr rasheed carrie labelle and linda deans were the special permissions committee. LCPS recently pulled the security cameras to confirm my wife's presence that day. [04:10:25] She is a woman of color. Me too, LCPS. 100 appeals discussed in 75 minutes is less than 10 seconds per pupil. Our son with ADHD was denied Blue Ridge. Kirk Dolson claimed IEP ratios, but there is no mention of IEP in policy 8155, nor ADHD in LCPS staffing standards. Schools can operate up to 90% of design capacity. Blue Ridge is at 60%. Luke's denial lacks justification under policy. [04:11:01] Dolson never claimed his IEP or qualified his ratios and hid behind the GC. Thank you. Our next speaker is Melinda Lawrence Nash, followed by Rosemary Lawler. [04:11:27] No, Melinda Lawrence Nash. Our next speaker will be Rosemary Lawler, followed by Gali Aruna Reddy. Good evening. I'm a mother and grandmother. I've had kids in school somewhere in this country since 1981 or grandchildren. I've had toys in my house my entire married life. I have a transgender grandson. When I first found out, it was surprising. It was confusing, but I didn't really approach this from a standpoint of [04:12:06] what I had been taught in Catholic school. I approached it from a standpoint of science, and I looked into it myself. It is incumbent upon all of you that you approach policy 8040, not from your personal religious beliefs, through the science that is emerging. It is not as simple as XX or XY. That would ignore people with Klinefelter syndrome who are XXY. It would ignore people who have Turner Syndrome. It would ignore intersex people who are XXY or XYY or XO. [04:12:42] It would ignore. Thank you. Our next speaker is Gali Aruna Reddy, followed by Lori Walsh. Good evening. Lena Mills left turn onto two-lane Braddock Road with three-way traffic is safer than Kirkpatrick Farms and Braddock Connors left turn onto four-lane Gumspring Road with four-way traffic and without a signal plan 310 and 289 address flaws and staff plan which splits communities [04:13:20] ignores proximity and distance factors plan 310 moves dawson's corner and marbury to mercer saves commute time and fully utilizes all three middle schools plan 289 with two amendments revert ds 13.8 for no impact move ds 2.8 to willard for pinebrook as unified feeder Plan 289 evenly distributes capacity, saves operational costs, reduces modulus, keeps communities together, makes three clusters, Pinebrook, Goshen, Cardinal, as pure feeds. [04:13:52] I request school board to adopt either Plan 310 or Plan 289 with amendments. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Lori Walsh, followed by Jessica Wellband. I did have something prepared to read, but I can see that I don't believe anything that we say would change your mind on policy 8040. [04:14:24] The truth of the matter is, is what I've seen just from being at this, my first school board meeting, I'm here to support a young man that I know that was being accused of something. And all I see is hate, people spewing anger because we have different opinions. [04:14:44] And what I've seen is that we can't even agree. And yet you want young children and young adults to understand these policies and to be able to implement them with maturity when we can't even do that. [04:15:01] People were yelling in the parking lot at a group of people that were preparing to come to this meeting. We said nothing to them. It seems so bizarre to me. This isn't about hating, you know, trans people. [04:15:17] It's about love. Thank you. Our next speaker is Jessica Welband, followed by Adam White. Good evening. I'm here to support the Woodis family. [04:15:32] Their son has developed strong elementary school relationships, leading to really positive experience here in LCPS. The educators, medical, and community professionals working directly with their son have recommended as he transitions from elementary to middle school that he maintain those strong relationships for the purpose of his well-being, which are documented within an IEP. [04:15:55] These recommendations led the family to meet with the administrators at Blue Ridge Middle School. The administrators did confirm that they had enough capacity to absorb their request. The family did follow the LCPS special permission request process. [04:16:13] The request was denied with really little justification as to why it was denied. So the family did follow the appeal process. And then again, the appeal was denied. So for the purpose of the students' well-being, I'd like to request that you reconsider their appeal and their original request. [04:16:32] Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Adam White, followed by Salma Mohammed. Good evening. [04:16:48] Tonight we've heard from Luke Wittes and his family on their appeal of his request to attend Blue Ridge Middle School. I'm grateful for the chance to add my voice in support of Luke's appeal. All of us here tonight know how much of a student's educational outcomes and success depends on strong community support and encouragement. [04:17:09] Luke's flourished at Kenneth Colbert among a great community of friends, including my son. I understand the enormous difficulty that comes with drawing district lines to allocate students among our county schools. But the process also allows exceptions on a case-by-case basis. [04:17:26] and luke's uh one of those cases i hope you grant i hope the district will grant his appeal and let luke attend blue ridge middle school thank you thank you our next speaker is salma mohammed followed by sarah healy good evening members of the board i'm a i'm a resident of lena mill residing at ds 7.2 and i'm here requesting your support for the staff plan as a resolution to the dullest south area secondary school rezoning effort the staff [04:18:05] plan is an impartial policy driven and logical solution logically accounts for school proximity and ensures pedestrian and traffic safety, not just for Lena Mill neighborhood students and families, but for the greater community that will be impacted by this rezoning effort. My children will be 6th and 10th graders when this rezoning resolution will be in play. [04:18:23] And it's important for me to know that my children, neighborhood children, and children of the greater community are safely traveling to and from school without worrying about accident-prone roads with crossing oncoming traffic and facing longer commutes to attend schools that are not geographically in our cluster. And respectfully remind us all that regardless of the chosen plan, some students will experience disruption. [04:18:44] However, it's important that our decision is grounded in policy, geographic logistics, and above all, prioritizes student safety. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Our next speaker is Sarah Healy, followed by Victoria Rashid. Good evening. [04:19:05] You have heard and will continue to hear passionate pleas by students and parents who don't want their kids' schools to be moved, myself included. I gave one of those speeches last week. Upon thinking about it, my kids' happiness, stability, and friendships are not any more important than the kids of the families in Kirkpatrick Farms or anywhere else that you've heard from tonight. [04:19:27] Obviously, not moving anyone is not an option, or we wouldn't be here. Taking that into consideration, I tried to truly look at the objective points pertaining to this issue. The staff plan is called just that because it was created by LCPS staff, not parents, as the most fair and equitable way to move forward with redistricting. [04:19:47] We need to trust that. The staff plan returns districts that were temporarily moved to the Willard and Lightridge Cluster in 2018 back to the schools that they were originally intended to go to. If this was the plan all along, why are we not sticking to it? Lastly, the staff plan already accounts for the new high school, hopefully preventing additional redistricting and upheaval in 2027. [04:20:09] Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Victoria Rashid, followed by Melanie Beeler. Let's make something clear. [04:20:25] no one is forced to accept anything. If you have a problem with people who are different from you, you have that right. What you're not allowed to do and you don't have the right to do is use your feelings to turn the daily lives into a war zone. Equity is for all, not just some. Rather than wasting money on frivolous lawsuits, LCPS could be using that money to fix the schools, hire for special education, improve the reading and math scores that are so abhorrent that we hear about. [04:20:58] Also, Title IX is federal law. Every single school in America that receives federal funding must have policies that adhere to Title IX. 80-40 is a supplement of that. It's going to stay whether you like it or not. It's equity for all. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Melanie [04:21:22] Beeler, followed by Beverly McCauley. No, Melanie Beeler. Our next speaker is Beverly McCauley, followed by Cassandra McCauley. Good evening. My name is Beverly McCauley. I stand before you humbly requesting you overturn policy 8040. The purpose was fair for all, right? However, [04:21:58] we're making all children vulnerable under the current policy. We're foster parents. Every girl that has been placed in our home has been raped or molested, and that's why she's there. Each of these girls has spoken before you about this. Each of these girls has begged you to keep them safe, but yet girls are still raped in locker rooms. How is this fair? I don't judge you based on your sexual orientation, but the Bible clearly states in Matthew 18, 6, better to have a millstone around your neck and drowned than cause one of these littles to sin. We're forcing kids to remain quiet or be punished, to step into line and be indoctrinated. Simple, use the bathroom of your [04:22:36] sex. Or use a separate one. Overturn 8040 and quit sexualizing our children and making the vulnerable with the opposite sex in the bathroom. Be blessed. Thank you. Our next speaker is Cassandra McCauley, followed by Anthony Paul. No, Cassandra McCauley. Our next speaker [04:23:02] is Anthony Paul, followed by Kathy Ellen Davis. [04:23:19] No, Anthony Paul. Our next speaker is Kathy Ellen Davis, followed by Jean Jackson. Hi. Thank you to the majority of you who continue to support all students trans and cis I know it's not easy when so many in the community are committed to misunderstanding trans people and the work that you all do public schools are for all students trans and cis if everyone was serious about protecting children we'd all be here supporting trans people since they are four times more likely that's right four times more likely to be harassed compared to cis people sadly that's not hard to believe [04:23:58] when there are so many in our community and here tonight spreading misinformation information about trans people and claiming cis people need to be protected from them. Protected? Why? Trans people are not dangerous. Assuming they are, is. It's okay if you're uncomfortable with people that are not like you. You just need to learn. Got a great book here. If you're a kid like Gavin, the true story of a young trans activist, which is why the law in Virginia is in line with policy 8040. And it's not hard. I teach my kids people know who they are, believe them no one is getting into a bathroom to hurt you and statistically if that's happening [04:24:33] it's a cis person thanks thank you our next speaker is jane jackson followed by jude armstrong i've been an ashburn resident for 20 years i moved to ashburn for for my grandkids i'm here on behalf of my grandchild tonight every student deserves to feel safe respected and valued at [04:25:09] school, and that includes trans and non-binary students. When schools affirm a child's identity, we reduce bullying, mental health struggles, and even suicide risk. This isn't about politics, it's about protecting kids. Policy 8040 conforms to Virginia statutes and affirms that all students, regardless of their identity, deserve to learn in an environment free from discrimination or exclusion. [04:25:44] Rolling back this policy would send a dangerous message that some students are less deserving of safety and belonging in our schools. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Jude Armstrong, followed by Bindu Iduru. [04:26:01] Hello. Last time I was here, I told you I was an old trans person. Today, I want to tell you that I am a proud and patriotic Virginian. I was born and raised here, educated in our public schools. I want to ask you today, do you feel patriotic at all right now? [04:26:20] Across the country, our liberties and public institutions are under attack. Here in Loudoun, you have stood strong against the efforts to undermine public education. You've led by example in Virginia, but now your leadership is being challenged at the expense of trans kids. [04:26:38] Why? Because they see attacking a small, vulnerable group of children as an easy win. But also because you hold the line. You're doing what many elected officials won't do, and that matters. [04:26:55] Today, I feel patriotic because you are doing the right thing. You are standing up for trans kids and safeguarding Virginia's public education. Also, let the boys play volleyball. Thank you. Our next speaker is Bindu Iduru, followed by Samuel Lee. [04:27:22] No, Bindu Iduru, our next speaker is Samuel Lee, followed by M.K. Gregory. [04:27:46] No, Samuel Lee, our next speaker is M.K. Gregory, followed by Virginia Finney. So there's an election coming, and we've seen this show before. Conservatives are drawing up fear around trans people to try to elicit votes in November. [04:28:05] Let's not fall for it. Charlie Baker, NCAA president, testified last year there are fewer than 10 transgender college athletes among more than half a million. I'm a math teacher, but y'all can do the math, and it's two thousandths of a percent. When the pastor of Cornerstone teams up with Nick Minoc, we know for sure this is a stunt. [04:28:24] Need I remind you that LCPS issued an official 35-page complaint against Minoc's employer, WJLA, last June? Let us also not forget that A.G. Meares is up for re-election, and a so-called investigation into our school system puts his name in the headlines. Two thousandths of a percent is not an overwhelming number. [04:28:41] What is alarming is more than 40% of transgender adults in the U.S. have attempted suicide. Over 2,800 hate crimes were recorded against LGBTQ plus people in 2023. These are alarming statistics indeed. We need to drown out the politically motivated circus and stand up for trans students. [04:28:59] Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Virginia Finney, followed by Marie Livesey. [04:29:13] No, Virginia Finney. Our next speaker is Marie Livesey, followed by Janish Suri. Good evening. I stand today in support of the proposal by Chris Stevenson to support teachers teaching historical truth. [04:29:32] Recently, as I took my boys to the Holocaust Museum, as my younger twins were studying in their seventh grade history class at Harper Park, I was reminded of a question I was often asked as a teacher. How could good people have let the Nazis come to power? Well, rewriting history in order to create a changed, dishonest legacy was an initial and sustained effort by the Nazi party, and I fear that's currently occurring in our country. [04:29:52] I will not stand by and watch, even as lies are pushed factual history while truth is repudiated. As Alexander Hamilton famously said, "If you stand for nothing, then you will fall for anything." I urge the school board to stand for right. As Chris stated, "Please issue a statement protecting LCPS faculty and staff who speak the truth for our children when the president lies, deceives, subverts the constitution, and engages in public ridicule and shaming." Thank you. Good evening. Oh, and go boys volleyball. [04:30:21] Thank you. Our next speaker is Janish Suri, followed by Megan Faye. Hi, good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Janish Suri. I'm a resident of Lenin Mill, DS 7.5, and a parent of raising eighth grader at Willard Middle School. [04:30:43] I'd like to urge the board to vote for the staff plan, as that makes the most sense overall for our children, traffic patterns, and the community continuity. As you may have noticed, the staff plan is the only one based on logic, policy, and safety. It is an impartial policy-driven option, otherwise it will cause concerns regarding overall safety of the kids, especially at the Braddock Road, which most other speakers have spoken about. [04:31:11] It's an extremely dangerous intersection. We have spoken to Loudoun County supervisors, VDOT, and the timing we have given is about five years at a minimum for any traffic remediation, causing new drivers to turn on left, and Braddock is a safety concern that we need to avoid. [04:31:32] Thank you for your time. Thank you. Our next speaker is Megan Fay, followed by Paul McKenzie. Good evening. [04:31:48] My name is Megan Fay, and I'm a member of LEA, and I'm here to advocate for MATA teachers at the Academies of Loudoun to receive a 1.2 contract. We love our students, we love being teachers, and we love working at the Academies of Loudoun. We discovered many CTE teachers and other LCPS high schools receive a 1.2 contract for teaching all six blocks. [04:32:10] We teach all six blocks. We teach more minutes per day than the other CTE teachers, even though we start later and get out earlier. We added up the minutes. We're just asking for equity and asking to work with you and get your help. We know other current CTE teachers who recently were offered 1.2 contracts. [04:32:31] We respectfully work our way up the LCPS chain of command, and we are told that we don't see 150 students in two days, but we currently know other teachers who are receiving this. Please look at our charts and our article. We look forward to working with you, and thanks for all that you do. [04:32:51] Thank you. Our next speaker is Paul McKenzie, followed by Pradeep Pedakagari. Good evening. I'll just do a quick echo of my colleague at the Academies of Loudoun in regard to the 1.2. Please ask your serious consideration. Oh, sorry. Am I not close enough? [04:33:06] Is that -- sorry. I was going to echo my colleague in regard to the 1.2 and ask your serious consideration in that regard. I also am here to do something that maybe doesn't happen that often, which is to offer a little bit of my help. I have grave reservations in regard to the new admissions policy, in regard to the academies of Loudoun. [04:33:24] And in particular, I would be offering my help. I'm a lawyer. I'm a math minor. I'm actually knowledgeable in terms of data analysis to kind of figure out what problem you're trying to solve with that admissions policy. Any policy that is aimed at merit, even the holistic one used by Thomas Jefferson, would probably be preferable. [04:33:48] But in any event, I'm willing to be educated in that and would actually wish to offer my help in that regard and figure out what problem you're trying to solve and whether or not that solution is the right one to solve it. I have great reservations given the students that are incoming, and it's something I would ask for your serious consideration on. Thank you very much for everything you do. [04:34:05] Thank you. Our next speaker is Pradeep Padakagadi, followed by Kieran Jalla. Hello, good evening. I am from Lena Mill. I have two beautiful daughters, one of them a rising sixth grader. [04:34:23] And she's very excited. She saw the school and, you know, they had a walkthrough and everything. Now we are hearing that, you know, there's a change in plan and whatnot. So I strongly support the staff plan because I already reviewed and staff plan considered a lot of policies that are already not well known for all the people. [04:34:41] So we respect the staff plan, and I strongly support that. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Kiran Jala, followed by Vivek Reddy. Good evening. [04:35:03] First, I want to sincerely thank the board members, our superintendent, and the staff for your hard work and dedication, often underappreciated but deeply valued. Thank you. I'm Kiran Jala, a resident of Lena Mills. We strongly support the staff plan and firmly oppose plan 289 and 040 regarding the Dulles South rezoning. [04:35:23] The staff plan was developed based on established policies, student safety, walking zones, and long-term resource planning for Loudoun County. In contrast, Plans 289 and 040 was created with personal interest, resource overloading, divide our communities, and create unsafe conditions, especially at the Lena Mills-Broadock intersection, where we have seen numerous accidents and near misses. [04:35:47] The staff plan is the only proposal that's logical, impartial, and policy-driven. Most importantly, it keeps our teams safe. We respectfully ask the board to support the staff plan. Thank you for allowing us to share our concerns. Thank you. [04:36:04] Our next speaker is Vivek Reddy, followed by Vivan Reddy. Good evening. I'm Vivek Reddy from Zone DS 7.5. I'm a resident of Lena Mill, and I support staff plan. [04:36:19] I strongly oppose Plan 40 and Plan 289, which favors Kirkpatrick Farm at the expense of Lena Mill. To put in context, Kirkpatrick Farm is a huge community that spreads both sides on Braddock. One part of the community is right by Mercer, and the other part is closer to Willard. [04:36:35] Kirkpatrick Farm alone has double the number of crates than Lena Mill. The staff plan assigns their originally intended Mercer Middle School, which is half a mile to these three zones that are impacted. The staff plan assigns their originally intended John Champ, which is closer than Lightridge for them. The plan 040 and 289 are biased user plans that punishes Lena Mill in favor of other communities. [04:36:57] These plans force longer commute for both the communities in opposite directions. I sincerely request the board to do the right thing and approve the staff plan. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Our next speaker is Vivan Reddy, followed by Ramakrishna Vakalapudi. [04:37:17] Hello, my name is Vivan Reddy, and I am a resident of Lena Mill from Zone DS 7.5. I am a rising 6th grader and will be attending Willard Middle School. It has come to my attention that our school zoning may be altered, and I am here this evening to voice my concerns. [04:37:32] Going from elementary to middle school will be a big enough transition as it is, but changing schools again in seventh grade would make it even harder. I've already made connections with people that would be vital to my growth, like my future band teachers. I don't want to make new friends and create bonds to throw it all away a year later. [04:37:49] I support the staff plan because it wouldn't change the expectations I already have about middle school. I know that you are in an unimaginable position, but I know that you can all open your eyes and make the right decision. boys volleyball is something that Lodin County definitely deserves. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Our next speaker is Ramakrishna Vakalapudi, followed by Liz Crotty. [04:38:17] Good evening, board. I'm here to support the staff plan. It is a great, beautiful plan, and it keeps our kids very safe, and I think you already heard a lot of comments from many people that how scary the left turn is. Please keep our kids safe. We support the staff plan. Thank you. [04:38:44] - Thank you. Our next speaker is Liz Crotty followed by Shnaz Khan. - Good evening. We've seen how powerful collaboration benefits all students and the MOU with the Sheriff's Office is a key opportunity to ensure that partnership protects every learner, especially those from marginalized populations. [04:39:08] SEAC has previously recommended important safeguards, mandatory training for officers on disabilities, notifying them in advance when student needs are known, and involving parents in the Miranda process in all but the most urgent situations. [04:39:24] Students with disabilities can have behaviors triggered by police, not have the ability to comprehend a situation, etc. Including advisory committees in the process will allow us to advocate for our students and have conversations about deeply important issues. [04:39:41] Thank you for prioritizing this partnership with your advisory committees and giving us an opportunity to have a dialogue with staff that includes supporting data to help us understand discipline issues as they stand today thank you thank you our next speaker is Shanaz Khan followed by Kim Kim good evening tonight the MOU agreement between LCPS the sheriff's office and Leesburg PD is being presented as an information item historically SEAC and other advisory [04:40:18] committees have had the opportunity to review and comment on any updates made to the mou our involvement began in 2019 with the special education ad hoc committee followed by the equity ad hoc committee in 2021 the school board hosted a work session that included lcps staff seac msec and local law enforcement discussing the steps needed to finalize the sro mou during the 2023 review of the mou seac and other advisory committees again collaborated to evaluate the [04:40:52] draft now now that the mou has been revised once more we respectfully request that all advisory committees be given the opportunity to provide input as we have in previous years thank you thank you our next speaker is kim kim followed by michael hart good evening it's been four years since i've been to a school board meeting four years ago it was surreal being in this room experiencing political theater and chaos firsthand i didn't want to contribute to the spectacle so i [04:41:32] stopped coming. Perhaps it was an overreaction, but coming here today, seeing the massive security overhaul, maybe not. Recently, I noticed attacks against LCPS surrounding transgender students and Title IX ramping up in the media, so I felt compelled to come and speak. While I'm inclined to challenge the disinformation, it's been done so much that I'm tired, so I came instead to thank you, because if I'm tired, I can't imagine how tired you are. Thank you for being on the front lines, for taking shots aimed at our most vulnerable. Thank you for absorbing the misguided rage, for deflecting the ugliness, and for doing what's right for all. These distractions aren't even [04:42:11] about students. They're about power. They're about exploiting groups of people for political gain, but we've all seen the playbook. We must be a voice for the marginalized because we know it never stops there. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Michael Hart, followed by Tiffany Polifco. Good evening. Protect our students. Immediately abolish LCPS policy 8040. Every day that biological males have free access to the girls' bathrooms, our daughters are at risk. [04:42:46] Every day biological females have free access to the boys' locker room, our son's privacy is violated. Stop this ludicrous policy now. Protect our students. Provide a minimum of one resource officer to every high school. My daughter attended a high school of 1,600 students and had one part-time resource officer. To get into this building today, I had to pass 10 security SUVs and a security staff of 10 to 20. Provide security as if you were attending our high schools and using the [04:43:22] girls' locker room therein. Repeal LCPS Policy 8040. Thank you. Our next speaker is Tiffany Polifko followed by Sintilraj Sivasankaran. [04:43:48] You either want to keep secrets from parents or you don't. You either want boys and girls getting undressed in front of each other and being stripped of their dignity in locker rooms and bathrooms or you don't. So vote on it. I love how all these people behind me or behind you or excuse me in front of you sat here tonight waving their flags thanking you for upholding something that you've never said anything about because you're all a bunch of cowards you don't want to vote on this you've had two years with the new model policies that came out from Governor Youngkin we all know you're not going to adopt them then why don't you vote on what you [04:44:25] believe in because you don't want to April and Arben have absolutely nothing on their campaign websites about how they will protect every child there's nothing about policy 8040 so I can only guess as well as everybody else that you don't want to vote on it because you know exactly what happened to the last two board members running for re-election who voted to keep secrets from parents. They lost. For the love of God, Carrie and Lauren, put 80-40 on the agenda. Thank you. Our next speaker is Santilraj Sivasankaran [04:44:57] followed by Lynn Davis. I'm a resident of Lena Mill and I want my children to stay at Willard and Lightridge. I am resident of Lena Mill and I want my children to stay at Willard and Lightridge. [04:45:28] The staff plan makes most sense overall for our children. Traffic patterns and community continuity. I am advocating for the staff plan or plan 293 and 935 which keeps our community together at Willard and Lightridge. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Lynn Davis followed by Shredevi Kay. Good evening. LGBTQ youth are reported to have at least one accepting adult in [04:46:07] their lives were 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt in the past year. I think that's really scary and I find that most students in our schools other than their family really have the most contact with somebody in a school and if they're not getting the support that they need it home, they're going to have to get it at school. And that can make all the difference in [04:46:39] life and death. And you can claim pro-life all day long, but if you're against supporting trans students, you are not pro-life. So you need to own that. I want to thank you for using your voices to speak up and coming for them. It matters and it saves lives. Thank you. Our next speaker is Sridevi Kay followed by Vara Lakshmi Cody. Good evening. My name is Sridevi. I'm from Lennamil [04:47:16] community, just five minutes away from the assigned schools of Willard and Lightridge. One of the most immediate impact of rezoning is emotional social disruption for children getting separated from their friends who live in the same community and going to a different school. And it can lead to negative feelings like anxiety, sadness, frustration, loneliness, leading to academic difficulties they cannot focus on their studies as you can see today there is a small amount of representation from Lena mill today emphasizing the same thing we oppose the plan 289 and 040 and we strongly support the staff plan and [04:47:52] rather than displacing the existing students students living closer to the school will learn and lightridge have shorter distances to travel reducing their exposure to traffic and associated risk especially with the Braddock road As explained by some of my friends here, please take decision based on logic, policy and safety, keeping in mind all the impacted kids who, if given a chance to vote, they would vote 100% to remind in their assigned schools. [04:48:17] Thank you. Our next speaker is Vera Lakshmi Cody, followed by Susan Cox. No, Vera Lakshmi Cody. [04:48:35] Our next speaker is Susan Cox, followed by Daniel Veles. I'm here to tell you to listen to your constituents and respond to them in a timely manner. So many issues and concerns with LCPS, issues such as policy 80/40, bullying, learning loss, accountability and transparency. [04:48:56] There are many speaking tonight, but I'm also here to relay a message for someone else, someone with a current student who is afraid to speak. Their child begs the parent, please, please don't say anything. It'll only make it worse. [04:49:12] This is a toxic environment. Knowing that your child will be a target and nothing can be done to fix it, is a parent's worst nightmare. So I implore you, listen and hear my message. There are those who are intimidated, who want to speak up, but are afraid because they have no faith with you to help. [04:49:34] Where is the accountability for a student who breaks the rules and violates personal space? As far as I'm concerned, the failed politicians are those on the school board who constantly let the community down. - Thank you. Our next speaker is Daniel Velas, followed by Vistrut Kakumani. [04:50:01] No, Daniel Velas. Our next speaker is Vistrut Kakumani, followed by Mike Clancy. Hello, my name is Vistrut. [04:50:17] I am currently attending Willard, resident of Willina Mills, and support the staff plan. Me and many other students have made connections and friends with people who are currently attending or going to attend Light Ridge. We've also made plans and envisioned ourselves attending Light Ridge. [04:50:33] but because of the rezoning, we have to rechange our plans and make new friends, which can cause an emotional toll on us and even affect our grades. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Mike Clancy, followed by Alex Isaac. Good evening. Tonight, I want to emphasize that it's [04:51:07] your duty to protect the safety, privacy, dignity, and rights of all students, and that starts with repealing and rewriting Policy 8040. It violates the governor's executive order. It violates Virginia law. It violates Virginia's constitution. The attorney general investigated and determined that you all weaponized Title IX against students because of their religious beliefs. [04:51:31] That's a gross violation of their constitutional rights. Now you've launched a Title IX investigation against a nine-year-old child. Have you all lost your minds? This defies all common sense. It's time for a course correction, not to silence parents. It's time to make the children the priority. How long will you continue to fail the children? How long will you turn a deaf ear to parents? How long will you do nothing about policy 8040? I guess as Bob Dylan wrote, it's all lost [04:52:01] blowing in the wind. Thank you. Our next speaker is Alex Isaac followed by Carrie Kidwell. No Alex [04:52:27] Isaac. Our final speaker is Carrie Kidwell. It's a strange and exhausting thing to have to defend the basic humanity of children, and yet here we are watching transgender and non-binary students turned into pawns in a political circus. There are 132 school divisions in our state, but some candidates have chosen to target Loudoun, not to help students, but to score sound bites and votes, and when adults choose cruelty over care, it becomes crystal clear why protections for these [04:53:03] students must remain in place. This community faces elevated risks of anxiety, depression, and suicide not because of who they are but because of the hate they endure. These are not internal struggles. They are the direct result of external hostilities such as harassment, discriminatory policies, and lack of access to affirming environments. [04:53:23] All students deserve to feel safe and supported at school. Keep policy 8040 in place. It's been said and it bears repeating, it's not about the bathrooms just like it wasn't about the water fountains hold the line protect our kids don't let hate win thank you thank you thank you to everyone for coming out and engaging with the school board that concludes our public comment [04:53:49] for this evening the board will now take a 10-minute recess the board is now coming um out of [05:06:08] recess okay i just want to um have a little expectations here we have two items that we definitely have to get done tonight um and then we have a closed so that potentially means that we will not be getting to um boundaries today whatever we don't get done today i know it's not i know we will be doing it on on june 17th so um let me let's get through the two items that i know [05:06:45] that we have that totally we have to get done uh one of them was pulled off of um pulled off of consent and that is now 13. 01 uh wait did you read um let's see it should be now 1301 let me see [05:07:19] if i redo it come on um is it there i can't okay uh 13. [05:07:45] 01 finance and operations committee loudon county school boards to request financing for approved cip projects not to exceed i think it's a set amount of money and general obligation bonds for school purposes um is um miss who would like to make the recommendation the motion i'll entertain a motion right now which is the [05:08:23] recommendation there for the first one 13.01 uh if you look on your computer it's been refreshed Okay. Ms. Chernoff. I move that the Loudoun County School Board approve the attached resolution requesting funding for school purposes. I have a motion from Ms. Chernoff. Do I have a second? Second. I have a second by Ms. Chandler. Is there any discussion? Yes. Mrs. Griffiths. [05:08:50] Thank you, Madam Chair. I pulled this off the consent item because when we, it did go through finance and operations, but I felt like it was a rushed item and we were not provided an in-depth breakdown for this 107 million 220 000 that will be a bond referendum in november 2025 the agenda it was vague at the time and it only included the following information um and school renovation and replacement program 11 000 11 000 oh i'm sorry 11 million 600 000 special programs [05:09:26] academy expansion five hundred thousand five million um lcps capital facility renewals and alterations uh 90 million 620 000 this is going to come up as a referendum in november and i didn't feel like we had a breakdown of what it was about it was just a rushed thing and it went right to consent so um i was looking for more clarity and that's why i did decide to pull it off the consent agenda today in case anybody else had any other questions on it because everybody in the county will vote for this in November. So I have a problem asking the taxpayer to fund an [05:10:05] additional $107,220,000 through a bond referendum this November with no real details on how the funds will be spent. Thank you. Thank you, Mrs. Griffiths. Ms. Willoughby, would you like to speak a little bit to mrs griffith's concerns yes and i may ask mr lewis to assist when the school board adopts the cip each year and the county has the responsibility of determining how to fund the cip [05:10:39] they ultimately make the decision on how much they will fund out of their local tax funding or how much they will issue debt for or if they will pursue other opportunities such as grants afforded by the state that responsibility resides with the board of supervisors in terms of how to fund the cip in this situation similar to you know prior years they have made the decision to fund certain projects with bond funds in accordance with virginia code and to meet state deadlines [05:11:17] the county staff works with our finance staff in developing the resolution the virginia code requires the school board to formally request via the resolution asking the county to issue the debt or do the bond referendum. That is what this action is. In terms of the timing, it did come straight to action at last week's finance committee meeting. And again, that was just due to timing to [05:11:51] meet our deadlines before the school board takes the recess in July on the county side they take their recess in August they have the responsibility of putting putting things in place again to meet the Virginia code timelines the timeliness of this requiring action this evening is to support the county action as the board of supervisors is slated to take action on this at their meeting on june 17th and they would require the school board resolution to support that action in terms [05:12:25] of further detail again this is in coordination with the county in this level of detail and it's more again about the funding mechanism to support the cip the cip has more detail in terms of all the various projects and i don't know if mr lewis has anything to add to that but that is in terms of the timing and what you have before you this evening i'll just add that uh in agreement with what miss willoughby just explained is the county does break these down in just those three categories [05:12:59] and they identify how many dollars they're going to sell bonds for versus other other funding mechanisms so the dollars that are in the adopted cip by the school board don't always line up exactly like this because they're not in many cases funding the full project so as miss willoughby says they are just defining the dollar values and the categories and we just check that against our projects to make sure we're covered in and that's what's before you tonight. Thank you Mr. Lewis. Mr. Struffy you had something to add. [05:13:33] Madam Chair thank you I was just going to add just to make it abundantly clear for the public that the amounts listed in here I think you already alluded to it Mr. Lewis are already included in FY 2026 capital improvement plan is that correct the project's mostly here it's in the it's in the FY 26 to 31 capital improvements program these numbers are specifically because of the the schedule the county's on actually apply to the FY 27 projects okay thank you board [05:14:06] members any other discussion okay all right seeing I have a motion I have a second it's been probably moved and seconded clerk plea we can move forward with the vote if there's no more discussion clerk please open the vote board members please record your vote clerk please close and display the vote and that motion passes 8 to 1 with Mrs. Griffiths in opposition I think because [05:14:39] all y'all came out tonight we'll go ahead and do 13.04 and then from there we will go to our information item that we have to do today so we're gonna move to 13.04, which is the Department of Support Services, De La Salle Secondary School Attendance Zones. I will entertain a motion. Yes, Dr. Rashid. Thank you, Chair. I'd like to make a motion [05:15:15] to bring about a vote in support of the staff plan. Okay, would you mind, if you're going to the staff plan i think you have to do the whole recommendation read the whole recommendation for the moment for the motion and that would be adopt plan staff plan i guess thank you chair sorry about that my apologies i moved to i moved that the loudon county school board adopt plan [05:15:51] the the staff plan um involving the changes to existing dullest south secondary school attendance zone all changes included with this action will be implemented in fall of 2026 with the start of 2026 to 2027 school year. Shall I continue on the next paragraph, or is that good? Yeah, you guys, if you could please sit down. The only time you're able to stand up is if you're leaving and going. [05:16:16] Thank you. Okay, go ahead. You get the rest. Pursuant to policy 8160, exceptions to school assignment due to attendance zone change, rezoned high school students who will be entering grade 12 in fall of 2026 will be given the option to finish their high school tenure at their currently zoned school. Re-zoned grade 11 students in fall of 2026 will be surveyed to determine interest in remaining at and graduating from their currently zoned high school. Re-zoned grade 8 students in [05:16:50] the fall of 2026 will also be surveyed to determine interest in remaining at their currently zoned school for their final year of middle school. Thank you chair. Okay I have a motion by Dr. Rasheed do I have a second I have a second by Dr. Deans is there are there any well Dr. [05:17:11] Rasheed first do you want to speak to your motion yes I can find it one moment one moment and now I put it here okay here it is sorry about that on paper rezoning to alleviate overcrowding and other issues generally seems like a straightforward simple and good idea however as we've seen previously in communities like Heartland and now in communities like Kirkpatrick Farms and Lena Mill there are emotional attachments between [05:17:48] the neighbors and within schools. I feel confident that I can speak for many of us on the board when I say that this decision was challenging. We don't want to see communities divided and we certainly don't want to foster any animosity between neighbors but based on enrollment data and development projections I felt the need to make a decision here. I weighed all the plans that were proposed not just the staff plan but also those submitted through read the redistrict tool I considered walk zones and bus routes along with the natural and major roadway boundaries I am grateful for those who provided public comment and sent emails drawing my attention to their perspectives and [05:18:25] all of those considered I truly hope that we can avoid going through the rezoning process again in the future though I feel it will be inevitable we got an email uh inevitable as we look forward to the opening of hs14 however i'm glad that loud in schools strive to provide all students with dedicated caring educators who welcome them in any attendance zone thank you chair thank you dr rasheed any other discussion yes mr not thank you madam chair um i would like to propose an amendment to the base motion um if that is [05:19:01] permissible this is the time all right additionally um i out outside of pop that this is outside of policy 86 81 60 so i'd like to make an amendment and i move that families of rezoned high school students who will be entering grade 10 in fall 2026 also be surveyed to determine interest in their school remain student remaining at the and graduating from their currently zoned high school based on the survey results and capacity available at the identified high school the school board may also consider granting these requests for educational continuity but with no provision [05:19:37] of bus transportation i have a motion on the floor from ms shirnoff do you have a second second i have a second by mrs griffiths that motion has been properly moved and seconded um ms shirnoff do you want to speak a little bit more to your reaction or you feel it's self-explanatory i feel like we've covered this in the past sessions it's just off Offers continuity staff is confident given the numbers that this is not a high school issue that we can Accommodate even if every single student wishes to remain that is in grade 10 I think this is a good middle ground to ensure that every student can choose to have high school [05:20:12] Continuity that will be affected by these changes. I think it's a nice peace offering. Yes. Thank you. Dr. Sheep. Thank you chair I would ask you on the side, but I'm just gonna ask you now So in is this in addition to the staff plan if you can clarify for me. Yes, it would be an addition. Sorry if you can do that again. So my understanding is we would vote on this amendment and then vote on the base motion. Yes, so we vote on the, this is like an amendment and then we go back and we vote on the base motion. I meant if she can explain it to me again, what she had just said, her amendment, if she could say it again. Sure, can I give you the reader's digest? It's still [05:20:51] the staff plan. The only thing that we're doing is that the 11th and 12th graders would have been survey that would be affected so they could stay. This allows, because it's not a high school capacity issue, it's a middle school issue, this would allow for kids going into grade 10, so the kids next year in ninth grade, would be able to stay at their high school from ninth through twelfth grade. They have the option of cohesion. Transportation would not be provided, but they would have the option to stay or go, and staff believes that with the capacity numbers that we have, even if every student chooses to stay, the high schools would not be overcapacity. [05:21:27] you're welcome mr. Lewis did I get that correct I probably should check with the expert perfectly thank you yeah okay okay so we have a motion on the floor we have a second it's we're probably moved in second is there any other discussion on this no let's go ahead and vote for the amendment to the base motion clerk please open a vote board members please record your vote clerk please close and [05:22:00] display the vote. That motion passes eight to one with Dr. Deans in opposition. We go back to the base motion as amended. Any other discussion? Yes, Ms. Sharnock. Thank you, Madam Chair, and I will keep it brief. In my discussions, I want to echo the sentiments of Dr. Rasheed. This is very tough, and just in meeting with a lot of people that are impacted, I did meet with DS 13.8, and it is a very, very small community. I think it's around 20 middle schoolers that would be impacted if they [05:22:35] opt even to stay at their high schools. And I just feel they were rezoned in 2019. They actually want to stay at Champ, which has not been most of the sentiment. So I am going to move that we amend the staff plan to keep planning zone DS 13.8 at Mercer Middle School and John Champ High School, rather than assigning them to the planning zone of J. Michael Lunsford Middle School and Freedom High school okay um miss labelle i second the motion all right i have a uh it's been probably moved and [05:23:09] seconded um i think do you want to continue to speak to your motion miss shirnoff no i don't think so we received a number of emails that outlined the different changes that this neighborhood has been through in the small number so i feel confident that you all have read those um the other thing is is there a possibility for this to actually uh be moved again like if we move it now to champ if we keep it at champ is there a time when we might have to move back to freedom [05:23:43] anyway mr lewis or miss tate if she's here i don't see her but that doesn't mean she's not here so as as we develop those plans over the next couple of years as we as the school board looks at the secondary routes again we can't guarantee that it wouldn't be moved i mean that they are geographically placed to where it likely wouldn't be moved but we can't guarantee that they're geographically placed where they likely wouldn't be moved because it looks like it's more towards [05:24:14] freedom yes but they are that's going to be a board choice is hard for us to say I mean right now they're in a place where as the conversation has happened over the last couple of months has been you know to stay or to go there and so it would be the same choice the next board will have to do this as Ms. Chernoff pointed out there's only 20 middle school students and 22 high school students there at this point so it's not a huge number of students that you know the board may have a similar decision to make at the next time thank you mr. [05:24:47] Lewis okay any other discussion no all right I have a motion to amend the base base motion as amended no more discussion let's go ahead and vote board members please please open the vote board members please record your vote clerk please close and display the vote and that motion passes 63 with Dr. Deans myself and Vice Chair [05:25:23] Donohue in opposition okay and so now we get to vote it all together in the motion as amended base motion as amended from the two amendments clerk will you please open the vote board members please record your vote clerk please close and display the vote and that motion passes with mrs. Griffiths [05:25:54] and vice chair Donahue in opposition all right moving on to please keep I know y'all are excited but it's hard to tell kids to when they're excited okay we're going to move on to the information item that we have to do. I think it's 14.05. I'm pretty sure it's 14.05. Department of [05:26:32] Teaching and Learning primary resources recommendations presented by Mr. Slevin, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning. Mr. Slevin. Chair Mansfield, thank you for prioritizing this agenda item. The Department of Teaching and Learning is providing recommendations for core primary print and digital resources for certain LCPS elective courses. Resources were identified for the courses listed in the attachment in board docs and we are opening a public preview that will occur between June 11th. Tomorrow a notice will go out to the public and close on June 23rd. Additional information and digital access will be provided in that email to the [05:27:11] community and the board will have that to consider when this item comes back as an action item at the next scheduled board meeting i'm happy to answer any questions about the recommended resources at this time or the process i didn't hear any of that last part that you just said i'm happy to answer any questions you may have about the resources or the process and we have to do that today because we have to give so we would like we would like to have the public comment process open for two weeks [05:27:48] and so having this information item allows us to send that out so we appreciate you hearing this information item okay board members do you have any discussion any questions no okay um so this cannot go on consent we have to just go ahead and because we're going to get public comment hopefully right okay all right well then all everything else let's see i will take a board do you guys um want to continue on now that we've gotten things that we have to get done done do you [05:28:26] want to continue on or do you want to go into closed and then everything else would be moved to june 17th how your show your okay so thumbs up if you want to um leave no yes ma'am the 17th would be a brand new is it would be uh just a continuation of what we're [05:29:02] doing today there would be no public comment there would be nothing else it would just be what is on this agenda right now okay because um i mean school board policy 2428 provides the school board meetings are expected to end by 10 and so it'll be a majority from the temperature check um okay so let's if you want to stay and do the whole thing including our closed give a thumbs [05:29:40] up okay that is not majority okay that does not yeah that that is just a temperature check so we will come back on one week from today which will be june 17th and i am unclear if we are having performance monitoring committee or not if we are not having performance monitoring committee then we can come back at 6 or 6 30 could someone tell me we do not have any time sensitive items on the [05:30:17] agenda performance monitoring okay so then um there's a committee we have fno from 4 30 to 5 30 and lanp from lanp is until six okay so i would say uh we could 6 30 and that would give us time [05:30:36] for dinner um right wait we also have um okay okay i think we're done um vice chair donahue do you have a motion to go into closed? Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the Loudoun County School Board recess this public meeting and enter into a closed meeting pursuant to section 2.2-3712 [05:31:15] of the Code of Virginia for the following. Consultation with legal counsel employed by or retained by the school board pertaining to actual litigation requiring the provision of legal advice by such counsel and briefings by staff members pertaining to actual litigation where such consultation or briefing in open meeting would adversely affect the negotiation or litigating posture of the public body as authorized by sections 2.2-3711 sub a sub 7 and 2.2-3711 sub a sub 8 of the code of virginia i have a motion do i have a second i have a second by mr streffi uh it's [05:31:53] is there any discussion seeing none clerk please open the vote uh board members please record your vote dr rasheed please record your vote um clerk please close and display the vote and that is [05:32:19] nine to zero and we the board is now enclosed script ready hey the board is coming out of [05:51:49] closed um vice chair donahue do you have a motion yes thank you madam chair i move that the closed meeting be adjourned that the laden county school board reconvene its public meeting and that the minutes of the public meeting reflect that no formal action was taken in the closed meeting I have a motion by Vice-Chair Donahue. Do I have a second? [05:52:11] Second. I have a second by Ms. Chernoff. Any discussion? Seeing none. Do you have another motion to certify? Oh, we have to vote on that. No discussion. Board members, Clark, please open the vote. Board members, please put in your vote. [05:52:31] Clark, please close and display the vote. That motion passes unanimously. Vice-Chair Donahue, do you have another motion? Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the following resolution certifying the closed meeting be adopted and reflected in the minutes of this public meeting. [05:52:47] Resolution number 34-24-25, whereas the Loudoun County School Board has convened a closed meeting on this date pursuant to an affirmative recorded vote and in accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, and whereas section 2.2-3712 sub D of the Code of Virginia requires a certification by the school board that such closed meeting was conducted in conformity with Virginia law, Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Loudoun County School Board hereby certifies that, to the best of each member's knowledge, one, only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements by Virginia law were discussed in the closed meeting to which the certification applies, [05:53:21] and two, only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed, or considered by the Loudoun County School Board. I have a motion by Vice Chair Donahue. Do I have a second? Second. I have a second by Ms. Chernoff. It's been properly moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? [05:53:40] seeing none board member clerk please open the vote board members please put in your vote clerk please close and display the vote and that vote passes unanimously okay and the board will continue the business from this particular meeting on june 17th at 6 30 p.m there will be [05:54:16] public comment because we are just continuing the information and the action the action and the information items and there so y'all drive safely home it's now adjourned ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Coraggio Consulting ยท aguyonx.com