Coraggio Consulting
Loudoun County School Board, 2nd Tuesday School Board Meeting, Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Place: Loudoun County Public Schools / School Board meeting (see BoardDocs / LCPS-TV)
Length: 4h 19m (video)
Official meeting video (Vimeo / LCPS-TV): https://player.vimeo.com/video/1245588570?rel=0
BoardDocs (School Board): https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/loudoun/Board.nsf/Public

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 2026-11-11. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:02:21] Good afternoon. This is April Chandler and I call to order this November 10, 2026 Loudoun County School Board meeting. This evening we'll start with item number two, disclosures. I will read the first disclosure. 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 an 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.

[00:02:51] 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 interest may also be affected, of which I am included. I can and will participate fairly, objectively, and in the public interest.

[00:03:09] This disclosure will be reflected in the public records of the clerk of the school board for five years. Next up, Vice Chair Donohue. 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 employee salaries, the budget, and/or health insurance, and any other discussion that may include or affect salary and benefits for LCPS employees.

[00:03:31] 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.

[00:03:46] These subjects include thousands of employees well in excess of the statutory three employees whose interest may be affected, of which my spouse, my sister-in-law, my minor children and 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.

[00:04:05] - Thank you, Mrs. Griffiths. - 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 our health insurance and related benefits and any other discussion that may include or affect benefits for LCPS employees.

[00:04:24] Specifically, as a school board member, I am eligible to receive health insurance and related benefits as a 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 am included.

[00:04:40] I can and won't participate fairly objectively in the public's interest. This disclosure will be reflected in the public records of the clerk of the school board for five years. Thank you. - Thank you. I'm 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 LCPS employees.

[00:05:11] 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 these benefits however affect thousands of employees well in excess of the statuatory 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

[00:05:49] Thank you. Ms. Riccardi. 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.

[00:06:09] 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 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 thank you ms shernoff thank you madam chair as a member of the louden 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

[00:06:47] 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 the 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.

[00:07:12] Thank you. With that, we will now move on to the approval of the business Consent Agenda. Are there any changes to be made to the Business Consent Agenda? All right. I will now entertain a motion to approve the Business Consent Agenda. So moved.

[00:07:28] Thank you, Vice Chair Donohue. Vice Chair Donohue has made a motion to approve the Business Consent Agenda. Is there a second? Second. Thank you, Mr. Svensson. It has been properly moved and seconded to approve the Business Consent Agenda.

[00:07:45] At this time, we'll take a vote to approve the Business Consent Agenda. Clerk, please open the vote. members please record your vote clerk please close and display the vote that passes unanimously with all nine board members present for the vote and now we will move on to item number four our school board and administrative policy administrative advisory committee update this evening we'll be hearing from the special education advisory committee um seac for the quarterly update

[00:08:20] our presenter tonight is miss aaron rozelpo the seac chair good evening chair chandler members of of the school board, Dr. Spence and LCPS leadership.

[00:08:50] Again, my name is Erin Rosal-Poe and I am this year's SEAC chair. Thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of SEAC. Tonight, I would briefly like to highlight our subcommittee priorities, provide a brief update to the annual Parent and Guardian Survey with a more comprehensive report to follow this spring and present SEAC's budget recommendations.

[00:09:11] We appreciate the board's continued partnership and commitment to meeting the needs of students with disabilities. Under Virginia's Special Education Regulations, SEAC is a state-mandated advisory committee responsible for identifying the needs of students with disabilities and providing recommendations to the school division and school board.

[00:09:33] Ultimately, SEAC serves as a collaborative advisory voice working to ensure that the needs and the educational rights of students with disabilities remain the central to the division planning and decision-making progress. Next slide, please.

[00:09:50] This evening, I'd like to introduce our SEAC officers for the year. Again, I'm Erin, your SEAC chair. Our SEAC vice chair of planning is Laura Colossi. SEAC vice chair of membership is Tom Ketchum. Our SEAC vice chair of communications is Marcia Kelly.

[00:10:06] SEAC secretary is Katie Rosenbrook. Our SEAC past chair is Shanaz Khan. Our SEAC liaisons, our director of special education is Ms. Nakia Purnell. Our school board liaison, Ms. Carrie LaBelle. and our school board liaison alternate, Ms. April Chandler.

[00:10:23] Next slide, please. SEAC would like to extend our gratitude and thank you to Ms. Nakia Purnell, the director of special education, Dr. Kim Jones and Ms. Kristen Lovell, Ms. Tedra Richardson, our assistant superintendent of student services, special education supervisors who are actively supporting our subcommittees, to Ms. Carrie LaBelle, our school board liaison and SEAC.

[00:10:49] To all of our school board members, we do appreciate your collaboration as well as to LCPS staff. Next slide, please. Currently this year, we have 17 voting members, possibly 18. We did approve application last week.

[00:11:06] Right now, we have confirmed 104 representatives for our PTO/PTA. Our executive committees are meeting monthly. Again, our four working subcommittees are our policy and compliance, meaningful inclusion, specialized reading and math, and transition.

[00:11:23] Next slide, please. Our presentations for the school year 26-27, we kicked off in September with Dr. Spence, Ms. Richardson, Ms. Purnell, and Ms. Mitchell. In October, we discussed FOIA.

[00:11:39] Last week, we just had our third annual special education resource fair. Next month, we're gonna take a dive into the IEP development. January, we plan to have a town hall where we're discussing restorative practices. We're gonna go into executive functioning in February.

[00:11:56] We'd like to have community engagement our EL families in March and of course we're going to be welcoming back the I'm determined student panel. In May our subcommittees will get to work and then in June of course is our annual SEAC awards. Next slide please. SEAC's concerns and priorities for this year. SEAC continues to focus on several important areas including concerns regarding discipline procedures and ensuring consistency in the manifestation determination review process. We are also examining equitable access to adaptive physical education and electives, continuing discussions

[00:12:36] around the development of the VU Transition Center, and expansion of the Start on Success program, and exploring the impact of the new cut scores for the SOL assessments on students with disabilities. Our goal is to identify challenges, strengthen consistency, and advocate appropriate supports and and opportunities for all students with disabilities.

[00:13:00] Next slide, please. Our policy and compliance subcommittee continues to focus on concerns relating to the implementation of IDEA procedures, including the manifestation determination review process.

[00:13:16] Our priorities include identifying opportunities to strengthen consistency in how these procedures are implemented across LCPS schools, ensuring that students with disabilities receive the procedural protections they are entitled to, and developing recommendations that support students and families.

[00:13:34] Ultimately, our goal is to promote consistent practices, strengthen accountability, and help ensure that the rights and educational needs of students with disabilities remain at the forefront of the decision-making process. Next slide, please.

[00:13:50] Our specialized reading and math subcommittee continues to focus on strengthening instructional practices, ensuring consistency in assessments, and improving access to appropriate accommodations and supports for students with disabilities. One of our key priorities is examining the inconsistencies on how common assessments are administered across LCPS schools, improving communication with families, clarifying the accommodations, modifications, and interventions available to students.

[00:14:22] We are also placing particular emphasis on the writing instruction. This includes exploring VDOE approved instructional programs, identifying individualized strategies for students with writing difficulties, and examining evidence-based supports that extend beyond traditional graphic organizers and editing checklists.

[00:14:44] Additionally, the subcommittee is seeking greater clarity regarding the relationship between the MTSS support plans and student accommodations, including whether an MTSS plan is required for a read-aloud accommodation. The goal is to promote consistent practices, strengthen specialized instruction, and ensure students with disabilities have equitable access to instructional supports and accommodations they need to succeed.

[00:15:10] Next slide, please. The Meaningful Inclusion Subcommittee continues to focus on ensuring that students with disabilities have equitable access to educational opportunities and meaningful participation in all aspects of school experience.

[00:15:26] One of our key priorities is improving guidance around double rostering for students who participate in both special education programs and general education classes. We want to ensure that scheduling and enrollment practices support meaningful inclusion rather than create barriers to participation.

[00:15:48] We are also examining equitable K-12 specials and electives including art, music, physical education, adapted physical education, library, and secondary elective courses. Additionally, the subcommittee is working to identify potential barriers related to staffing, facilities, equipment, and scheduling that may limit opportunities for students with disabilities to participate alongside their peers.

[00:16:17] As part of this work, we are gathering information and data to better understand these challenges and develop informed recommendations. Next slide, please. The transition subcommittee continues focus on strengthening transition services and ensuring students with disabilities are prepared for life beyond high school. One of our key priorities is promoting consistent life skills and community-based instruction beginning in middle school so students have opportunities to develop the independence, confidence, and practical skills needed for adulthood.

[00:16:52] We are also focused on expanding inclusive vocational and work-based learning opportunities that allows students to explore career interests, gain meaningful employment experiences, and develop skills alongside their peers. Additionally, the subcommittee is supporting the development of the VU Transition Academy and advocating for the expansion of the Start on Success program to provide students with additional pathways towards employment and post-secondary success. Another important priority is improving family awareness of available

[00:17:29] transition services resources and post-secondary options while strengthening individualized student-centered transition planning that reflects each student's strength interest and goals cx goal is to ensure that transition planning is not simply about preparing students to graduate but about preparing them for meaningful fulfilling lives beyond the classroom with opportunities for for continued education, employment, independence, and community participation.

[00:18:03] Next slide, please. SEAC recognizes the importance of our annual parent and guardian survey in understanding family's experiences, identifying areas of improvement, and recognizing concerns that may require further attention.

[00:18:20] We believe these findings deserve a thoughtful and comprehensive review. Therefore, SEAC will continue to examine the survey results, including year over trend, areas of continued need, and opportunities to inform the work of our subcommittees.

[00:18:36] We are currently in the process of securing the platform for a comprehensive analysis. We look forward to returning to the school board this spring to share a more detailed analysis of the findings, as well as any potential recommendations. For tonight, we wanted to acknowledge the importance of this while keeping our primary focus on CX budget recommendations.

[00:18:59] Next slide, please. SEAC prioritize focus on strengthening instructional support, protecting essential staffing, expanding specialized programs, and ensuring equitable access to services.

[00:19:16] As LCPS navigates enrollment changes and budget challenges, we believe special education resources must remain aligned with students' needs, not simply enrollment numbers.

[00:19:31] SEAC recommends increasing our special education instructional facilitators. As LCPS continues to expand specialized programs, it is important that teachers, particularly those new to special education or specialized programs, receive the support necessary to implement instruction effectively.

[00:19:54] CIFs play a critical role in providing instructional coaching, helping teachers implement specialized curricula, interventions, and promoting consistency across schools. Their expertise help ensure that programs are not only available, but are being implemented as intended.

[00:20:14] SEAC is requesting that LCPS prioritize protecting special education teacher positions, particularly secondary cross-categorical teachers, to ensure staffing levels remain aligned with students' needs and services required by their IEPs.

[00:20:32] As LCPS experiences changes in enrollment, staffing decisions must continue to reflect the actual need of students receiving special education services. A decline in overall student enrollment does not necessarily mean a decline in special education caseloads.

[00:20:52] It's quite the opposite. The number of students receiving special education services continue to climb, despite overall enrollment numbers decreasing. The complexity of students' needs or the number of services required by their IEPs must be part of the conversation.

[00:21:11] Secondary cross-categorical teachers are particularly important because they support students with a wide range of disabilities, instructional needs across multiple academic settings. SEAC has identified a need to expand as what we are referring to as the tweener supports.

[00:21:28] These are students who remain on the general education curriculum and SOL track, but require more intensive academic interventions, instructional adaptations, smaller learning environments, or social-emotional support than a traditional classroom setting may provide.

[00:21:46] These students often fall between existing program models, creating challenges for students trying to provide appropriate levels of support. LCPS has begun piloting approaches at the elementary level to address these needs, but the availability of these supports remain inconsistent across schools.

[00:22:07] SEAC encourages expanding these opportunities, particularly at the elementary level, while also evaluating the need for additional support at the middle school level. Our goal is to ensure students have access to appropriate interventions and learning environments while maintaining opportunities to participate in the general education setting.

[00:22:29] We are recommending prioritizing CAST transportation needs. Students participating in CAST programs require transportation that is safe, reliable, and accessible. Concerns have been raised regarding aging vehicles and the need for transportation options that appropriately accommodate students with disabilities, including those with mobility needs.

[00:22:55] Reliable transportation is essential to ensuring students can consistently access educational programming, community-based instruction, and other learning opportunities associated with these programs. SEAC encourages LCPS to evaluate the condition and accessibility of the existing vehicles and prioritize necessary replacements or improvements.

[00:23:22] SEAC encourages LCPS to provide adequate adapted physical education staffing and dedicated scheduling capacity. APE is an important part of ensuring students with disabilities have meaningful access physical education that meets their individual needs and abilities. Providing these services require appropriate staffing, specialized instruction, scheduling that allows students to participate consistently. Without sufficient staffing and dedicated scheduling opportunities, schools face many challenges delivering these services effectively. SEAC recommends ensuring

[00:23:59] adaptive PE and all specials are appropriately supported so students can access the physical education opportunities and services they require. SEAC is advocating for the development of the additional public separate programming option within LCPS. SEAC has consistently emphasized the importance of maintaining a full continuum of special education services and placement options.

[00:24:26] Currently, there are students whose needs may not be appropriately met within their 16 school setting but for whom private day placement may not be the most appropriate alternative this creates a gap in the continuum of services available to families and iep teams developing an additional lcps public separate option could provide more specialized educational environment while allowing students to remain within public school divisions when when appropriate SEAC is recommending strengthening and appropriately compensating

[00:25:04] our special education dean positions. Special education deans carry significant responsibilities related to special education programming, compliance, staff supports, and coordination of services at the school level. These responsibilities require specialized knowledge, experience, and leadership to help ensure students receive appropriate services and that schools meet their special education obligations.

[00:25:30] SEAC encourages LCPS to review current stipend structure and consider whether compensation appropriately reflects the scope and complexity of the responsibilities. We are also recommending to clarify the role, the qualification, and the reporting structure for these positions to promote consistency and effective special education leadership across schools.

[00:25:54] Next slide please. Beyond these immediate budget priorities, SEAC is raising an important long-term concern regarding the declining enrollment and potential future budget reductions. As LCPS plans for the future enrollment changes, we believe special education staffing and services should not automatically be reduced by the same percentage as overall student enrollment.

[00:26:23] A reduction in enrollment does not necessarily mean a corresponding reduction in the number of students requiring special education services, the complexity of their needs, or the staffing necessary to fulfill their IEP requirements.

[00:26:38] For that reason, SEAC is advocating for LCPS to establish a protected core of special education staffing and direct student services. This means identifying the essential staffing and services necessary to meet students' needs and ensuring resources receive appropriate protections when future budget reductions are considered.

[00:27:01] We also recommend that LCPS develop a comprehensive special education budget framework, including a special education impact analysis before significant reductions are adopted. This analysis should consider how proposed reductions could affect staffing levels, caseloads, specialized programs, related services, transition supports, assistive technology, and LCPS's ability to meet its special education obligation.

[00:27:34] Our goal is to begin the conversation now, before significant reductions are proposed, so that decisions affecting students with disabilities are made thoughtfully, transparently, and with a clear understanding of their potential impact.

[00:27:49] Ultimately, SEAC recommends recommendations reflect a shared goal, ensuring that students with disabilities have access to appropriate staff, programs, services, and learning environments they need to succeed. As LCPS navigates changes in enrollment and future budget challenges, we ask the school board to recognize special education needs cannot be measured by enrollment numbers alone.

[00:28:16] Our hope is that these recommendations will not only address current gaps in services, but also help ensure a more sustainable and consistent approach to special education planning. We appreciate the board's consideration for these priorities and its continued commitment to meet the needs of students with disabilities throughout LCPS.

[00:28:38] Next slide, please. And finally, mark your calendars. Wednesday, June 2nd, date, time, location is still to be determined, but we would love for the school board to join us at our annual SEAC ceremony.

[00:28:54] Next slide, any questions? - Thank you, Madam Chair, for the presentation. It was very informative. And with that, board members, do you have any questions or comments? - Yes, Ms. Chernoff.

[00:29:10] - Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Ms. Poe. It's so great to have you. Thank you for your service, and I see your cheering squad in the back. We miss you both, but I know you're supporting her in other ways. This is a strong group and always has been, and I truly appreciate the work that went into this.

[00:29:26] I really appreciate the clarity and the honesty of just naming exactly what you're looking for and what your priorities are. That is extremely helpful for those of us that aren't on the committee, for you to clearly outline that. Feels right on target, honestly, from the things that I hear in schools as well, so a lot of that aligns.

[00:29:45] I wanted to address a couple things specifically that I know LCPS is also noodling on in other areas. The first thing that you mentioned is about the common assessments. We've been, we addressed that in curriculum and instruction last week, and there's a lot of ongoing feedback and being gathered and the team is going out.

[00:30:04] And I know that I share some of your concerns as well, not just for special education students, but for all students, the use of devices. I mean, so I'm really glad to see that you've mentioned that on here, especially as it relates, I think later on, you mentioned something about a read aloud accommodation.

[00:30:21] that is something in particular that is I think complex right now with the common assessments that maybe doesn't have to be so working through some of those concerns I know is on the table and there is a place for feedback for that so I'm glad to see that you've raised that and happy to continue that dialogue as we've been hearing from many schools about that so it just kind of repeats that same same sentiment I'm also really glad that you mentioned special programs. I chair the special programs committee and we are growing our special programs and again last week in our meeting we looked at some of the admissions data and there were some really great questions raised around the

[00:31:01] special education populations. We've seen a real strong surge in IB but some of the other programs we are not seeing the percentages that we would like to and is that a lack of support or is it the process of admission? Those are some different things that some guiding questions that I have had and will continue to explore and curious to learn more about how you think the CIFS interface with that so I hadn't heard that before so I would love to pick your brain on that as well and then I love that you're calling this the protected core I've been calling it baseline staffing standards yours sounds way

[00:31:36] cooler so I might just adopt that but I I think that is important when we're thinking are about our vulnerable learners going into the budget cycle staffing standards based on needs is much more responsive for I think all students that's hard to always know but I agree with you I would support something that would look at where is that baseline what is that protected core look like where can we not negotiate there and set that aside so I feel like that is very thoughtful and then one question about special education deans and your committee I have heard from a lot of building leaders and the

[00:32:14] special education deans themselves about some of the struggles in terms of caseload and being itinerant and being moved frequently year to year and so be not being able to build up the rapport with the students and the and the families so are you do you do they come to your SEAC meetings do you have a chance for them to come and present and share those concerns are those more things that they're reaching out to you with I would say it's a combination of both okay what I can speak to is we do have some deans that actually are becoming more active in coming to our CF meetings which is great they come up and they speak to our EC at our current members and they are trying to engage

[00:32:53] with the community I've also received a few emails as well of just areas of concern. And then also, if I'm out and about in the community, sometimes it's, Erin, do you have a minute? Let me pick your ear. So I get it from a lot of different sources. But what I can say is when we do have the consistency of special education deans permanently established at a school setting, you do have a little bit more structure and support as a school as a whole for our students with disabilities because they do carry a lot of weight and do a lot for our students.

[00:33:31] I agree with you, and I would add full-time because some of them are permanent at two different places, which makes it two different jobs, which is really difficult. So I also hear those concerns and get pulled aside, so I'm grateful to see that you've represented that here and the common thread.

[00:33:49] So I know I owe you a tag-up, so we'll get together eventually. Our calendars will sync up, But I'm very appreciative of the work here and grateful to you and your team and to all the parents that are bringing these things forward. And it's very thoughtful and it's very helpful. So thank you so much.

[00:34:04] Thank you. Mr. Svinson. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Ms. Poe. I really appreciate the presentation. And just to echo what Ms. Chernoff was saying, I think the special education dean position is something I hear a lot about when visiting schools and the importance of that position and strengthening that.

[00:34:22] So I appreciate that being on your priority list as well. I wanted to ask about the tweener supports and kind of what specific supports would be most helpful to consider as we're looking at the budget come January. What specific intervention or programming or staffing would be most helpful to address that need?

[00:34:45] Yeah, so with the tweener programs, like I said, it's being piloted in a few schools. I've actually seen a really successful program where they've sort of mastered the philosophy behind it at one of our elementary schools. And it is just that, it's we have a grouping of students, essentially, where they're too advanced for established program classes.

[00:35:05] So like your autism or your behavioral classes, but the gen ed pacing is just a little too advanced. And so what we're doing is we're essentially merging those two worlds together with combined resources to provide accessibility to the general education setting, to push in and then pull out to more of a resource-type setting, not necessarily a program classroom, but the teachers are really the key to all of this.

[00:35:31] It comes down to these teachers having the appropriate skill sets to meet these kiddos where they're at so they can be afforded this opportunity. Thank you. That's very helpful. Thank you for all your work. Thank you so much for the informative presentation.

[00:35:52] It was lovely to hear from you today, and it looks like there are no further questions. Thank you all for your time. So much. and with that we will move on to our work session our first item is item 5.01 department of teaching

[00:36:07] and learning update on access power school curriculum and instruction good afternoon chair

[00:36:46] chandler members of the board good afternoon welcome everyone i was just going to say thank you for being here and mr slevin would you please introduce your team yes so we i am very uh happy to be joined by a dynamic team who is very deep in the work of our curriculum so i'll just ask if they could quickly go on mic to introduce themselves and their role. Good afternoon. I'm Jeff Brownsley, director of teaching and learning K-12. Hello, I'm Catherine Neal. I supervise elementary reading and writing. Hi, Brittany Shaleen, math supervisor. Hello, my name is Amanda

[00:37:25] Kim. I'm the supervisor of instructional design and innovation. Good evening. I'm Jonathan Bonner, the principal of Tuscarora High School. And we are very grateful for Mr. Bonner. The life of a high school principal is very busy, but he has been prioritizing the worker curriculum. So he's going to help us talk a little bit about the impact of the work of this team at the school level.

[00:37:46] So we are appreciative of the opportunity to update the board on our continued progress responding to a curriculum audit that was conducted a number of years ago in terms of changes that were recommended to our approach to curriculum in our support of teachers.

[00:38:03] So the agenda tonight will include a check-in on that progress, a connection on how we have evolved in terms of our curriculum design and presentation, and then hopefully at the end have an opportunity for some dialogue and feedback from the board. We have a goal in LCPS of the instructional framework really being a daily guide to what we want to see in our classrooms, the learning experience that our students are experiencing every day, as well as how our teachers are thinking about and they're planning individually in their CLT. Similarly, if we have that vision for what is to happen in our classrooms, our work needs to be driven by the LCPS

[00:38:42] instructional framework. So we are keeping that in the center of our approach to curriculum and instruction in the Department of Teaching and Learning. When we conducted our curriculum audit in 2024, we had an outside group who came in and evaluated our documents, talked to our teachers, conducted some focus groups, and left us with five key recommendations. I've shared this slide before and have been sharing it since 2024, but it really has guided a lot of the work that's happened in the Department of Teaching and Learning and across LCPS. So these were the five recommendations.

[00:39:18] The first one was a greater sense of clarity, a clear definition of what we mean when we say curriculum. The second one was a sense of consistency. And so every office had information in different formats, different degrees of depth for teams and for especially an elementary teacher or our co-teaching teams, having that sense of consistency is really important, but even at the secondary level, it speaks to the consistent and coherent approach that our students experience in their classrooms. The next one is curation, and so one of the things that we see frequently or we heard frequently was that LCPS has many high-quality resources available, but how is it

[00:39:57] organized, where is it available, how can students and teacher, how can teachers access it easily, And those three really are the focus of our initial time that we spent in the curriculum audit that we'll talk about over the next couple of slides, but we will spend a little bit of time also talking about collaboration.

[00:40:13] How do we engage teachers in this process? How do we make curriculum a key part of our professional learning? And the last one is communication. How do we clarify for our teachers, our school leaders, and our central office teams exactly what we expect people to do with the information that we share?

[00:40:29] So for the first one, clarity is a, is this is our definition of curriculum that we established together and it's long and so on the next slide you'll see a few key phrases that come out of this and so in lcps our curriculum is standards align always starting with the standards and what we expect our students to know and be able to do with the conclusion of a year it is intentionally sequenced so how do we help teachers chunk this down in a way that makes a very big job of teaching students to read or seventh grade science or whatever it might be into ways that are intentional and represents what we would consider a best approach to teaching that content the third one is to make sure that our teachers recognize

[00:41:09] that when we say curriculum we don't mean a textbook and we don't mean the standards but it's how we bring the vast collection of resources that we have together in a way that makes sense for our teachers and our students and the last one is how do we make sure that all of our students have access to rigorous learning through our curriculum so how do we provide extensions to our gifted students how do we provide scaffolds to our special education and el students how do How do we make sure that our curriculum speaks to all of the students who might be in our classroom?

[00:41:40] So feedback from that curriculum audit really indicated that our curriculum templates used to vary significantly across content areas and across grade levels. This often created challenges for teachers, specifically our elementary teachers or any staff member who supported teachers who taught multiple subject areas.

[00:42:04] So as a result of that feedback, we created a common LCPS unit guide template for our curriculum, and this was a way to consistently organize unit materials. The common unit guide is aligned to the four key components of the instructional framework.

[00:42:20] You'll notice on this slide that, for example, design and assess sit side by side on this template, and that was intentional. The template is structured in a way to support teachers in planning with the end in mind. The common unit guide supports consistent and cohesive experiences for both students and teachers, while still preserving flexibility for teachers to meet the needs of their students.

[00:42:51] This slide outlines some specific things that teachers can expect to find in all of the unit guides. The goal is to support teachers with that ongoing cycle of designing meaningful instruction, engaging students, and assessing student learning, all while centering student diverse needs.

[00:43:13] The curriculum audit also identified some opportunities to improve the way that staff accessed our LCPS curriculum. So as a result, we made the decision to move our curriculum from Schoology groups into a new system called Power School Curriculum and Instruction.

[00:43:32] Power School Curriculum and Instruction is a curriculum management system that is used to organize, streamline, and align our division curricular resources. That unit template that you saw on a previous slide is embedded into this system.

[00:43:48] And we believe that PowerSchool Curriculum and Instruction helps to establish division-wide consistency and improve staff access to curriculum. In these next few slides, Ms. Chalene and Ms. Neal will offer a virtual tour of what the system looks like.

[00:44:09] - With PowerSchool Curriculum and Instruction, teachers, support staff, and administrators have access to curriculum resources across all grade levels and content areas. Users can quickly locate curriculum by searching by grade, course, content area, or keyword, making it easy to find the resources they need.

[00:44:28] Frequently used curriculum maps can be favorited, providing even faster access to commonly referenced curriculum. The centralized system ensures that educators have consistent access to the most current curriculum resources.

[00:44:45] The pacing guide provides a clear representation of the suggested unit sequence for instruction throughout the school year. Embedded within the pacing guide is the LCPS school calendar, which automatically accounts for holidays, staff work days, and other scheduling considerations.

[00:45:01] This helps teachers plan instruction while maintaining alignment with the division's recommended pacing. The tool also supports collaboration across classrooms and schools by providing a common understanding of where students are within the curriculum throughout the year.

[00:45:20] This screenshot highlights the engage section of the curriculum template that Ms. Kim referenced earlier. Here, teachers can access ready-to-use lessons, instructional resources, activities, and assessments aligned to the learning objectives and standards. Think of the section as a blueprint for instruction, providing educators with resources they can use and adapt to meet the unique needs of their students.

[00:45:44] By providing high-quality standards-aligned resources in one location, the platform reduces planning time and allows teachers to focus more on meeting the needs of our learners. Every unit also includes student-centered supports designed to help teachers anticipate and respond to student needs.

[00:46:04] These resources may include scaffolds, language supports, differentiation strategies, and targeted interventions. By providing intentional supports for diverse learners, the curriculum helps ensure that instruction remains responsive, accessible, and engaging for all students.

[00:46:21] These supports reinforce LCPS's commitment to providing rigorous learning opportunities while ensuring that every student has access to the resources and pathways needed for success.

[00:46:37] Another feature of PowerSchool Curriculum Instruction or another feature or more benefits of PowerSchool Curriculum Instruction are the analytic tools that we have available. I will say that as far as where we are with PCNI is that this is probably an area that we are still learning about or all the different options and tools that we have available to us.

[00:47:02] For PowerSchool Curriculum Instruction, it allows us to see this curriculum or our curriculum is a coherent K to 12 learning journey, not just isolated grade level documents. We can quickly answer questions such as where do students learn and revisit a concept like main idea.

[00:47:19] So you can see here on the screen that we have third grade, fourth grade and fifth grade represented and all the different places where identifying main idea and teaching main idea is addressed. Curriculum teams, grade level teams, vertical alignment teams can see how skills concepts build over time from grade to grade, which helps ensure intentional sequencing.

[00:47:44] This platform can also help us identify some potential gaps or redundancies or any missed opportunities in our curriculum. And this type of cross-grade analysis would be extremely difficult if we had all of these documents living like within separate Google Docs, having it all in one place, we're allowed to pull reports such as this.

[00:48:09] Another example is how we can ensure that we're aligning to the standards. So curriculum teams, grade level teams can see exactly where the standards are taught, where those standards are also revisited, and where they're reinforced throughout the year.

[00:48:25] So in this example, we have a grade four standard for DSRC, and you can see the different units within fourth grade that that standard is aligned to. These reports will help us verify that all of our required standards are being addressed through intentional learning experiences.

[00:48:44] And if a standard is underrepresented or overly concentrated in one area, we can identify that quickly and make those adjustments. So in thinking about our curriculum development teams that get together, these reports will be very helpful when it comes to making adjustments or revisions to our curriculum documents.

[00:49:07] From a school leader lens, access to PowerSchool curriculum and instruction has been an absolute game changer. So in my years in LCPS, I have seen these resources housed in a variety of different areas, and I can tell you with certainty that this platform is by and far the best that we've had.

[00:49:24] It is used regularly by my admin team, by our instructional coaches, our department chairs, and our teachers, whether that be in a CLT meeting, formal observations, or just a quick walkthrough. It aligns perfectly. a direct alignment with our teacher evaluation process so for instance our teachers know exactly what our expectations are with instructional planning or assessment for student learning all the pieces are right there in power school curriculum and instruction and then there's a common baseline for all schools with the ability to modify for the unique needs of that building so for instance we know at independence high school or tuscaraw high school or briarwoods

[00:50:02] high school we have the same baseline for algebra one or world history two but we're able to modify for our EL and our special education while other schools can look at their SIP and what they need to do to provide for their students. The next slide is it's not an example of it's exactly what my instructional staff saw at our October faculty meeting so we displayed this table which was a required use of our PowerSchool curriculum instruction and then also a suggested use so for instance we require that they use PowerSchool CNI to follow that pacing alignment to standards and develop common assessments and then also have

[00:50:40] those discussions around the other pieces aligned with the instructional framework and then we suggested that all teams use ai with specific prompts so gemini or copilot to align those activities with the sip goals for that clt and the school as a whole additionally there are lcps assessment resources and that's really important to maintain that rigor that we know that the curriculum teams have developed so students the end of course tests can have that rigor all throughout the year to be successful at the end of the year and then lastly we extended that professional learning from our October faculty meeting to our

[00:51:18] November 2nd and 3rd PD days so this was an activity that we took our staff through where we took a world history to unit we took a learning objective that was provided in power school CNI and then we practice going through AI prompts that would spit out activities for our students to read write listen and speak through that content area. As Mr. Roundsley mentioned earlier our initial focus in responding to this curriculum audit was really on the first three recommendations and our work is not over. So as we continue our focus our ongoing

[00:51:58] efforts and that focus will continue to look at collaboration and communication. One way that we are approaching collaboration is to strengthen teacher voice. Every unit guide in all of our curriculum maps includes a let's talk button. Teachers can use this button to submit questions and feedback directly to our content offices. This feedback informs both improvements to the curriculum and professional learning. So the strategy creates a continuous feedback loop and direct communication channels between teachers and our

[00:52:37] content offices. On the next slide Ms. Neal will walk you through an example of some of the questions and feedback that we've received and then the action that we've taken. - So as you can see, here are some examples of where teachers have shared their questions, sometimes requests or even appreciation for the different resources and guides that are in PCNI.

[00:53:05] Let's Talk really helps provide teachers with that direct and accessible way to ask those questions or make requests. really you know has that open line of communication between schools and central office in many cases the feedback results result in immediate revisions or clarification of expectations or even improvements to the curriculum resources for example sometimes we don't know what teachers see on their end and so when teachers provide us with that feedback we're able able to make some quick changes in that moment to make sure that they have what they need it also helps

[00:53:43] because when multiple teachers raise similar concerns we know that this is an opportunity for us to go back and to revise the curriculum and to bring the these overall patterns and trends back to our curriculum development teams so that they have a lot many more teacher voices at the table when we're making those changes so it makes our curriculum development more responsive and reflective of really what's happening in the classroom and then we wanted to highlight the lcps curriculum guidance and expectations document you can see here that

[00:54:22] this was shared with the division during our march 19th countywide staff development day and you can see that this document really outlines the supports that central support teams will provide but also the responsibilities with teachers or for teachers to implement and and adapt the curriculum as they see fit and as their students need.

[00:54:46] Central support teams are responsible for developing and maintaining standards aligned curriculum, clear learning expectations, high quality resources and ongoing support. Teachers are responsible for implementing that curriculum, adapting their instruction based on student needs and making instructional decisions that support student learning.

[00:55:08] Power School Curriculum and Instruction helps to really operationalize this shared responsibility by providing a common platform where curriculum, resources, expectations, and feedback processes are all housed together.

[00:55:26] - In order to continue to approve LCPS curriculum, we will continue to strengthen teacher voice in this process and our cross-office collaboration partnerships. We also plan to invest in our teacher-led curriculum development teams by providing some consistent professional learning on the instructional framework, research-based strategies, and student-centered practices.

[00:55:50] And thirdly, our content teams will continue to migrate curriculum into PowerSchool curriculum and instruction, and on an ongoing basis, improve curriculum based on teacher feedback.

[00:56:06] - So before I turn it back to you, Ms. Chandler, and the board for questions and comments, I do just want to take a moment and express, while many of the comments may feel like this presentation about power school curriculum and instruction it's really about a fundamental shift and how we are collaborating together and with teachers in the development of our curriculum that's being deployed in our in our classrooms so I want to give a big shout out to our content offices represented here tonight by math and elementary ELA but we have multiple content offices that have been deep in this work not only has it taken time and energy to update our curriculum but it's also taken a willingness to understand

[00:56:45] that we have one goal or one LCPS when it comes to our approach for curriculum and that that's been a bit of a shift you know science has unique needs math has unique needs but at the end of the day our teachers want to be responsive to a consistent message from central office so I really appreciate the leadership displayed by our content offices so with that we're happy to have any feedback or discussion on evidence of impact you may be seeing from this work how can we continue supporting our students and teachers and then from a community and communications engagement perspective if you have questions or perspective we would love to receive that thank you so much for the presentation

[00:57:23] that was very informative i know i'm very happy to hear how the team has been working together really to bring everything in alignment i think it will strengthen our ability to provide consistency across all of loudon county and with that board members i'm sure there are questions and comments, and we'll start with Mr. Pepper. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you guys. I don't think there's enough of you at the table for this presentation, but probably had about 15 more. So Mr. Slevin knows this, but one of the questions that I asked in preparing for this meeting was whether we had access to power school curriculum instruction, and of course we do. So what am I going to do? I'm going to dive right in and start to build courses in areas of my expertise based

[00:58:02] on what was in there. And so based on that, a lot of questions, and probably directed to a lot of people. I want to start with one that as curriculum folks you probably know the Dufours and we talk about professional learning community talk about being loose and being tight and so maybe this is for Principal Bonner but it could be for all of you. I know you mentioned using this with walkthroughs. Where are you loose and where are you tight with your staff when you're going through the sequence? Absolutely we are tight with that LCPS pacing so we always say you know if it says unit 1 ends on September 30th if you're on October 1st or

[00:58:38] second, we're okay. But if it's November 5th and you're still on unit one, we're not okay. So we're going to be tight on that pacing within the realm of a couple days. We're a little bit looser on how it is taught. So we're standards aligned. We're pulling the resources out of the curriculum, power school curriculum and instruction. But then we're saying you may want to teach it one way and somebody else on your CLT may want to teach it another way. But as long as we're all coming back together for that common summative assessment at the end of the unit, and then we look at data and determine what was the most successful method? That second part was an incredible statement, so I appreciate that. What was the most successful method?

[00:59:15] And for me, when I look at this, I think this is a tremendous resource, particularly for our newer teachers, right? Someone who has, you know, five, ten decades in the system kind of has it all mapped out, kind of knows how things are gonna work, kind of knows what they're gonna be, and this is still a great resource for them.

[00:59:31] I really love the idea that maybe they need to differentiate for English language learners or students with disabilities. They need to find some way to pull in different things. I love that those pieces are there. One of the things that I would love to see you add is similarly like an assessment feature and perhaps even a tiered, this could be a project for you all, a tiered assessment feature, right? What are some questions that are really high level and make our students synthesize the information? And what are some student questions that are more just, did you understand the material and even modify questions? So some sort of assessment type bank I know that's probably years down the road but that gives our teachers

[01:00:09] an opportunity to pull from without having to think and so really not just bringing common assessment to the school or a team but within the LCPS community I think would be a really wonderful feature. The other thing that I love that you mentioned that I'm going to turn over to my colleagues I have about a billion questions on this but I can ask them offline because I love this idea of strengthening teacher voice. I know that this is being built by our content teams and we have experts in those fields but when we really get into you know the nitty gritty and elementary specialist as much as they know about elementary might not be a fourth grade specialist or a science specialist might not be a chemistry specialist and so making sure that we have the voice of not just those

[01:00:49] individuals on the content teams but those individuals in our county who are team leaders who have been teaching this for ages and have incredible resources and ideas I mean I will tell you when I look like I was like well I don't like the way you did that and because of this I don't wait that so I love the feedback model you give. But looking at strengthening teacher voice, because what we really want is buy-in, right? And it's easy to get buy-in from a struggling teacher because, you know, they're struggling with so many things as is, and they're struggling with how to plan the curriculum, but it's sometimes harder to get a buy-in from the veteran teacher who's been doing it, who's been successful, and who knows what they're doing, and who is somewhat resistant to change. So just

[01:01:27] encouraging you to continue with that. But I thank you for this hard work. I know it's not a finished product i know it's not a finished practice i've been playing with it um but i love where we're going with it i just want to say thank you for your feedback but i also want to just again note appreciation for the leaders of these content offices i i was looking at a stat last week and miss neal may not want me to continue to point out but since august there's been 220 interactions between teachers and her office in terms of just feedback appreciation cycles of improvement in curriculum um so that teacher voice has been um something we had hoped for in terms of our use for

[01:02:05] let's talk or on flow but it really i think has helped strengthen the relationship between these offices and and the teachers so not that we want to advocate for more let's talks to respond to but it has been a positive cycle i share donahue thank you madam chair thank you everyone for the presentation exciting rollout I have I have two groups of questions my first questions are about the updates so are the updates supposed to come up ad hoc

[01:02:41] as the need arises or is there like a planned schedule and in particular if the if the updates are coming up ad hoc as the need arises and not on a planned schedule the updates to the curriculum how how do you roll that out in a way that teachers can be prepared to integrate those changes so our curriculum curriculum development process is on a set schedule and so when the video we releases new standards adopts new standards that really sets off a number of chain of events including textbook adoption and a deep dive when

[01:03:19] it comes to curriculum development so when new standards come out our offices are pretty busy setting up time for our teachers to dive into the new curriculum and create new standards on the on the flip side we're always learning we're always growing we have work we want to do to align our curriculum to the lcps instructional framework for example and so we do have ad hoc curriculum development teams that meet on a regular basis and so the let's talk is kind of the end of the road it's like this is what's being implemented and so it's kind of in the field feedback where we would make those adjustments but there are a number of

[01:03:55] other times where we our content offices are working through curriculum development do you think I've covered that if a standard is updated are the teachers expected to respond to the update in real time and what happens if they've already taught the subject that is being updated or the concept that's being updated then then they would probably revisit it the next time the subject came up again in terms of the standard necessarily wouldn't be updated

[01:04:34] because the standards are pretty consistent the resource that they could choose to implement may be may be updated so there would be no monitoring or expecting them to go back go back to that but i do believe is there a feature within power school where teachers can get an update when curriculum is updated so they could get if they want to notice and so if teachers really are being diligent and want to track they can get a notice and get it probably a little ping that the curriculum was updated thank you that's very helpful and then my my other questions are about teachers and their lesson plans are they still allowed to develop their own

[01:05:12] lesson plans if so are there ways to integrate their lesson plans into this curriculum and if if a teacher does create their own lesson plan and it is uploaded and becomes widely used and adopted is there a way to acknowledge that so we showed one thing to point out is that we want the curriculum to serve as a foundation but teacher lesson plans can definitely utilize other resources or tools we showed you half of power school curriculum and instruction today there is another half that is a

[01:05:48] lesson planner that does integrate with the curriculum we have not widely pushed that frankly because i think there are some features that we already have that are maybe more helpful to teach to teachers working and collaborating together but there is another side to power school curriculum instruction that is a lesson planner and that does really fully integrate with our curriculum that that teachers have access to and could use at any time.

[01:06:12] But I think for the most part, a lot of times our teams are working in Google Docs and other forms where they're able to share those lesson plans with each other and with our content offices a little more easily than what Power School Curriculum Instruction would allow them to do.

[01:06:29] - Ms. Chernoff? - Thank you, Madam Chair. And I think this question piggybacks off of Vice Chair Donahue's question, which is, I mean, I'm gonna date myself and I've been very clear that I love a good binder, but we had curriculum and binders when I taught, so there's that, and it was wonderful, by the way, but I would have my lesson plans, and I would stick a post-it note on a lesson plan, and it would say, hey, Lauren, next year, remember, you did this, and you changed that, and so you might wanna think about that, 'cause I wasn't gonna remember year to year what I did with the ant farm, right?

[01:07:01] So I think that I'm wondering, is there an ability to take these lessons and save them off and have your own edits on them is my question. - Yes, is the bottom line. So what we do is when we get the feedback, it goes into, we have our office has a Google form where we keep track of all of the changes and the edits that we possibly could make with curriculum teams.

[01:07:25] An example that just this morning, we got feedback on a math six lesson. We tagged that and earmarked it. Okay, we need to update this lesson based off of this feedback and utilize the curriculum teams to do that. So it's the virtual sticky note of the binder, but yes, we are keeping track of all those revisions as we move through.

[01:07:43] And I think in general, most of the resources are either PDFs, Google Docs that a teacher can download and create. So they can have their own personal version that the whole world doesn't need to see all their edits as well. Correct. Okay. And I'm grateful for the questions from Mr. Pepper. I mean, to me, it feels big, it feels overwhelming, but it also feels like really neat that we have all of these resources and that the teams are working so hard to make sure that there is a great baseline for our staff.

[01:08:10] And I echo what he said about new staff. think this would have been a tremendous resource for a new teacher and I'm wondering what was the training like as you moved from Schoology and crosswalk them to power school can you walk us through what that might look like either at the school level or at the division level we started conversations with teachers really last February so once we knew that we were adopting a new curriculum management system and we began the process internally behind the scenes to migrate curriculum over into this new system we had a professional learning team that worked very closely with our instructional technology

[01:08:49] facilitators even last about a year ago now so we met a few times with instructional technology facilitators gave them some early access to this system and then in February all of our instructional technology facilitators provided an opportunity for teachers to learn how to log in now last February we didn't have any content in the system right now at that point so they were really just learning how to how would you navigate into lcps go and log in or even how to access it from schoology itself

[01:09:24] then in march i believe it was march 19th which was our last year's spring countywide staff development day at that point we had quarter one content in for all of our phase one courses and all teachers on that county-wide staff development day participated in a common learning experience with their content office during that opportunity was when they really took a look at that new the template for how curriculum units would be set up again they only had access to quarter one at that time but it gave them an initial touch point and conversation around what

[01:10:02] curriculum what the template would look like and then we know that this school year actually I should mention that in August all of our new teachers whether they had experience or they were first-year teachers they had a similar onboarding experience with their instructional technology facilitators during those initial work days for new hires and then since we began this school year teachers have really engaged both CLTs with the system some schools like mr. Bonner mentioned dedicated some time on November school-led professional learning days to get into the system and I know a lot of our

[01:10:42] content offices have been embedding this work into their touch points with their lead teachers to get as an ongoing basis to be able to acclimate teachers into this new system I appreciate that and then just the last question for clarity as we move forward I know that we still have Schoology because my kids access schoology every day parents have access to schoology courses where things are organized what is the plan is there one are we staying with that platform for students for the time being are we does power school offer something does that make more sense as we evolve and align what is the thinking on the schoology

[01:11:21] universe as we move forward so schoology is also power school okay just to be clear it is it is the learn it is the learning management system that we adopted a number of years ago. And so we, I would say when we adopted Schoology as a learning management system, we shoehorned our curriculum into the learning management system. So the Schoology system is connected to curriculum instruction. And so we would need both of those tools. Great. Thank you. Ms. LaBelle. Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you for your succinct

[01:11:55] and wonderful presentation. Having dealt with curriculum for many years, I understand how hard it is to cover everything that you need to cover in a certain period of time and one of the things that I wanted to ask about in many ways a teacher can only move as fast as the slowest learner in her class how do you count for that with the calendar curriculum if you have several students in the room that just don't get a concept that is basic and is needed before you start

[01:12:32] building other concepts on top of that how do you get that student to a point where you can move forward with the whole class and be sure that that one student or several students can move forward with you with understanding so I can start then I'll ask if someone can speak a little bit about our collaboration for differentiated groups within our classrooms but essentially I think what you're asking for is a work session on our MTSS system you know how do we how do we respond to all the different needs and the intervention

[01:13:10] structures that are in place and that's definitely part of the of the equation but in terms of our base curriculum we do want to make sure that our foundation has resources that can be used across the spectrum of student need so would anyone like to jump in and talk a little bit about that part of the curriculum that may have been developed between ELA or math I can start if math wants to jump in. So I think you highlight an important question that we talk a lot with our teacher teams about is really how do we pull those groups that are showing that they're really

[01:13:47] having difficulty with the core content. And so what do those small group structures look like? And sometimes it's in the moment, you know, we pull those small groups and we help to support and supplement. And then sometimes it goes into, okay, what intervention do we need to put in place to help support and to kind of close those gaps. So PC&I, some of those reports that we were showing where we can see how the the curriculum spirals that's also helpful to teachers because they know if a student doesn't get it the first time around it's going to come up three four maybe five times even more throughout the year so that they can kind of track it that way but it's also through how we move kind of seamlessly especially in elementary

[01:14:27] between whole group and small group structures to make sure that all students are receiving the support that they need and I can just piggyback on that so in math we have within our curriculum specific remediation lesson plans that would really build on those gaps that students might be experiencing with the core content so if we're talking about two-step equations we might have a lesson to support one-step equations for students who might need that remediation to be brought up to the core curriculum and that's embedded throughout each unit of our curriculum I'd also add on that pacing that we know

[01:15:06] that these teams create these units and lessons that things happen in the course of a school and so each of those units also has some flex days built into it for teachers to utilize if their students do need more time or if you know there's a fire drill or an assembly or all the things that happen in the life of the school that might take away some of the instructional time that's needed there is a little bit of flex time built into those units deliberately to make sure that there is room for teachers to spiral back or reteach lessons that may be necessary thank you I appreciate that my board members any

[01:15:45] further questions then thank you so much for the informative presentation and we will move on to the last item in our work session this evening next item I'm giving people time to move 5.02 the office of the superintendent our ombuds

[01:16:16] annual report welcome so much miss Miller I'll let you kick it off thank you so much for having us. Good afternoon, good evening, Chair Chandler, Vice Chair Donahue, and members of the board. I'm excited to present to you the fourth annual report from the Office of the Ombuds. My name is Jennifer Miller. I am currently in the role, and I'm joined by Ms. Carrie Williams, who is our former ombuds from last year. I'll be giving the report, and should there be questions or clarifications, it is the data from Ms. Williams from last

[01:16:56] year. So you'll see a combination of things that will inform the work this year as well as diving into the data from last year. All right. So the core values of the ombuds office naturally and seamlessly align with the LCPS core values and strategic goals. While the work of the ombuds specifically can support all of the core values, it is really trust through listening and continuous improvement that are foundational to this role in how the ombuds supports constituents and to the division. Similarly, the work of the ombuds supports all four strategic goals, but with each

[01:17:34] interaction, the ombuds provides greater opportunity and access for constituents to be an engaged part of the LCPS community, and the ombuds case data is a metric that's directly linked to strategic goal 4.3. When a constituent contacts the office of the ombuds for the first time, the conversation begins with a review of the four core values that have been established by the International Ombuds Association. They include confidentiality, independence, impartiality, and informality.

[01:18:07] The data that will be shared this evening represents the ombuds' interactions with constituents between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. All right, diving into the data. Of the 524 contacts, 383 were categorized as complete contacts, while 141 are categorized as quick inquiries. Quick inquiries are comprised of questions that were answered or resources provided without a dialogue with the ombuds. They could also be anonymous contacts or carbon copies

[01:18:40] on concerns addressed to the appropriate offices. The 524 contacts equated to 659 total constituents served. And the breakdown there that you see equates to about 70 percent of constituents being employee, 25% being parent or family, 4% community or other, and 1% students. And something to note, there were 476 total contacts during the previous school year, 2024 to 2025, so this data reflects

[01:19:12] a 10% increase from year to year. Of the 524 contacts, 410 were associated with constituents or schools in a correlating voting district. 114 contacts were either attributed to multiple locations, employees who provide division-wide support, or the information was not shared with the ombuds.

[01:19:35] What that equals is about 165 for elementary, 74 for middle, 180 for high, and then 105 falling into the either not applicable, unknown, or multiple category. When we dive further into the data, this is looking at the 155 non-employee contacts.

[01:19:56] 133 were categorized as general concerns and 22 were categorized as special education concerns. This is a 4% increase in the general category and a 21% decrease in the special education category from the previous year.

[01:20:11] The graphic on the right highlights the subcategories for the concerns of this group. The most prevalent categories were staff issues, policies and regulations, and special education or 504. To zoom in a little bit on special education, remember this number was only around 22.

[01:20:30] Those concerns that came to the office of the Ombuds Office last year, the leading category was 504 Inquiries and Concerns, and this accounts for 17% of the inquiries made by parents or families, which is proportionate to the percentage of special education students in LCPS.

[01:20:49] Looking deeper into the employee contacts, and you can see a three-year spread of the data here on this slide, when you review employee contacts, 369 employee contacts, 268 were tied to school-based staff, 90 contacts were tied to central office or central support, and four contacts were categorized as anonymous or unknown. This is a zoomed-in version of the correlating concerns for categories of employees, and you'll see that evaluative and peer or peer-to-colleague relationships account for more than half of the employee concerns, which was a similar trend in

[01:21:27] the previous year. The most common actions taken by the ombuds include providing information and or referring the visitor to the appropriate office, listening to the issue or concern and discussing possible options, and on 47 occasions the ombuds raise the concern to the appropriate staff member on behalf of the visitor or anonymously or as a trend that emerged in the data. Most contacts are closed out in one to five business days depending on the complexity of the concern and the need for

[01:22:00] any follow-up meetings. Every year, Ms. Williams has been able to take a look at the data from that whole year and make some observations and think about looking ahead. What is the data showing us? So in the next two slides, I'll outline a few of the things that were found from last year's data. The first being that the core values of confidentiality and informality associated with the organizational ombuds role continue to provide a safe, off-the-record space for constituents.

[01:22:30] They report feeling heard, appreciate understanding potential options for a resolution, and are more confident about how to advocate for themselves when navigating self-selected next steps. The ombuds received feedback from families and employees that having the ombuds present as a neutral party when navigating difficult conversations helped support productive dialogue and successful outcomes. There were 23 requests last year in comparison to 10 requests the previous year, which was an 140% increase in those two years. Continuing with observations and looking

[01:23:07] forward, as the number of employees accessing the ombuds office grows, it's important to increase opportunities for both central office and school-based employees to provide feedback regarding their working conditions and overall job satisfaction. And finally, the office of the Ombuds will continue to extend professional development opportunities and individual coaching sessions to support successful conflict resolution in alignment with the LCPS Portrait of a Leader framework. That concludes the report. What questions might you have? Thank you so much for the

[01:23:42] presentation and board members. I'll open the floor to questions or comments. Yes, Vice Chair Donohue. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for the presentation and information about your office. So I'm curious. It's wonderful that the numbers have been going up, but it is still a small fraction of the total number of students, staff, and families that we serve.

[01:24:12] So do you have thoughts about the growth? Like, what is the rate of growth that you would like to see? What do you think your office, like, are you happy with the trajectory of growth so far? What do you want to see going forward?

[01:24:29] And what are the supports that you need, that you think you need to get there? As far as the growth that we've seen over time with students, families, and community members, I've always felt that our schools do such a great job of addressing concerns at the school level.

[01:24:49] And when there's a need to step outside of the school building and seek additional support, a lot of those referrals are really just listening to the family, identifying what is needed, and then referring them to the appropriate central office members.

[01:25:04] And the schools are doing that on their own as well. So each year I look at, I had looked at ways to get in front of other populations, go to different meetings or resource fairs to get the word out and to continue advertising. Our information is located in all of the school buildings.

[01:25:23] Our staff have our bookmarks to hand out to support the growth of the office. And I do believe that word of mouth plays a big piece of that. So while I anticipate that the numbers will level out now that we're four years into the role, this is the fifth year that the office has existed, i don't anticipate that there will be this boom of growth i do believe that our families are continuing to receive the support that they need from the schools so i think from from your perspective continuing to refer people to the office of the ombuds and any space where you

[01:26:01] might be out in the community is also very important because it's not just tied to lcps events it's um it's attending events and programming that might get the word out about the office in the greater and broader community. So always open to suggestions of events that you might know about where we can get in front of those individuals.

[01:26:20] Thank you. May I ask a follow-up? Thank you. So do you, since you are, I mean, there's two of you here, but functionally the office is a one-person office. So naturally there's going to be a limit on how much service you can provide because you're one person and we have 100,000 people that serve roughly.

[01:26:41] but what what would you consider to be full capacity do you think that you are at full capacity now or and if not what do you envision would be your full capacity when i first took the role i actually looked at the metrics because we're ending the strategic plan that was currently in place and so the number that was set as an actual goal for this year is the number that miss williams met last year so i think the numbers are a little higher uh from last year than were anticipated for where we are in the program and just to think in terms of workflow you're exactly right I do my

[01:27:17] best with the numbers that come in I think what's most important to me is being able to be as responsive as possible at this point I feel like I can handle the amount that's coming in and be reasonably responsive I like to tell people that I get back to them in 24 hours and if and usually it's just to schedule something not always to have the conversation but they hear from me and that's of the biggest compliments I've got so far, and it was one that Ms. Williams shared with me as we transitioned the role, is that people just say thank you for picking up the phone, thank you for having someone that I can talk to, and the moment when I feel like I can't deliver that, that's when I'm going to be over capacity. And so far I haven't heard that, so I feel like

[01:27:56] I'm at a good place. I do have an associate ombuds for the office should I need hourly support for that, but it's not anyone that works full-time. So that's more for any situations where there's a high volume coming in for example in august was a particularly high volume higher than previous years or if there's some kind of conflict of interest or if i'm out of the office for some reason i do i was when i took the role in 2022 accepted the role the the promise was that we don't know what we're getting into here we don't know how what the volume is going to look like we don't know what the capacity is going to be but senior staff and cabinet has been true to their

[01:28:36] word and checking in each year during the budget cycle to ask that very same question so i do feel that when that tipping point is met we've the office has always felt supported in that role and then bringing the associate ombuds on board was a great move so that there was just always a backup because what i didn't want to happen was that somebody would call leave a message and then i would be so inundated that i couldn't get back to them and so having that kind of safety net in the associate ombuds in that hourly role has really worked out well thank you mr.

[01:29:12] Cardi thank you madam chair thank you all for this report so just kind of looking at this again kind of with my human capital I I see these first two issues on slide 11 dealing with evaluative relationships and peer-to-peer colleague relationships and those numbers have been increasing year-to-year so I guess one of my questions is have we and I don't want you to disclose what those issues are, because this would not be the environment for that. But are there themes that are getting passed along to HRTD, as an example, and changes to policy that are happening as a

[01:29:51] result of those increases? Because it's 235 instances, I guess, on here, which in the big scheme of things seems like a relatively low number, but those are the types of things that can lead to pretty significant actions including risk and legal so has any have any of the outcomes from these things led to changes in policy or procedure from a evaluative relationship or peer to colleague relationship situation that you're aware of and this may be more of an hrtd question too but i'm just curious kind of how the intersection happens from you get these inquiries

[01:30:30] in here and then it moving along the hrtd path that's a great question so in the informal space and somebody might reach out to just discuss the issue at hand and then we discuss the range of choices that they have to make in moving forward. And so they may choose to address it informally through a facilitated discussion or an informal mediation. They may choose to file a more formal complaint through HRTD. So that would be tagged and flagged in that category and it could be that the outcome was that it was handled at the ombuds level or it could be that it was handled at the

[01:31:09] HR level. I do know one positive shift that even if they went a formal route, filing a formal complaint doesn't repair relationships. So HR had been very intentional in encouraging in their closeout for those employees to reach out to the ombuds after that formal process had been concluded to then have that restorative conversation. So one of the offices I worked most closely with, and I'm sure Ms. Miller will continue to work closely with is HRTD, and so those conversations are consistently happening throughout the year.

[01:31:45] - I think the only thing I would add is, also this informs the type of professional learning and resources that might be created, so there's been several recommendations that were brought up by Ms. Williams and will continue to be brought up by myself, sometimes informally, sometimes more formally, as to what types of things do we need to equip our leaders with or our CLT leaders with, because some of these issues stem from those things.

[01:32:08] So for example, there's been a presentation that's been delivered several times at LEAD Loudon that was directly related to supporting leaders in trying to help manage with some conflict resolution. And so that's one of the big things about listening for themes and patterns to also inform what resources might be created either in conjunction with the Ombuds Office or through other departments in LCPS.

[01:32:30] - I think that's for me, I think one of the reasons why I really like this department that hopefully can address those those issues really quickly well before they get to be problems so thank you for this this is really interesting I might have some follow-up emails I might be sending you guys just for some additional questions but thank you and to add to that I do think that more administrators by word of mouth or by reaching out to have a consultation because something's brewing and then they're trying to figure out how to navigate it and I could say well I can facilitate that conversation for you and they're like well that's amazing because they might while they may be neutral there might be a perception of

[01:33:10] partiality if somebody had been in the building for a long period of time or whatever the reason might be so i do think that those numbers have increased because more administrators realize like oh wow there is a resource to do this work where they might have tried it they may have been successful or not as successful as they would have liked to have been then they're reaching out proactively to have the ombuds navigate the situation so that they can remain in a neutral space board members any further questions all right seeing none i'm miss williams and miss miller thank you so much for the presentation and with that we will move on to our meeting recess

[01:33:48] we will recess this meeting for dinner and reconvene at 6 30 the board is now in recess

[02:03:24] the board is coming out of recess at this time we will continue on with item number eight the pledge of allegiance and the national anthem today are we are joined by the jl simpson middle school select Choir under the direction of Holly Hui Johnson. The Simpson Select Choir is an auditioned ensemble of talented singers in grades 7 and 8 who are enrolled in a music elective at Simpson Middle School. Students from band, choir, guitar, and orchestra are encouraged to audition for this touring group. As ambassadors of the Simpson Music Program, select choir members play an important

[02:04:02] role in building community inspiring others and bringing music to the heart of the Simpson herd thank you to our amazing principal Dr. Tripp DiNicola for your support of the music program at Simpson and go Mustangs welcome everyone please rise for and remain standing for the pledge and the national anthem I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the

[02:04:33] republic for which it stands one nation indivisible and with liberty and justice for all thank you

[02:06:19] everyone everyone that was really wonderful all right next up we'll move on to item number nine our recognitions um our one lcps spotlight a sense of belonging through student voice and student council association or sca will be presented tonight by john gabriel the principal

[02:06:58] at Independence High School, Matt Ellis, teacher at Independence High School, and Maisie Lundy, Natalie Phillips, and Sheldon Walker, students from Independence. Good evening, Dr. Spence, esteemed board, Chair Chandler.

[02:07:22] Thank you for having us here this evening. My name is John Gabriel. He is my privilege to serve as principal of Independence High School, and I'm joined in order by Mr. Matt Ellis, SCA sponsor, SCA members Natalie Phillips, Sheldon Walker, and Maisie Lundy. Next slide. Our presentation is tied to strategic plan focus, goal number one, empowered students.

[02:07:44] Next slide. And before I begin, I want to offer some context for our school and how we got to this point in time. During our planning year before we opened, my admin team and I wrote a book called The Power of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath. Great book about how moments matter and manufacturing moments.

[02:08:03] They actually mentioned the Academies of Loudoun in there if you haven't had a chance to read that. From this, our vision for independence took place. And it is making independence a place where students want to be and not have to go. Each day we bring that vision to life through strong relationships, engaging learning, and a genuine sense of belonging.

[02:08:21] Next slide, please. We were highlighted as a school due to our spring survey results in which 94.2% of our students agreed or strongly agreed to having a sense of belonging at independence. And that was the highest percentage of any of the high schools in Loudoun County Public Schools.

[02:08:38] So tonight we're going to share some examples of this that are mainly Indy specific. First aspect of creating a sense of belonging and independence is the ways that we use our student council association and our student leadership elective in order to promote student voice.

[02:08:55] Next slide, please. We can go one more. Thank you. At the SCA Summer Leadership Academy and in the first crucial few days of school, I make sure to center the SCA's work in norms like posing questions or putting ideas on the table. Students know from the get-go that they're expected to make their voices heard through sharing of daily reflections and participation in fishbowl discussions and other protocol-driven conversations.

[02:09:20] These structures really serve to reinforce the idea that in SEA, students have not only the ability to make their voices heard, but also the responsibility to do so. I'm going to now ask Natalie to share a little about how SEA promotes student voice outside the SEA classroom. Next slide, please.

[02:09:36] So we have many different ways we like to implement the student voice at Indy and one main way is in the beginning of each school year SCA goes down into the cafeteria and we try to find people who we don't know very well or who we don't know at all And we introduce ourselves get to know them a little bit and we take a picture with them and post it on our Indy leaders page And this is kind of just a good introduction to the school year and builds that sense of community at the beginning It also helps our school students become comfortable communicating with their peers

[02:10:07] Also, during that time, we have pieces of paper we hand out with QR codes on them, and that gives students access to Google Forms where they can give their opinion and feedback on past and future student leadership decisions. And we also have focus groups, town halls, and suite 16 brackets, which that's personally my favorite because students can rank their favorite spirit weeks, and it's a great way to see what all students want, not just what the SCA wants.

[02:10:33] Next slide. So one of the ways that we as an SEA showcase our leadership outside of Independence High School is through the annual LCPS wild conference, where basically student leaders from all over the county come together and share various leadership practices and experiences that they've gone through, but also some of the events that they've implemented in their own schools as student leaders.

[02:10:54] And I wanted to highlight that how this is important to the SCA is that it not only gives us a chance to go out and share what we've learned as a school to other schools, but it also allows us a chance to hear from other schools kind of what they're doing and take that back with us to independence, which only allows us to grow as leaders, but as a school in itself.

[02:11:11] I also want to highlight how this conference really focuses on those student-led workshops, which give us as leaders a chance to really put into practice and to put into action what we are learning in our SCA classroom from leadership and all that stuff. And last year, we had two SCA members, Ryan Schwinger and Grady McFarland, who gave a presentation on stepping out of your comfort zone as a leader.

[02:11:31] And that just goes to highlight how we are really putting into practice, putting to action what we are doing in leadership. Next slide. While amplifying student voice is certainly important to creating a sense of belonging, it's the SCA's commitment to inclusive leadership that brings student ideas to life.

[02:11:49] Next slide, please. From the beginning of each school year, SCA students in the student leadership course learn that inclusive leadership is at the center of everything we do to plan student events. Students read about the traits of servant and inclusive leaders from sources like Harvard Business Review.

[02:12:06] Their leadership learning logs and daily reflections give them the opportunity to connect the theories about leadership with their own lived experiences. And then once they've made those connections, they're empowered to use inclusive leadership throughout the Indy community. Now Natalie will share how the SCA and IHS community ensure that all students make sure that they can be part of the Indy nation.

[02:12:26] Next slide. Our main goal here at Indy is to ensure that cost never keeps a student from feeling like they belong. And so for SCA ticketed events like homecoming, students can work with a parent liaison to discreetly fund their ticket. And also for when SCA creates spirit weeks, we keep in mind this idea of the t-shirt and a sharpie rule, which means a student shouldn't have to go and spend $50 on Amazon.

[02:12:52] All they need to do is find an old t-shirt and kind of DIY their own little Spirit Day outfit. And so this allows students to participate without having to spend all that money. Next slide. So event planning, in my opinion, is one of the strongest ways we as a school and as an independence try to create that sense of belonging amongst our students and our faculty as well, whether it's through the lunch games that we do during our spirit weeks or the talent show that we have at the end of December, early January, or even the pep rallies or the student versus faculty volleyball games and basketball games that we have throughout the year.

[02:13:25] All of these events are really focused on recognizing and highlighting students of diverse abilities and of diverse talents and interests, not just with that athletic focus. And I really feel like as a student, one of the best ways we do this is through our pep rally walkouts, where at each pep rally, we have the varsity sports athletes come out and walk out, and we basically highlight some of their accomplishments and achievements throughout the season and wish them good luck for the rest of the season.

[02:13:46] And it's not just the varsity athletes that get recognized in this, it's the DECA, it's the Student Debate Club, it's even the theater programs wishing them good luck on their shows that they have throughout the season. And I really feel like this, as a whole, creates that sense of community amongst all students and makes them all feel welcome, like they have a place amongst our independence community and making it a place where students actually want to go and not have to go.

[02:14:08] So I now will invite Maisie, who will share about the ways that we have centered students with special needs as an essential part of our community. Next slide. One of the things that we are most especially proud of here at Independence is the way that our school comes together to support our unified athletes. Through the SCA, we have created a tradition of hosting a school-wide assembly dedicated entirely to celebrating these athletes and recognizing everything that they bring to our school.

[02:14:31] But that support doesn't stop at the assembly. Our unified athletes are regularly recognized at pep rallies where they are celebrated and even given opportunities to be taken to the mic as MCs. Whether they are competing on the basketball court or performing for Unified Sound, they're given the opportunity to be involved, recognized, and supported by their peers. Ultimately, this has helped create a school culture where inclusion, encouragement, and school spirit are all something that everyone can be a part of.

[02:14:52] Thank you. Next slide. While SCA is certainly proud to be such an important driver of making independence a place that is welcoming and inclusive, we can't do it alone as an organization. At Independence, we like to say that belonging belongs to everyone. Next slide.

[02:15:10] Something that I talk a lot about with staff is how everybody needs a home. Every high school student is looking for their home, their place at their high school. And certainly we have marching band and sports and clubs, but we have other homes which are a little more unique.

[02:15:26] One of them is a library, not as unique, but just how we'll use our library where we have make and takes once a month during lunch blocks. And students can come down and do several DIY projects on their own. It's a place to be during lunch and before and after school as well. And the fact that we have 138 student library aids assisting throughout the day, I think speaks to that fact that they find this as a place for them to have a home.

[02:15:48] Our coffee shop, Red, White, and Brew, where we bring together our special ed program students and gen ed students working together, certainly integrates the two groups together and creates a sense of belonging for all students involved. And last but not least, I don't know if you know this, but you know, Champion sweatshirts used to be like $20 a pop, and now they're like $50 for Champion.

[02:16:07] I don't understand that. But that's one of the things that we have taken seriously is that, you know, if you don't dress like people in a certain way, meaning spirit wear, you aren't part of that. You don't have that sense of belonging or that home. So we do have a secret shopping events where our parent liaison brings them to the school store and they get to pick out a couple of items if they can't afford a champion sweatshirt.

[02:16:28] Next slide. Counseling also works to bridge the gap to the academic setting with mentoring programs, academic coaches and faculty advisors. And we're also a purple star schools who are helping students who transition in from other parts of the country due to their parents' change in locale working for the military.

[02:16:46] Next slide. - Another way that we continue to build a positive culture here at Independence is through our Show Your Stripes initiative. This program allows teachers to recognize students not only for major accomplishments, but also for the everyday actions that make a difference.

[02:17:02] Teachers send personalized Stripes cards directly to students' homes, allowing teachers, or sorry, families, to be included in recognizing their students' achievements. I actually got to experience this when my AP Biology teacher sent me a Stripes card. She took the time to recognize me for being a dedicated student and let me know how proud she was of the effort that I put into her class.

[02:17:19] Although it might seem like a small gesture, receiving that card genuinely meant a lot to me. It reminded me that my hard work was noticed and appreciated. That is why this initiative is so special. It is not only about recognizing achievements, it's about making students feel valued, encouraging them to continue working hard and reminding them that what they do matters.

[02:17:35] Ultimately, this reinforces our three core values of impact, honor, and strength. Thank you, next slide. - The last piece that is uniquely unique to us is that we have about approximately 250 students, freshmen, who attend the index.

[02:17:51] That is our freshman annex at Braylington Middle School every day. When we opened it up last year for the first time, we really were purposeful in how we wanted students to have a sense of belonging still to the main campus, even though they weren't at the main campus. So before they even got there, we had pictures on the wall that highlighted events and clubs.

[02:18:09] We had school branding, the school colors. Shout out to Mr. Marple for allowing us to do this in that hallway and making it feel like a home away from home for those students. The other piece is in the spring, we gave a survey to the INDEX students and asked them what would make them feel more connected to the home school and a greater sense of belonging. And they identified something which was a blind spot to us. And as a result, we were able to make a change for this year based on that feedback. Next slide. Ultimately, everything we've shared comes back to one core truth, that real learning happens when strong relationships come first. And through strong relationships, a variety of activities, and meaningful instruction, we continue to make

[02:18:49] independence a place where students want to be and not have to go. Thank you. Wow, you guys, thank you. This was so exciting. And I mean, this was just lucky with the sweater, but I really appreciate the presentation and I really appreciate having the opportunity to reflect on the things that are working so well at Independence. It was very impactful to hear from all three of you students, Sheldon, Mazie, and Natalie. Thank you for sharing your experience and giving us the

[02:19:24] opportunity to know what makes independence so special. I really enjoyed hearing about the ways that SCA has really made strategic choices to reach out to students who may not be as included. And that really spoke to me in terms of going in the cafeteria and finding somebody that you don't know and sharing their photo, right? Like, if you can imagine being in that situation, what a huge impact that has. And then also the different ways that you find to make sure that students who don't necessarily have the same or as much as anyone else are given opportunities to

[02:19:59] still feel that sense of belonging so thank you very much the as you can see the presentation had a big impact on me and with that I will open it up to comments dr. Rasheed thank you chair and thank you to the indie team for bringing this together I you know it's really exemplary I follow you guys on Instagram and I the activities it's it's hard to actually follow you because There's so many activities that you guys do.

[02:20:25] I wanted to echo what Principal Gabriel had mentioned about make a student feel at home. And that's really, really important, especially in such a diverse community that we live in. Everything from your shopping events, making that sense of belonging is the key factor for all our students, especially in their success.

[02:20:43] And that's also indicated, obviously, in the survey that you showed, which was 94%. So go Tigers, thank you. - Further comments, board members? Thank you so much for the presentation.

[02:21:00] All right, everyone, next up, we'll move on to item number 10, our student school board representatives' comments. Tonight, we are joined by Ms. Riley Coffey, who is a senior at Broad Run High School.

[02:21:20] She has lived in Ashburn her entire life and has been lucky enough to go through every grade in Loudoun County, starting at Discovery Elementary School, moving up to Farm Well Station Middle School, and now finishing up at Broad Run. Riley is involved in Key Club, Pier, DECA, National Honor Society, Varsity Softball, and the Maroon Crew, the student section leadership.

[02:21:43] Riley works two jobs, one as a basketball referee in the winter and as an employee at a barbecue restaurant year-round. Riley is a big fan of staying active with friends by playing pickleball and hanging out with family. Welcome, Riley. We're so glad you're here. The floor is yours.

[02:22:01] Thank you. Good evening, everyone. I would like to start off tonight by thanking the members of the Loudoun County School Board, Principal Hakes, and the Broad Run High School community for allowing me to share tonight. My name is Riley Coffey, and I've been fortunate enough to attend Broad Run High School for my entire high school career.

[02:22:18] At Broad Run, we take pride in striving for excellence and providing students with opportunities to reach their goals. And I think our accomplishments speak for themselves. This year, four of our students were named 2027 National Merit Semi-Finalists, and our literary magazine, Unbound, received a VHSL State Recognition Award.

[02:22:38] More than 70% of our students are enrolled in at least one honors, AP, or dual enrollment course, showing our commitment to challenging and preparing students academically. But excellence at Broad Run does not stop in the classroom. Our golf team brought home the VHSL Class 4 State Championship title just three weeks ago, and our girls tennis team captured its third VHSL Class 4 State Championship title this past spring.

[02:23:03] Most recently, our boys volleyball team secured a spot in the state tournament after winning the district championship and advancing through the regional semifinals. Tonight, they play in the regional finals, so good luck to them. Broad Run gives every student the opportunity to grow and be great in the things they love, and that is why I love our school so much.

[02:23:22] The way Broad Run may explore interests is by joining a club. What makes Broad Run special is our Wednesday Seminar program. Seminar is a time block during school hours where students get to attend a club meeting. By setting aside time during the school day for students to attend club meetings, Seminar makes getting involved more accessible to everyone.

[02:23:40] Students don't have to worry about finding transportation after school, balancing another commitment in the evening, or choosing between their academics and extracurricular interests. It gives students the opportunity to explore new interests, meet people they might not otherwise interact with, and find a community where they truly belong.

[02:23:57] It's a great example of how Broad Run goes beyond just encouraging involvement and actually creates opportunities for students to get involved. A program I have been lucky enough to be part of at Broad Run is PEER. Many schools in Loudoun County offer a PEER program, but I've been able to witness the effects PEER has on the school community firsthand.

[02:24:16] Through giving tours to incoming students, we get to introduce new faces to the school and hopefully make them feel welcome before they even walk through the doors as students. We also organize school-wide campaigns throughout the year, whether that's promoting mental health awareness or encouraging positivity and kindness throughout our halls.

[02:24:33] These may seem like small things, but they can help create an environment where students feel included, supported, and comfortable being themselves. Being involved in these efforts has shown me that what makes Broad Run special isn't just what we accomplish, but how we make people feel along the way.

[02:24:48] and that's something I hope never changes. As my days at Broad Run are slowly counting down, I am looking back on the amazing culture we have built at this school. I've been fortunate enough to make lifelong friendships, create infinite memories, and most importantly, know what it feels like to be part of the Spartan family.

[02:25:04] Thank you. - Thank you, Riley, for being here, and thank you for sharing what makes Broad Run so special with us.

[02:25:21] With that, we'll move on to item number 11, our superintendents report, which will of course be presented by Dr. Aaron Spence. - Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board. It's always my pleasure to share good news from around our school division. I'll start with this. For the first time, LCPS middle school students across our division will participate in a future-ready exploration experience on Thursday, this Thursday, November the 12th.

[02:25:43] During this two-hour lesson, students in grades 6 and 7, along with 8th graders who have not applied to the Academies of Loudoun, will explore their interests, discover potential careers, and learn about LCPS programs and opportunities that can help them prepare for high school and beyond. Eighth grade students who have applied to the Academies of Loudoun will complete their admissions assessment during this time.

[02:26:03] Students from nine LCPS high schools are being recognized for their achievements in journalism, creative writing, design, and broadcasting, earning 20 honors in the Virginia High School League's 2025-26 Publications Awards.

[02:26:19] Seven LCPS programs received trophy class honors, as you can see on the screen. This is the highest recognition in the BHSL publications evaluation process. The awards highlight the creativity and dedication of students who produce school newspapers, yearbooks, literary magazines, online news sites and broadcasts, as well as the educators who guide and support their work.

[02:26:41] Next, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, November the 2nd, LCPS and HealthWorks for Northern Virginia launched the school-based health program, an initiative that will bring medical, dental, and behavioral health services directly to school communities through two mobile health units.

[02:26:59] During the event, guests toured the two clinics, seen here and nicknamed Medi and Flossie, then met the health care teams who will provide services and learned how LCPS and HealthWorks are working together to reduce barriers to care and expand access to essential health services, helping ensure students and staff have the support they need to be healthy, engaged, and successful.

[02:27:22] Congratulations to Stephen Loya, art teacher at Seldon's Landing Elementary School, on being named the Elementary Art Teacher of the Year by the Virginia Art Education Association. This honor recognizes Mr. Loya's commitment to fostering creativity, self-expression, and an appreciation for the arts amongst his students.

[02:27:40] Mr. Loyer credits the Seldon's Landing community and its families for their strong support of the arts, including enthusiastic participation in the after-school art program he leads three to four evenings each week. Mr. Loyer received the award on October 23rd during the VAEA's annual conference in Richmond.

[02:27:57] This association has championed and supported art educators across Virginia for more than a century and recognizes outstanding elementary, middle, and secondary art teachers each year. 13 LCPS schools have been designated as Purple Star schools for 2026-29, recognizing their commitment to supporting military-connected students and families.

[02:28:20] These schools, which you can see here on the screen, joined 20 other LCPS schools that previously earned the Purple Star status. The Purple Star designation honors schools that provide specialized programs, staff training, and community partnerships that help students navigate school transitions, family deployments, and other unique challenges associated with military life.

[02:28:42] We're pleased to note that 25 LCPS schools have been ranked amongst Virginia's top 100 elementary, middle, and high schools in the 2027 U.S. News and World Report rankings. This achievement includes five elementary schools, six middle schools, and 14 high schools. These rankings recognize schools that demonstrate strong academic performance and success in helping all students achieve at high levels.

[02:29:03] Congratulations to our students, staff, families, and community for making this accomplishment possible. And then finally this evening, I'd like to share that the Empowered English Learner Family Conference will be held this Saturday, November the 14th, from 10 to 1.30, right here at the Administration Building.

[02:29:18] This event will feature learning sessions on a variety of topics designed to help families of English learner students support their children's academic success. Families will also have the opportunity to connect with community organizations and LCPS staff during a resource fair where they can learn about available programs, services, and supports.

[02:29:37] To make the day even more enjoyable, food trucks will be on site and child care will be provided. We look forward to welcoming our families for a day of learning, connection, and community. And, Madam Chair, that concludes my report. All right. Thank you so much, Dr. Spence.

[02:29:53] With that, that brings us to item number 12, public comment. Here are our procedures for public comment. Thank you for engaging with the school board through the public comment process. The school board welcomes comments from Loudoun County residents and believes that strong community engagement and outreach are important components of a successful school system.

[02:30:14] Speakers must limit comments to the time allotted. Based on the number of speakers and 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 dignity of the school board at all times. 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, and any other noise which disrupts or delays the meeting, obstructing speakers from being able to see the school board and vice versa,

[02:30:55] Interrupting speakers, attempting to speak when not called to do so by the chair, and approaching a speaker or otherwise attempting to intimidate, disparage, or distract a speaker or staff member or other meeting attendees. Speakers should refrain from vulgarity, obscenities, defamation, profanity, and other like breaches of respect, nor may speakers target, criticize, or attack individual students and or individual division employees during public comment.

[02:31:20] 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 speakers should communicate those concerns to their school principal or an appropriate school official 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 to the extent necessary i will also warn of breaches of decorum civility and respect from attendees prior to

[02:31:59] taking other actions to preserve the orderly conduct of the meeting violations of decorum civility or civility by any meeting attendee may result in the chair directing staff to remove the attendee from the remainder of the meeting 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 meetings 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 distribution of materials to school board members copies of materials for school board members should be

[02:32:37] given to the public information officer in the media box at the back of the board room 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 the school board meetings is available through LCPS TV on 1070 HD and Verizon Fios channel 43. The live stream of the meeting may be viewed on the website. We do look forward to hearing your comments and before we start I know there are likely many people who may not have been to public comment before. At the earlier part of the meeting we did clap especially for our students. During the public comment period it is

[02:33:15] more typical to we do ask that you do not clap you can express support by doing jazz hands but we do ask that you remain quiet so that we can continue progressing through and hear from everyone and with that we will start with our virtual public comment our first speaker is katie pause good evening i want my child and those after her to have the opportunity to continue the Spanish dual language immersion journey into secondary school. Let me be clear continuing true

[02:33:54] immersion means more than offering just one advanced Spanish class. Our children need the opportunity to learn academic content in Spanish to continue developing their biliteracy. This is supported by the U.S. Department of Education's 2024 DLI playbooks which specifically addresses extending these programs into secondary with research backed program design staffing and sustainability recommendations. I recognize the importance of responsible budgeting and my request is for this board to both include funding for the continuation of DLI

[02:34:30] and also for it to direct the teaching and learning department to develop a sustainable fiscally responsible model for a true secondary immersion program. Let's ensure that LCPS is invested. Thank you. We'll continue with our in-person speakers. Our first speaker is Laura Thomas, followed by Hadley Thomas. Good evening. This evening, I'm asking you to expand the dual-language Spanish immersion program to middle school. Tonight, you'll hear from students

[02:35:06] in the DLI program. LCPS has already invested in these students through teachers, curriculum, training, and resources. These students are on their way to becoming bilingual and biliterate. The families of these students trusted the process of a bilingual education and embraced a program that up until four years ago did not exist.

[02:35:25] These are students whose families are now asking what's next. As educators, we have a responsibility to see the potential in these students and ensure that the opportunities we offer them today lead somewhere tomorrow. As a school division, LCPS has an opportunity to see this program through, not simply to maintain what has been built, but to give these students the chance to reach the full potential of a bilingual education. As taxpayers, shouldn't we ask not only what will it cost to continue, but also how do we maximize the investment we've already made? Our students and their families are asking. Thank you. Our next speaker is Hadley Thomas, followed by Jennifer

[02:36:04] Paskey. Good evening. I'm a student from the second grade DRI program at Sanders Corner. I like how we learn something in one class, then we learn it in the other class. I want the DLI program to expand to middle school and high school, because if the DLI program ends in fifth grade, then I

[02:36:39] won't know so much Spanish, and I want to learn a lot of Spanish. I didn't know that I would learn this much in the DLI program. I'm so happy that I attended it. It is so fun. Thank you.

[02:36:57] Thank you. Our next speaker is Jennifer Paskey, followed by Sylvia Muchica. Good evening. My name is Jen Paskey, and I'm the registrar at Brambleton Middle School.

[02:37:17] Did you know that the registrar position within LCPS has experienced a staggering 51% turnover rate over the last three years. Losing more than half of our registrar team in such a short window is not just a statistical anomaly, it is a glaring signal of systemic burnout and frustration.

[02:37:39] Every time an experienced registrar leaves, LCPS loses vital knowledge, productivity drops, and the remaining staff must shoulder an even heavier burden. High turnover is expensive, destabilizing, and preventable.

[02:37:54] We cannot fix retention until we address the core issues driving dedicated staff out the door, starting with fair compensation and recognition. A reclassification of our position will show registrars that LCPS understands our value to the schools and the district and is a vital step in reducing the current turnover.

[02:38:13] Thank you. Our next speaker is Sylvia Muchica, followed by Benjamin Roberts. Hello, my name is Sylvia Muchica, and I am the registrar at Guilford Elementary School.

[02:38:31] Did you know that registrars are the essential first step to securing our district's funding? We directly drive the revenue that keeps LCPS operating. We are the ones who get students through the door, process every enrollment, verify residency, and ensure every seat is accounted for.

[02:38:50] Our state funding is tied directly to every student enrollment. our accuracy and efficiency on day one will dictate the budget resources our schools receive. Without the meticulous work done in schools by the registrars, the pipeline from student entry to state funding simply stops.

[02:39:13] Recognizing the value of registrars isn't just about supporting the administrative staff, it's about protecting the very foundation of our school district's financial health. Thank you. - Thank you. Our next speaker is Benjamin Roberts, followed by Jennifer Roberts.

[02:39:38] My name is Ben. I'm a second grader at Sanders Corner. Stop. Please stop. I want DLI to continue into middle school because I want to be able to... We're going to restart the timer, I promise. We just want to make sure you're safe.

[02:40:00] All right, ready? Hi, my name is Ben. I'm a second grader at Sanders Corner. I want DLI to continue into middle school because I want to be able to communicate with Spanish speakers.

[02:40:16] I want to be able to stay with the friends I've made and make more friends who speak Spanish. I love learning Spanish and I want to keep learning more. Gracias por escuchar. - Right, thank you.

[02:40:34] Next up is Jennifer Roberts, followed by Morgan Cabuzzi. - Good evening. here is both a parent of a student in the DLI and an educator of more than 20 years to advocate for the expansion of DLI into secondary. Continuing into middle school is essential both for our native Spanish speakers as well as our English speakers. While studies show that brains have the most plasticity when young, there's another round that happens when they get through middle school. The brain begins solidifying useful information and eliminating unused pathways. If we do not allow our students the opportunity to continue to

[02:41:09] practice and grow in their language skills there's a good chance that those early acquisition will have been in vain further middle schools when study shows that ml students and dli programs gain make huge gains in comparisons with peers not in immersion i appreciate your consideration and ensuring that the opportunities offered by dla i do not go to waste thank you thank you our next speaker is morgan kabuzzi followed by martha martinez my name is morgan kabuzzi and i am an an LCPS parent, former English teacher, and the founder of the Loudoun County Balance Project.

[02:41:45] I am deeply concerned to see there is no plan to adjust the one-to-one ratio of Chromebooks to students for grades two through five in the 27-28 budget. The rapid growth of AI will make Chromebooks unaffordable to our school district going forward. As the budget plans were presented in October, LCPS plans to cut back on device spending by replacing teacher Chromebooks every five years instead of every four.

[02:42:06] There are also talks of a teacher hiring freeze. Moving LCPS grades two through five from the current one-to-one Chromebook model to the current K-1 model of five to ten devices per classroom would be a win for our county. We could save millions of dollars and return to more effective traditional teaching methods.

[02:42:22] To do this, we must eliminate or adjust the new county online weekly testing that replaces one reading lesson per week in grades two through five. It is a burden to students, teachers, and our budget. Let's prioritize students and teachers before technology. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Martha Martinez, followed by Kale Holman.

[02:42:46] Good evening. My name is Martha Martinez. I am the Registrar at Parkview High School. I'm here to speak tonight because I have realized that many people do not understand what Registrar does. We are not simply entering student information. We are responsible for interpreting regulation, protecting confidential records, supporting families in crisis, maintaining accurate data, and ensure the complaints with federal, state, and county requirements.

[02:43:12] We are front-line representative of the other schools. We welcome families, support administrators and staff, troubleshoot technology, manage daily interruption, and take the responsibility well-belong on our job description. We are proud to the work that we do.

[02:43:29] We are commitment to our students, families, and school. However, dedication should not come to the expense and a capable compensation. Our words matter, our responsibility matters, and fair classification matters. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you.

[02:43:44] Kale Holman followed by Susie Sacher. Good evening. My name is Kale Holman. I'm the parent of three Heritage High School students and also the president of the Heritage High School Athletic Boosters Club.

[02:44:03] Here tonight to advocate to conduct a change for our assistant athletic director roles. Those roles are currently basically advocating to transition those to a 12-month administrator position. These roles are critical to the execution of our athletic programs, and these individuals work countless hours far beyond what they are currently compensated for in their current pay structure.

[02:44:25] These leaders are key contributors to our schools, athletic programs, and most importantly, the development of our student athletes. I'd encourage our school board to take action here to support these individuals. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Suzy Sacker, followed by Katherine Cote.

[02:44:44] I am so happy that the county has a dual language immersion program, and children in it are learning Spanish intensively in elementary school. But stopping intensive language learning and use can lead to language loss, especially for children and when proficiency isn't as high.

[02:45:04] After fifth grade, the children are expected to have an intermediate Spanish level, not advanced yet. I hope students have the opportunity to build on what they have learned. I would hate to see them waste time in middle school classes that are not geared towards them. Our community has drafted a proposal with ideas to consider, and we would like to ask the board's timeline for research and decisions and how families can provide input on what the Spanish dual language immersion program should look like in middle and high school. Our county has third graders in the program who have less than three years until middle school. We ask for a rigorous

[02:45:40] path for them to continue towards bilingualism and biliteracy. I'm excited about the opportunities that such language fluency can open up for them. Thank you. Our next speaker is Catherine Cody followed by Edick Alleman.

[02:46:02] Good evening. I am a high school librarian speaking tonight for the Loudoun Association of School Librarians. Inadequate elementary library staffing is currently failing our students. While large Loudoun elementary schools receive extra staff for art, music, and PE, libraries are left behind.

[02:46:25] Librarians are forced to teach 30 to 40 classes a week, often double booking over 50 kindergartners at once, while other schools rely on part-time itinerants. Decades of research shows that students who have full-time certified school librarians on campus have better reading scores, stronger information literacy skills, and even higher college GPAs, measurable effects that transcend income, ethnicity, and gender.

[02:46:53] In Loudoun, we promise to help every student reach their full potential and achieve their dreams. As you consider next year's budget, remember that no software tool can replace a qualified educator please prioritize a true driver of student success full-time certified librarians and like thank you our next speaker is Edek Elman followed by Evelia Chavez may I ask a question please are you here

[02:47:28] as a translator thank you per policy when they're in accordance with policy 2520 E the next speaker is being assisted by an interpreter and will be allotted two minutes for their comments so one minute per speaker and one minute for the translator. Thank you.

[02:48:19] con sus tareas, sino que también pueden desarrollar nuevas habilidades, aprender y descubrir sus talentos. Son oportunidades que antes no teníamos, sin embargo, hoy también tenemos una preocupación. Los fondos y los espacios disponibles son limitados y sabemos que muchas otras familias necesitan este mismo apoyo.

[02:48:38] Por eso les pedimos que continúen invirtiendo en estos programas que garanticen su permanencia y que apliquen al presupuesto escolar para que crean más espacios y permitan que no My name is Edic Aleman. I am a mother and my children attend Sully Elementary School in Sterling.

[02:49:01] Today, I want to begin by thanking you for giving us this opportunity to have free after-school pilot programs. This program has been a great support for my family, especially for my child. We are very happy that my child has the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities where they not only receive homework support but also develop new skills learn and discover their talents these are opportunities we did not have before however we also have a concern funding

[02:49:33] and and available space are limited and we know many other families need this same support that is why we ask that you continue investing in these programs to ensure that they remain permanent and increase the school budget to create more spots so that many more children can benefit.

[02:49:53] We ask that you consider our request for $10 million in the 2027 school budget. Thank you. Thank you very much. Our next speaker is Evelia Chavez, followed by Norma Carcomo.

[02:50:04] off. Buenas noches, mi nombre, buenas noches, miembro de la junta escolar. Mi nombre es Evelia Chávez y soy madre de familia de niños que asisten a la Rolling Ridge Elementary. Hoy estoy aquí para expresar mi agradecimiento por el apoyo y la oportunidad de contar con los programas piloto gratuito después de la escuela. Actualmente, Rolling Ridge es una de las escuelas que cuenta con esta oportunidad donde 50 estudiantes pueden participar en programas que brindan apoyo a familias como la MIA. Considero que estos programas no solamente fortalecen

[02:50:42] los conocimientos, las habilidades y el desarrollo de nuestros hijos, sino que también ofrecen oportunidades adicionales para recibir una educación más completa con actividades y recursos que no están disponibles en todas las escuelas. Sin embargo, nos preocupa que Que estos programas no sean permanentes y que su financiamiento tenga un tiempo limitado.

[02:51:07] Creemos que este tipo de apoyo deberían formar parte de la sociedad. Evelia Chavez, I am a parent of children that attend Rolling Ridge Elementary School. Today I'm here to express my gratitude for your support and the opportunity to have free after-school pilot programs.

[02:51:27] Currently, Rolling Ridge is one of these schools offering this opportunity, allowing 50 students to participate in programs that provide support to their families like mine. I believe these programs not only strengthen our children's knowledge, skills, and development, but also provide additional opportunities for a more well-rounded education through other school resources that are not available for every school. However, we are concerned that these programs are not permanent and that their funding is limited. We believe that this type of support should be part of the educational communities available to students at all

[02:52:07] elementary schools in our country, regardless of which school they attend. That is why we ask that you include greater funding. Thank you. Our next speaker is Norma Carcamo, followed by Rosemary Zapata. Yes. Buenas noches. Miembro de la Junta Escolar. Mi nombre es Norma Carcamo. Soy dealer,

[02:52:34] Líder de comunidad área con la nueva mayoría de Virginia, madre de familia de la Escuela Evergreen en Lisboa. Como padre nos preocupamos todos los temas relacionados con educación de nuestros hijos.

[02:53:01] Creamos que cada estudiante remerece oportunidades para aprender, desarrollarse y alcanzar su máximo potencial.

[02:53:22] Hoy estamos aquí para abogar por nosotros. Thank you. Here's the school board. My name is Norma Karkamo. I'm a community leader with the new majority of Virginia and a parent of students attending Evergreen Elementary School in Leesburg.

[02:53:40] As parents, we are concerned about all issues relating to our children's education. We believe every student deserves opportunities to learn, grow, and reach their full potential. Today, we are here to advocate for greater investment in the 2027 school budget, providing the expansion of free after-school pilot programs in our elementary schools.

[02:54:00] These programs have proven to be an important opportunity for students by providing academic enrichment, activities that strengthen their skills, knowledge, and abilities. However, we know that the funding that are available in spaces are limited. That is why we are working together to identify the real needs of our communities and dedicate more resources to programs that directly benefit our children.

[02:54:25] We also want to express our concerns about the possible closure of elementary schools. No community should lose its... Thank you. Rosemary Zapata, followed by Humberto Torres. Buenas noches, miembros de la Junta Escolar.

[02:54:46] Mi nombre es Rosemary Zapata. Soy madre de familia. Mis hijas estudian en el distrito de Ashburn y formo parte del Comité de Justicia Educativa de la Nueva Mayoría de Virginia. Hoy estamos aquí para pedirles su apoyo, para garantizar la continuidad y expansión de los programas pilotos gratuitos después de la escuela.

[02:55:05] Actualmente, más de 250 familias de la Escuela Primaria de Sterling se benefician de estos programas, que ofrecen apoyo académico y actividades educativas. Sin embargo, los fondos y los cupos son limitados y muchas más familias necesitan esta oportunidad.

[02:55:21] Por eso, solicitamos una inversión de 10 millones en el presupuesto escolar del 2027 para hacer permanentes estos programas y expandirlos en dos escuelas primarias adicionales en Lisboa. También queremos expresar que no estamos de acuerdo con el cierre de nuestras escuelas primarias.

[02:55:38] Creemos que en lugar de cerrar escuelas, debemos invertir en ellas y fortalecer los recursos que necesitan nuestros estudiantes. Thank you. My name is Rosemary Zapata. I'm a mother by Chilenton Schools in Ashburn District, and I am part of the Education Justice Committee of the new majority of Virginia.

[02:55:57] Today we are here to ask for your support in ensuring the continuation and expansion of these after-school pilot programs. Currently, more than 250 families at five elementary schools in Sterling benefit from these programs, which provide academic support and educational activities.

[02:56:13] However, funding and available spaces are limited, as many more families need these opportunities. That is why we're asking that you're requesting a $10 million investment in the 2027 school budget to make these programs permanent and expand them to additional families.

[02:56:29] We also want to express that we do not support closing our elementary schools. We believe that instead of closing schools, we should invest in them and strengthen the resources our students need. We want all elementary schools in Loudoun County to be priority, regardless of students' background, languages, or communities.

[02:56:49] Thank you. Our next speaker is Humberto Torres, followed by Claudia Johnson. Buenas tardes, miembros de la Junta de Supervisores. Mi nombre es Humberto Torres y soy padre de familia.

[02:57:09] Hoy estoy aquí para abogar por la continuidad y expansión de los programas piloto gratuitos, después de escuelas que actualmente benefician a estudiantes de las escuelas primarias de Sterling Park. Estos programas han logrado grandes avances en nuestra comunidad.

[02:57:25] Muchos estudiantes han tenido la oportunidad particular en diferentes actividades que fortalecen su aprendizaje, desarrollan sus habilidades y les permiten descubrir nuevos talentos. También quiero destacar la importancia que tienen estos programas para las familias trabajadoras.

[02:57:41] Para muchos padres representan una oportunidad de contar con un espacio seguro y educativo, donde sus hijos pueden permanecer después de clases, Mientras ellos cumplen con sus responsabilidades laborales. Sin embargo, nos preocupa que los fondos actuales sean temporales y que estos programas no tengan garantizada su continuidad a largo plazo.

[02:58:02] Por eso consideramos fundamental trabajar... Thank you. My name is Humberto Torres and I am a parent. Today I'm here to advocate for the continuing expansion of the free after school pilot programs currently benefiting many students here in Sterling Park, the elementary schools in Sterling Park.

[02:58:22] These programs have made great progress in our community. Many students have had the opportunity to participate in different activities that strengthen their learning, develop their skills, and allow them to discover new talents. I also want to highlight how important these programs are for working families.

[02:58:38] For many parents, they provide a safe and educational place where their children can stay after school while their parents fulfill their work responsibilities. However, we are concerned that our current funding is temporary, And these programs are not guaranteed to continue in the long term. That is why we believe it essential to work together and ensure long-term funding that will allow us to maintain the current programs and expand them for more elementary schools throughout our county.

[02:59:06] Our children need more support opportunities. Thank you. Thank you so much. Our next speaker is Claudia Johnson, followed by Tony Wiley. Good evening. Buenas noches.

[02:59:23] I took a language in high school for four years, but I can't really speak yet anymore. That is what the majority of adults who go to K through 12 in the United States say. Relative to educational systems across the world, even ones with less resources than us, this is a comical and slightly embarrassing reality for our education system.

[02:59:43] But you, school board, can make a change to that national statistic. Learning a language is like building a muscle. You can make good progress if you dedicate yourself to it, but the moment you stop, the progress is lost. Research calls this language attrition, a.k.a. use it or lose it.

[03:00:03] It would be such a waste of taxpayer dollars and county effort to have our students one day become adults who say, I took Spanish all through elementary school. I was actually fluent, but dot, dot, dot. Instead, imagine our students graduating from LCPS with a seal of my literacy on their high school diploma and proudly crediting.

[03:00:22] - Thank you. Tony Wiley, followed by Diana Lopez. - Good evening. I'm Tony Wiley, a Riverside Senior and Varsity Chiricoe Captain.

[03:00:38] I'm here to advocate for 12-month contracts for Assistant Athletic Directors. And Loudon, our Assistant Athletic Directors, are on teacher-based contracts with only 10 additional workdays. However, Fairfax already provides 12-month contracts for comparable positions.

[03:00:54] That difference matters during the summer. Each Loudon High School has approximately 420 summer practices, leaving athletic directors to manage them without their assistance. In the past decade, eight new athletic programs have been added, along with increased VHSL and LSPS requirements.

[03:01:15] We cannot continue expanding our athletic program while leaving athletic directors to manage summer operations alone. It's time their contracts reflect that growth. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you. Our next speaker is Diana Lopez, followed by Amelie Shroff.

[03:01:34] Diana Lopez. Our next speaker is Amelie Shroff, followed by Catherine Contre-Rez.

[03:01:52] Good evening. I am in the DOI language immersion or the DOI program. I want the DOI program to expand until middle school and high school because if the DOI program ends in fifth grade, then I won't know so much Spanish, and I want to learn a lot of Spanish.

[03:02:23] And if it doesn't continue, I will be so sad because I love Spanish. And if you know Spanish, you can talk to other people who do not know English.

[03:02:38] It is so fun. Thank you. Our next speaker is Catherine Contreras, followed by Robert Yarborough.

[03:03:11] Good evening, school. board. My name is Catherine Contreras. I just wanted to say thank you for being here and for all that you do for our children. It's obvious that you really care being here so late at night. My son is a kindergartner at Leesburg Elementary, and I have two future students who will go there.

[03:03:27] I just want to give you the feedback that the low pilot program is amazing. We love it. I see that there's an expansion in the budget, and I would really implore you to consider a system through fifth grade I realized that students take tests on these and I think that students can effectively learn to test on them without a Chrome book being issued to them on not in another vein my son is in the dual language immersion program and I also would like to advocate for that to be expanded to the pyramid secondary schools that the elementary is feed into

[03:04:04] so much language is lost as you've heard if those muscles that have been informed are not exercised. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Our next speaker is Robert Yarborough, followed by Chris Countryman. Good evening, Chair Chandler, Dr. Spence, members of the school board.

[03:04:30] Thank you for your time. I'm Robert Yarborough, football coach from Riverside High School, and I'd like to briefly discuss a critical investment in student safety, regulatory compliance, and overall program growth. The investment is based on the assistant athletic director transitioning to a fully supported year-round position. Our athletic offerings have expanded. The operational demands in this position have grown tremendously. Our athletic and academic activities have grown to encompass 30 varsity sports, 18 sub-varsity sports, and 12 VHSL academic activities. Administrative

[03:05:05] responsibilities no longer pause when the specific season ends. For example, the student physical examinations operate on a continuous 14-year, excuse me, 14-month rolling verification cycle requires year-round management. Funding the position year-round is essential for risk management. It ensures consistent administrative on-site leadership during events and weekends.

[03:05:27] Thank you. Our final speaker this evening is Chris Countryman. Good evening. Tonight, on behalf of employees, I'm asking for the results of the Segal Comprehensive Compensation Study from 2024. LCPS spent over a half a million dollars on this study, but it has not been shared with employees or the public. The study examined compensation philosophy, regional competitiveness,

[03:06:06] job classifications, and pay equity. Now before this is dismissed as a collective bargaining issue, the school board's resolution specifically placed job classification and pay scale placement under managerial rights. This is not a collective bargaining issue or a workaround. Employees across the division are questioning their classifications and pay placement from substitute bus drivers, communication technicians, attendance secretaries and registrars.

[03:06:33] What did Siegel's data reveal? Are these employees properly classified and compensated? Budget season's here. This is exactly when the information needs to be considered. Thank you. That brings us to the end of our public comment period.

[03:06:48] Thank you all for coming out today and for providing your public comment. Board members at this time will take a short recess and will reconvene at 7:45.

[03:06:56] The board is now in recess.

[03:17:01] The Board is now back from recess. We will move on to item number 13, our action items. First up is 13.01, Student Services Committee, Revised Policy 5170, Substance Use Education, presented by Mr. Pepper, the Chair of the Student Services Committee.

[03:17:20] Thank you, Mr. Pepper, do you have a motion? - I do, Madam Chair. I move that the school board adopt policy 5170, Dependency prevention and Education. Second. Thank you. It has been properly moved by Mr. Pepper and seconded by Vice Chair Donahue.

[03:17:40] Mr. Pepper, would you like to speak further to your motion? Yes, Madam Chair. This policy was meant to accompany, encompass, sorry, some changes put forth in state code about including technology addiction, but I will actually let Ms. Richardson, our Director of Student Services, talk more about the changes that are made to the policy.

[03:18:01] Thank you, Mr. Pepper. Yes, this policy was before the board at the last meeting for information, and there was quite a bit of discussion, right, about the new state code change, adding the addictive nature of technology into the substance use policy.

[03:18:21] And there was conversation about a possible title change so that you will see before you staff have come before you with a proposed change that will certainly cover everything that the current policy covers.

[03:18:38] So opioid use, alcohol use, gambling, as well as the addictive nature of the use of of technology.

[03:18:58] All right. Thank you. Weber, are you all set? I am Madam Chair. Okay, thanks. Board members, we'll open the floor up for discussion. Any discussion? Mrs. Griffin. Thank you, Madam Chair. I have amendments for this particular policy. Just simple edits to the language.

[03:19:24] I have amendment number one, add and addiction to line 11 so that it reads as follows, to provide a curriculum and resources that emphasize substance use education and prevention of substance use and abuse and addiction. My reasoning for that is- Mrs. Griffiths has made a motion. Is there a second? Second. Thank you. That amendment was made by Mrs. Griffiths and seconded by Vice Chair Donahue. Mrs. Griffiths, would you like to speak further to your amendment?

[03:19:58] Thank you. My reasoning for that is since this policy covers more than substance abuse, adding the phrase and addiction just made sense. It was just a minor adjustment. Thank you. Thank you. Board members, any discussion? Mr. Pepper?

[03:20:18] Thank you, Madam Chair. I would actually like the opinion of the Assistant Superintendent, Ms. Richardson, on the addition of the phrase and addiction to this based on the spirit of the policy and how we frame policies within student services.

[03:20:34] Thank you, Mr. Pepper, for the opportunity to speak on this. In the field of mental health and substance use, we have moved away from the use of the word abuse and addiction because of the stigma that is associated.

[03:20:51] So currently in our field of expertise in working with students with substance use challenges, we use the word use, misuse, or dependency. Thank you. Yes, Vice Chair Donohue.

[03:21:08] Thank you Madam Chair. I certainly am not going to argue with Assistant Superintendent Richardson but I was not aware of those changes in preferred terms and I'm not questioning that but I do see looking at the red line, the red line in its current posted version still includes at least one use of the phrase

[03:21:41] abuse on line 11. So I was going to maybe make a friendly amendment to Mrs. Griffith's proposal, but my friendly amendment was going to be based around this language on line 11, which currently reads prevention of substance use and abuse, which I'm raising only because if staff's position is that we shouldn't be using the word abuse in this policy at all, then it might make

[03:22:19] sense for there to be a proposal to change that word in that location um miss riccardi thank you madam chair i i agree with you on i want to make sure that we get the wording correct so could we because i see the word abuse in a couple of other places in this document so i think what would be great is if we could sort out some sort of kind of administrative process just to review the policy and update the language where it needs to be.

[03:22:59] So I see it in the red line in line 5, in line 6, line 11. I haven't seen it in any other places, but those are the ones I see just right off, like skimming through this really quickly. So I know we've done in the past where after we approve the spirit of the policy, we've kind of given administrative leeway to adjust and just course correct on the language a little bit.

[03:23:27] Can we do that in this case? And is there a timing, I guess, is there a timing issue with needing to get this approved tonight for anything? Ms. Richardson, would you like to speak to that in terms of whether or not there's a timing issue?

[03:23:43] Yes. Thank you, Chair Chandler. So I would like to first speak to the use of abuse in the policy because the policy comes out of State Code 22.1-206, which is entitled Instruction Concerning Drugs, Alcohol, Substance Abuse, Retail Tobacco Products, Hemp Products Intended for Smoking, Gambling, and Screen Time.

[03:24:11] So I do apologize if I was not clear that practitioners in the field choose not to use the word abuse or addiction. They use use, misuse, or dependency. And with regards to it being time sensitive, I do not think it is time sensitive.

[03:24:32] I do think that staff, should it be the will of the board to change the references to abuse, to something like misuse or dependency, that we could get those done rather quickly. Thank you. Let's see, anyone who hasn't had an opportunity to speak yet, I guess.

[03:24:52] Ms. LaBelle. Thank you, Madam Chair. I see down in line 27 that we actually have the word dependency and they have crossed out substance abuse. Perhaps we could be consistent and just cross out the word substance abuse and put in the word dependency.

[03:25:14] Would that work? Ms. Chernoff? I agree somewhat with Ms. LaBelle. I do like the use of the three words, use, misuse, and dependency, wherever it would apply.

[03:25:35] I think that that would make the most sense. Are we required to exactly mimic the Virginia Code on substance abuse, or can we take that liberty? That's a question I don't know the answer to. Ms. Ewing, would you like to weigh in?

[03:25:52] Yes, thank you. The code language just requires that we provide instruction concerning these areas. It does not require us to have a policy that cites it verbatim. So, so long as the spirit of the code is still within the policy itself, it's the prerogative of the board.

[03:26:16] Mr. Pepper. Thank you, Madam Chair. I know I already spoke on this. Just based off of what Ms. McCurdy has said and what some of our colleagues have said, I also know that we had a discussion on this policy last week about the placement of the addiction to technology and whether it fit within this policy.

[03:26:35] And I know the title has now changed to dependency prevention education, so it does feel like it fits a bit better. Is there any thought amongst us that we may perhaps want to send this back, refine it to clean up the language and then bring it back, knowing that there's absolutely no rush on this policy?

[03:26:59] As we all nod, would you like me to make a motion? Let's see, technically, Mr. Pepper, would you like, we have a motion on the table for an amendment, and then, Ms. Ewing, we have, so we have to clear out the motion that's on the table before we can move in to another, because it would be a motion to move it back to committee?

[03:27:22] Yes, because you're two up, so you need to clear that out before you move to another amendment. Mrs. Griffiths, would you be willing to rescind your amendment and consider moving this policy back? Okay. So then Mrs. Griffiths has rescinded her amendment. Mr. Pepper, do you have a motion?

[03:27:44] Yes. I move to send this policy back to the Student Services Committee to refine. I'm just moving to send it back to the Student Services Committee. Second. All right. It is Mr. Pepper has made a motion to move this policy back to the Student Services Committee. It has been properly seconded by Ms. LaBelle. Is there any discussion? All right. Seeing no discussion, let's move.

[03:28:08] Clerk, please open the vote. Board members, please record your vote. Clerk, please close and display the vote. All right, that motion passes with eight members voting yes, including Ms. Riccardi, Mr. Svensson, Ms. Chernoff, myself, Mrs. Griffiths, Mr. Pepper, Dr. Rasheed, and Ms. LaBelle, and Vice Chair Donahue voting no.

[03:28:27] So that policy will return to committee. And then we will move on to our next action item, which is 13.02, Student Services Committee Revised Policy 8140, Student Attendance Requirements and Procedures.

[03:28:45] Mr. Pepper, do you have a motion? Yes, Madam Chair. I move the school board adopt Revised Policy 8140, Student Attendance Requirements and Procedures. Second. Thank you. Mr. Pepper has made a motion and it was seconded by Ms. Chernoff. Mr. Pepper, would you like to speak further to your motion?

[03:29:03] So we've talked about this a little bit last week, but I'm once again going to let our assistant superintendent, Ms. Richardson, talk about policy 8140 and the changes we have made to it. Thank you Mr. Pepper. I think the most notable change since the last time this policy was before the board was the conversation about civic events so I do draw your attention to line 103 where we have added a definition and then we have gone on to provide some examples to further support the conversation of the board and then we will certainly

[03:29:43] Once this is fully adopted, we will make the necessary changes in the regulation as well. Board members, any discussion? Yes, Vice Chair Donahue. Thank you, Madam Chair.

[03:29:59] I noted that SEAC raised a recommendation slash concern related to on line 28, lines 27 to 28, that discusses automatic withdrawal from enrollment.

[03:30:15] says if a student is absent for 15 consecutive school days or more, they will automatically be withdrawn from LCPS in accordance with Virginia code. And SEAC has suggested adding there in accordance with Virginia code and state and federal and state disabilities laws and Virginia code.

[03:30:36] And I was curious what staff's view of that proposal was. Thank you, Vice Chair Donoghue. Staff's recommendation is that we stick strictly with the code, the Virginia regulations, nor does the IDA contemplate the consecutive withdrawal, the consecutive days missed, and withdrawal of students with disabilities specifically.

[03:31:07] So it would be the advisement of staff that we stick with Virginia code after 15 consecutive days missed that students would be withdrawn from LCPS, regardless of disability status. Thank you, Ms. Richardson. And what would happen hypothetically if a student missed 15 days of school in a row for some reason that was directly caused by or related to their disability of special needs student?

[03:31:39] If LCPS had knowledge of a student's absences being directly related to their impact of disability, we would not be dropping them after the 15th consecutive day. We would be making all other efforts to work with the family to make sure that the student stays engaged and connected.

[03:32:00] We have home-based and medical homebound options that we could be working with families on. We also have partial day options that we work with families on. So as long as LCPS is knowledgeable of the reason why, particularly for our students with disabilities, then we work with our families, and it would not be an automatic 15-day drop.

[03:32:27] Thank you. Mr. Svinson. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to say I appreciate the addition of the definition for the civic event into the policy. I have some concerns about including examples directly in the policy, just because I'm worried that that might create some ways of limiting the policy inadvertently, And I think maybe the examples are best saved for written guidance or regulations, just because I think the policies are generally should be higher level.

[03:33:04] So I'm going to propose an amendment. I move to strike the language at lines 110 and 116 of the policy. And it's not because I don't appreciate the examples or think they are examples. I just think that I would rather they not be in the policy itself.

[03:33:25] Thank you, Mr. Svensson has made a motion. Is there a second? Second. Thank you, Vice Chair Donahue. Mr. Svensson, would you like to speak any further to your amendment? No. Okay, Board members, any discussion? Yes, Dr. Rasheed. If I can ask cabinet, what would be the repercussions of removing these examples, if any?

[03:33:43] Thank you, Dr. Rasheed, for your question. There would be no impact to the policy itself, and we could certainly move these examples to the supporting regulation. Mr. Carney?

[03:34:00] Thank you, Madam Chair. I know this was actually in, these examples are the ones that were in the policy previously, correct? That is correct. I think just for clarity purposes, and I would normally agree with you on just moving it to regulation, but I think just most people don't get to the regulations.

[03:34:17] They're just really, parents are just looking at the policy. They're not going to dig through a regulation as well, necessarily. So I like the idea of keeping these in here. I think we talked about this at the last meeting, just for clarity purposes, because I think there's a lot of times when you're talking about different types of events that students could participate in.

[03:34:36] I think this just gives a little bit of a framework around it. I think we could expand that list certainly out if we wanted to in the regulation, but I think this just gives parents kind of the drop that, oh, this is the kind of stuff they're talking about in this policy and it's right here versus anybody having to go ask more questions or anything else.

[03:34:54] So I'd actually like to keep it in here at this high level because I think it just provides a little bit more clarity in the policy directly. Thanks. Thank you. Ms. LaBelle. I think there's a compromise here. If you took line 110 and change it to say examples may be found in regulations, you could put whatever examples you wanted there, and it would redirect their attention if they didn't quite understand what we were meaning.

[03:35:30] Okay. Thank you. Any further discussion? I'm happy to take a friendly amendment. Maybe I can revise my amendment that strike lines 110 to 116 of the red line and insert the phrase at line 108, examples may be found in the accompanying regulation.

[03:35:59] All right, so that's a friendly amendment. Do I have to second that or is it friendly? I'm sorry, Mr. Pepper? Is that seconded or no? Just friendly. Oh, well, it's a friendly amendment. It's a friendly amendment, okay. If Mr. Svensson accepts it, it's a friendly amendment. I interpret it as a friendly amendment, but happy to make a new amendment if needed.

[03:36:17] Okay. Ms. Ewing, do you have an opinion on the process? No, ma'am. Since it's a friendly amendment and it's been accepted, you can move forward. Mr. Pepper? Thank you, Madam Chair. And I actually really like this compromise in that it specifies the reader of said policy directly where to go, and I am all for this by cleaning up the language.

[03:36:42] I know I spoke to this last time, but my child did recently utilize this, I guess, utilize this as an attendance classification because she participated in a Youth and Government Day that was sponsored by Loudoun Youth.

[03:37:01] I'm not opposed to the Friendly Amendment, and I'm likely to support it because I love a good compromise but for me the most important part of this policy is that the principal gets to to take make a ruling on what's appropriate or not appropriate and so the examples are important but it is meant to be an organized event or activity and and it is the principal's discretion to determine whether or not it's appropriate so I don't know it doesn't

[03:37:33] it's fine. I just wanted to say that. Any further discussion? All right. We have an amendment on the floor. Seeing no further discussion, let's move forward with the vote. Clerk, please open the vote.

[03:37:49] And this is Mr. Svensson's amendment in which he accepted the friendly revision. And if it would be helpful, Mr. Svensson, could you please restate your amendment? Yes, I can do that. So we have strike the lines at 110 to 116, and then at 108, we inserted the phrase examples may be found in the accompanying regulation.

[03:38:16] Great. Thank you very much. And Madam Clerk, please thank you. That motion passes with eight board members voting yes, including Ms. Riccardi, Mr. Svensson, Ms. Chernoff, myself, Mrs. Griffiths, Mr. Pepper, Dr. Rasheed, and Ms. LaBelle, and one board member voting no, Vice Chair Donahue.

[03:38:39] All right, that concludes, or we actually have to go back to the base, right? Any more discussion on the policy student attendance requirements and procedures? All right, seeing no discussion, let's move forward with the vote to approve.

[03:38:57] All right. That motion passes unanimously with all nine board members present for the vote. All right. We will move on to our information items for this evening.

[03:39:16] First up, we have item 14.01, Department of Business and Financial Services, Fiscal Year 26, County Fund Balance Request. And I believe Mr. Jones will be presenting this evening. Mr. Pepper, do you want to kick us off?

[03:39:36] I don't know. Oh, no, I'm looking at the wrong one. Pardon me. All right thank you. Good evening Chair Chandler and members of the school board. At the end of each fiscal year the county identifies unassigned general county fund balance that is available for allocation from the board of supervisors. As part of this process the school board is able to submit requests to access these funds for school purposes. If approved this would be supplemental funding for

[03:40:10] FY27. Because year-end funds are by definition one year only, dollars are not recurring, the financial best practices that they only be used for one-time purposes and not for operational costs. For LCPS, this means that year-end funds must be used for large, non-recurring purchases aligned to existing priorities or projects and be fully spent or encumbered no later than the end of the fiscal year.

[03:40:35] Staff has identified and recommends items for both the operating fund and the CIP fund, which we'll cover on the following slides. There are six recommended items for the operating fund. These include $650,000 for free appropriate public education services that would traditionally be covered through the County Managed Child Services Act program.

[03:40:56] Approximately $3 million for the first year of ERP software licenses. LCPS previously shared an ERP instance with the county, and this will be the first year that LCPS is responsible for maintenance costs. Approximately $1.9 million for the procurement of body-worn panic badges is a school safety initiative.

[03:41:14] originally approved in the school board's FY26 adopted budget, the procurement was delayed and the funding was not used. Staff is also recommending $1.5 million to accelerate the build out of the FACE Hub previously approved by the school board in October by funding the lease and large equipment purchases early. It would also support the relocation of the security operations center, another support space need identified in the CIP that may be co-located in the same building as of FaceHub, and an additional $400,000 in projected unpaid meal costs for FY27.

[03:41:49] Current unpaid meal debt is higher than it is at the same time last year, and federal regulations, as well as LCPS Policy 6130, required that the debt be funded through appropriated non-federal funds, which LCPS does each year through the school operating fund. These five items for the school operating fund total approximately $7.4 million.

[03:42:09] Staff is also recommending that the board request $14.6 million at county year-end funds to accelerate the secondary school restroom privacy project. This funding would expedite the project by two years, reducing the full timeline to just five years for all secondary schools.

[03:42:25] This strategy has previously been discussed with the school board. The total of these seven items across both the school operating fund and the CIP is $21,983,223. Based on these items, the recommended motion is that the Loudoun County School Board request the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors to appropriate from their FY26 fund balance $7,383,223 to the FY27 school operating fund and $14,600,000 to the capital improvement plan fund.

[03:43:00] This will be brought back to the school board as an action item on December 1st so it can be submitted to the Board of Supervisors for their action, usually the first week in January. thank you all right and thank you mr. Jones now I wanted to see if we could just clarify a couple foundational issues we just heard recently that the county had approved our supplemental request and could you explain how these two requests are different certainly so last week the Board of Supervisors did

[03:43:36] respond to the school board's two different funding requests one is for one-time funds that the state budget appropriated in their FY 26 budget for six point two million dollars those were one-time funds based on actions that the board had already taken additionally the school board made a request for 14 million dollars based on changes in the final state budget and those would likely be recurring changes those would have been offset by 13 and a half million due to funding or due to enrollment declines, which was part of that discussion.

[03:44:11] So the $6.2 million plus the $14 million is the $20.2 that the board acted on last week. Tonight's request is for county year-end funds that the Board of Supervisors would have available once they close their FY26 books.

[03:44:27] Thank you for that clarification. Board members, do you have any questions? Vice Chair Donohue? Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Mr. Jones, for the presentation. I was curious if the, as I'm sure you know, because it's been mentioned up here before, J.L. Simpson Middle School has been trying to get funding to put up an electronic sign.

[03:44:51] Is that something that would fall under the parameters for funding uses under this proposal? Without knowing more specifics about the cost of the project, it would be something that we'd have to take a look at unless Mr. Mamoun has anything. No, I don't believe this is part of this particular request.

[03:45:12] We can, as part of our CIP presentation, we can address that question specifically. I believe we have a session coming up on the 30th. Thank you. Mr. Riccardi? Thank you, Madam Chair.

[03:45:30] So is it possible for us to get the full list of the items that are included in both the Board of Supervisors, what they just approved? I know we got an email about that, but I think for the public, it'd be really good for us to understand both lists of items that are included in both pots of money.

[03:45:54] I'm just trying to kind of reconcile it a little bit in my own head. I think I've got it down, but it'd be really great, I think, maybe when we come back next time to see the two lists, just so people are clear about where the money's coming from and what projects are getting funded. Yes, we can do that.

[03:46:11] That'd be great. Thank you. Thank you. Vice Chair Donohue. Thank you, Madam Chair. Apologies. I had one more in my notes. So part of this proposal includes funds for unpaid meal debt, and my question for you is, is that the amount of unpaid meal debt here, is that a projection? And if it is a projection, what do we do if the actual amount of unpaid meal debt is higher or lower than the projection? That is a projection for where we think that will end fiscal year 27. Just for reference, we wrote off more than two

[03:46:50] $220,000 last year and we're on track to well exceed that this year just like anything with the budget the budget is as an estimate and we try to get as close as possible but any variance would just be an operational difference. Mr. Cardi.

[03:47:10] Thank you madam chair and just a couple more questions for you so I think two topics one the and this is why I would love to see the two lists one is about the firewalls they appeared in as two different amounts in both requests so I'm just trying to figure out which i think it got moved over to the state plan funds at 1.5 million but i think the original county request was something like 900 000 so i just need i feel like i just need to see the list kind of reconciled so i know what's going on the second one is about

[03:47:42] the erp um plans because i've seen that in both as well so in one place it's just under 3 million and one's at 3 million so obviously it's right around that ball but just like 2.93 million or 2.95 I think is what it is but just be really good just for the public's clarity to understand where that's coming from as well. We can certainly do that. Yes ma'am. Okay so I'll go with a few questions. First off is there a strategic advantage to handling items like this in this way with

[03:48:17] year-end funds? Sometimes it does allow the board to address large strategic initiatives or priorities that would have been more difficult to place into the budget and there has been instances where the board has used year-end funds as a budget mechanism to offset future your costs if they do if you do expect large one-time purchases to otherwise be in that budget and thank you so much for that clarification and then I would just to sort of go back to the panic badges you know I guess I haven't taken the time to go back and revisit this I was hoping to get a

[03:48:56] little context for how it was approved and why it hasn't necessarily come forward yet and and what the underlying issues there were it was included in the FY 26 adopted budget there were procurement delays during implementation for it which just led to the delay of the actual procurement and implementation of that project so we're bringing it back now by the time that those that procurement delay was known it was already too late to put it into the FY 27 budget just given how early you adopt that. Thank you so much for that

[03:49:31] clarification. Mrs. Griffiths. Thank you madam chair. Lighting was brought up last week I don't know if money if we get estimates on lighting for certain schools if that can we can use the money for that maybe Mr. Mamoon can answer that question if we get estimates on some of the schools for example we went over to Stonebridge and we discussed that issue in the back by the tennis court something as simple as that but there's other issues as well is that something we can include so for the lighting we did discuss internally the

[03:50:08] the issue is that you know in order to do these projects since they're gonna have to go through the permitting process there does need to be a study to be done because obviously lighting has certain levels and there are calculations about food candles and how much lighting you actually need.

[03:50:25] So I don't think we will have that completed in time to put it in this request. That's what I thought. Thank you. I just thought I'd put it out there to see if we would be able to use that money and maybe even in the future. Thank you. Thank you.

[03:50:41] Board members, any further questions? All right, seeing none, we'll move on to our next information item. Next up, we have 14.02, Legislative and Policy Committee revised policy 3130 evaluation. Mr. Svensson, would you like to kick us off?

[03:50:57] Sure, I'm happy to do so. This is policy that was up for its five-year review, so the changes are pretty minor and were meant to just conform with ways other policies have been edited and just have consistency there. There are a couple other additions just for clarity and be straightforward, but happy to answer any questions about it thank you so much board members any questions all right then let me ask is there an appetite to move this item to the consent agenda for

[03:51:35] our next meeting right this item will be on the consent agenda next up we have our final information item for this evening this one is a student behavior and accountability committee review of policy 5650 student acceptable responsible technology use this is item 14.03 and it looks like our presenter this evening is Miss LaBelle thank you madam chair the student behavior and

[03:52:14] accountability committee reviewed policy 8650 most of our changes were to bring term terminology up to date but mr. Smith is here and he has a few things that he can tell us a little bit more about.

[03:52:32] Good evening. The proposed revisions to policy 8650 update and modernize the student technology acceptable responsible use policy by clarifying technology monitoring and content filter practices, incorporating digital citizenship, addressing the responsible use of emerging technologies such as generative AI, and making minor editorial improvements for the consistency.

[03:52:53] Just as a reminder, per Virginia Code 22.1-70.2, LCPS is required to review this policy every two years, which is why you're seeing it again so quickly. References to technology resources have been expanded to better reflect current services and infrastructure, including cloud services and modern technology platforms.

[03:53:12] Language in the monitoring section was revised to clarify that usage and activity on LCPS technology systems is monitored, communications may be backed up, and security tools may be employed to maintain the integrity and security of the network. The policy clarifies that LCPS operates technology protection measures in order to monitor, filter, and block inappropriate content on devices connected to LCPS networks, including our wireless networks.

[03:53:34] Student education requirements were updated to include digital citizenship. New language was added that explicitly addresses the responsible use and ethical use of emerging technologies, including generative artificial intelligence, which is addressed in another policy. So this is a reference and reinforces that students may not use technology to bypass security controls.

[03:53:53] there are several minor editorial and formatting updates and with that happy to answer any questions. Thank you so much. Board members, any questions? Oh yes, Ms. Riccardi. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just had a quick question on on this red line because I'm not sure that I saw it in there, but do in this policy or is it might it go somewhere else do we require students to disclose in submitted assignments, especially papers, to disclose their use of AI as part of a policy? And I'm asking that mostly because, again, I'm battling this at the college level right now,

[03:54:31] and I think it's a good practice in general. So I just wanted to know if this would be a good place to add this, and if so, I might add an amendment for the next. So that is addressed in regulation under policy 5430, use of generative artificial intelligence. So it does pre-exist in another policy about how to cite and reference generative AI when used. So it does exist in that regulation under that policy. Okay, it's in regulation and not the policy. Okay, that's what I needed to know. Thank you. Ms. Chernoff? Thank you, Madam Chair. This is really just a question

[03:55:09] about clarity. On lines 10 and 11, we have a repeat of the exact same phrase. One is in black and one is in red, so it reads the exact same thing back to back. So just the, as well as varied instructional needs, learning styles, abilities, and developmental levels of students is also already in the policy. Do we need it twice? No, that can be cleaned up before the action item or consent agenda item for the next meeting. All right, I don't think we need an amendment for that. It's

[03:55:40] just a clerical thing. Thank you. Any further questions? Is there an appetite to send this forward to consent or would we like to see it with that change? Well, everybody's got their thumb up, so this is coming back on consent. So make sure when you're doing your due diligence that you check can make sure. I'm just kidding. All right. So we've made it through our information items for this evening, and we can move on to item number 15, our board member comments and committee reports.

[03:56:14] I believe we started on this side last time. So Ms. Riccordi, you may start. Thank you, Madam Chair. So first and foremost, I want to wish the United States Marine Corps a happy 251st birthday today. With Veterans Day approaching, I want to extend my gratitude to all of our veterans and active duty service members, including our soldiers, marines, sailors, airmen, guardians, and coast guardsmen for their service and sacrifice to this great country.

[03:56:48] Over the past month, I've hosted two community town halls to hear directly from parents, students, and staff about the issues that matter most. At Rosalie Carter Elementary, we discussed the transmission line process, as you can possibly imagine. We talked a little bit about e-bike safety and expanding advanced placement and advanced coursework opportunities.

[03:57:07] We did another one at Rolling Ridge Elementary just a week and a half ago. Those conversations focus on supporting our English learner and Title I families, e-bike safety, and updates on the new Parkview High School. Supporting our growing student populations remains a very big priority for me, and I appreciate everyone who participated in those discussions.

[03:57:25] I was also honored to speak at the ribbon-cutting for the LCPS new school-based health program. Through the state grant, the mobile health units, as Dr. Spence mentioned, will provide medical, dental, and behavioral health services directly to students, families, and staff. They'll be located at Sterling Middle School, Parkview High School, and Sully Elementary School, and those are the pilot sites for that program.

[03:57:46] I'm really excited about that coming to our community. I want to congratulate the Sterling Middle School on the launch of the Pioneer Habitat. It's a new native pollinator garden and outdoor classroom that provides students with hands-on learning opportunities in STEM, environmental education, and literacy.

[03:58:05] And congratulations as well to Sterling Middle. They received a $25,000 donation for its Pioneer Reading Initiative and an additional $2,500 in school supplies from TA Realty. I'd also like to highlight an upcoming event for our English Learner families.

[03:58:20] As Dr. Spence mentioned about the Empowered English Learner Family Conference, it's Saturday. I will be there. really excited about that coming up. So I'll see everybody this weekend for that. And finally, I encourage parents, students, and our neighbors to attend our Loudoun County Community Fenton All Awareness Forum next week on Monday, November 16th at 6.30 p.m. at Sterling Library. And anybody that's interested, I encourage you to attend. I'm looking forward to having a really great evening there, and I'll be there as well. Thank you so much. Thank you. Mr. Svinson? Thank you, Madam Chair.

[03:58:55] As Veterans Day is tomorrow, I just want to say thank you to our veterans and service members and say how much I'm looking forward to the NDROTC Veterans Ceremony tomorrow with my colleagues. We have a legislative and policy committee meeting tomorrow evening.

[03:59:10] So just to preview that for folks, we have a couple policies up for action on the role of the clerk, school board agenda, information security protection, and a suite of policies. you may have noticed there are a lot of policies up for public feedback over the last two weeks. The suite of policies related to complying with new Virginia state law related to equal access to public education and protection of immigration and citizenship related information. So we will be working on that in committee tomorrow and we also began our discussion at the last meeting about cameras during public comment and other aspects of public

[03:59:46] comment and we'll continue that discussion at tomorrow's meeting and I imagine that'll remain a conversation for us going forward. I'm looking forward to representing our school board at the VSBA conference next week and appreciate my colleagues giving me approval to vote on the on the VSBA legislative agenda at that Thursday delegate assembly. And then finally just want to thank Principal Painter at Discovery Elementary for hosting myself and Chair Chandler and Supervisor Glass a couple weeks ago when we visited Discovery. I know folks have have been following in the news related to data center data

[04:00:25] centers in the area of discovery and have questions about air quality and just wanted to share with folks that there is now air quality sensor located at Discovery Elementary specifically so you can go to Virginia's DEQ Department of Environmental Quality website and look in real time at air quality information for Discovery and information has been collected on an ongoing basis over the last year or so at various locations in Loudoun County and including some of our schools such as Broad Run and Stewart Weller and Sterling Middle School so if

[04:01:03] you're interested in in that data you can take a look at the at that website and I'm glad that there's now a sensor there at Discovery to to keep us apprised of the air quality in that area. So thank you very much and I'll turn it over to my colleagues. Thank you, Ms. Chernoff. Thank you, Madam Chair. Last Thursday afternoon was our specialized programs and centers committee meeting. We started out with an overview from HRTD and the work that they do to support the hiring of unicorn, I believe was the word, educators for our special programs. This collaboration is essential to support and success and we were grateful for for their insights, particularly how timelines

[04:01:42] can be impacted by clarity or lack of clarity in our budget decisions. Next up, we got a high level overview of the admissions data and special programs. Also on board docs is a very deep dive, nitty gritty look at all of the admissions data and all of the demographics and all of our special programs, if you really wanna nerd out.

[04:02:02] But the presentation provided the high level overview for all of our special programs. And one of the things, there have been some significant changes in our admission processes in some of these programs, so we're continuing to monitor that as we look at the data. But there was also, there's also a lot more interest than there are slots for these programs.

[04:02:22] And one of the reasons might be is that in past years, students could apply to unlimited amounts of programs. So this year, we're making a tweak to kind of help the rolling admission process, and we're asking students to pick their top two choices. And they can also still apply for AET, AOS, and TJ outside of those two.

[04:02:40] So hopefully that will help to streamline the admission and acceptance process. The committee also did discuss some of the data and shared some concerns about decreasing or no representation of special education, English language learners, or economically disadvantaged students across some of our programs, and encouraged the LCPS team to continue to seek ways to find access for all learners. As far as school visits go, last week I spent one of my days with Mr. Slevin and the teaching and learning and the fine arts team. I asked them to coordinate some visits to our Leesburg High School so we could hear directly

[04:03:19] from the educators leading our theater programs and sort of find out how the coursework intersects with the extracurricular work. And so huge shout out to Ms. Fletcher and Mr. Adam for hosting us at Heritage and literally taking us to every nook and cranny behind the scenes.

[04:03:36] It truly is eye-opening to walk the spaces and hear about all the work that they are doing. And then we bopped over to Loudoun County High School and learned about some of the ways that they're trying to grow their program, which one of those ways is that their theater teacher teaches at Loudoun County, but also teaches exploratory dramatics at Simpson Middle School for seventh and eighth graders, which is growing in interest.

[04:04:00] So that will be interesting to monitor as we go forward in that we will schedule a visit to Tuscarora in the coming weeks. But again, my biggest takeaway is that these programs should not be one size fits all. They are unique to the student communities, but there are themes that we are hearing about different ways that we can support.

[04:04:18] And I'm looking forward tomorrow to attending Cool Spring and LCHS's Veterans Day ceremonies. So thank you. Thank you. All right. Well, I wanted to take a moment to thank the strategic planning team for including me in the ASU-AASA Strategic Planning Summit.

[04:04:41] It was difficult to not be here in person at the last school board meeting, but well worth it. I will say that was perhaps the first AI tool that I didn't hate. Sorry. I'm very opinionated. There were some very useful, the way that the platform leveraged perspective was just very interesting.

[04:05:03] And I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to join the team. As we look to Veterans Day, I'm glad to hear that so many of my board colleagues are planning to go to county. I'm looking forward to that as well. I am and have always appreciated the way that we celebrate Veterans Day here in Loudoun County.

[04:05:22] I know it comes up from time to time that parents have concerns about why we don't have that day off. But there has been a historic tradition and it has been in past school boards have also spoken to the fact that because we have these ceremonies, it's such a meaningful way to celebrate together.

[04:05:38] And that's why that tradition persists. I want to thank the Capital Area Tolugu Society for including me in their Diwali celebration. It was wonderful to be with them last weekend. really beautiful celebration and like my colleagues I also appreciated being included in the ribbon-cutting for Flossie and Mehdi I'm so excited that we're gonna be able to do so much good work in Sterling and last week in addition to going to discovery with mr. Svensson I also had the opportunity

[04:06:12] wanted to thank dr. Ellis for making that possible to visit Banneker and Lincoln Elementary Schools because we had such a heartfelt discussion about our small schools I felt the need to get in there and see it for myself and I really feel like I got to see the character of the community it's just really very helpful and then I did pop into the Dominion Park View game on Friday night which was just really great to see so I'll look forward to the VSBA conference next week and I guess you know we'll enjoy another busy time of

[04:06:49] year and with that I'll hand it over to Vice Chair Donahue. Thank You Madam Chair. Not a whole lot to report. Last week we had our monthly audit committee meeting and Mr. Woods presented his findings from a an audit of LCPS transportation so that was an interesting discussion especially because we had Mr. Mamoon was present for our meeting with mr. Davies and so we had the input and we're able to discuss both mr. Woods's findings from his audit as well as the staff response and their corrective actions that they're taking so that felt like

[04:07:29] really valuable time well spent and and well done on our LCPS transportation that does some very difficult work in our in our vast county so that was a good meeting. I, this is, was not as a school board member, but I am an assistant coach for my daughter's 10U softball team, and we had, we were privileged to our team and other members of the Leesburg Girls Softball League. We're in the Kiwanis Halloween Parade in Leesburg, which was a really

[04:08:01] good time to hang out and have fun with the girls. I also want to express my, my appreciation for all the veterans on the eve of this Veterans Day. I am looking forward to the to the Veterans Day ceremonies tomorrow at at County with NJROTC and also at my child's school and I'm looking forward to the interfaith luncheon this week and the BSBA conference next week. A lot of a lot of big things coming up busy time of year but that's all for me. Thank you. Thank you. Mrs. Griffiths. Thank you

[04:08:39] Madam Chair. This past weekend, I went to Diwali celebrations at the BAPS Temple in Chantilly, where I enjoyed a walkthrough of many presentations, including several created by LCPS students. The celebration continued at Dullestown Center, where Anasuda Kitchens provided delicious food and entertainment. Tomorrow is Veterans Day, and also I look forward to the Loudoun County High School Naval Junior ROTC program tomorrow. I want to thank all veterans for their service and sacrifice. On this Veterans Day, I do, I would like to reflect on my own family's military service. My grandfather served in World War I, my great-grandfather served in World War I,

[04:09:17] my grandfather served in World War II, my father-in-law served in Vietnam, and my husband currently serves in the Army National Guard. So their dedication, you know, and their sacrifices are just unbelievable. So with that being said, I want to shift gears to security, safety and security. I know we are doing studies, but I do look forward to the costs on additional lighting at our schools. During our capital improvement budget meeting on the 5th, it was discussed that lighting at several schools may need to be addressed. While not every school has concerns, some campuses have walkways and pathways around or behind the school that may present visibility

[04:09:56] challenges. I believe we should prioritize schools that have been directly identified for additional lighting and evaluate them on a case-by-case basis. I hope this gets done without delay. I will continue to look for additional layers of protection, whether through lighting, school resource officers, improved intersections, or safety measures that support our students and families. Given the significant changes in our communities, student population, development patterns, traffic conditions, and so on, I believe it is appropriate to conduct a fresh review of the Safe Passages pilot program. This review will help ensure that our

[04:10:34] efforts are focused where the program, it came out in 2022. So as part of that review, we'll be able to figure out and identify problem areas. And I do ask that my colleagues identify possible intersections in their own districts that may have issues. In the Ashburn district, I also ask the Board of Supervisors continue working with the developers of the new West Belmont project to improve intersections and pedestrian infrastructure in that area. As a new development takes shape, it is appropriate to visit previous studies and ensure identified priorities align

[04:11:11] with the current conditions and student needs. Sometimes the roadway markings alone are not simply enough to keep students and pedestrians safe. Also, in case you haven't heard, Loudoun County Sheriff's Office has launched Operation Highway Hound to target aggressive drivers. This is another great step for our safety in our communities. As the Ashburn School District board member, I'm here to support students, strengthen our schools, and make a meaningful impact for our community regarding safety. One more thing. Oh, I guess I'm done. Thank you.

[04:11:43] Thank you. Mr. Pepper. Thank you, Madam Chair. So, like my colleagues, I'm also looking forward to the Veterans Day celebration tomorrow at Loudoun County High School. I celebrate all the work for our veterans, everything they did in support of freedom in this country, and I think it's just a wonderful way to celebrate by visiting schools and being part of it. I'm also looking forward to visiting Willard tomorrow, Willard Middle School, and seeing what they have in store for Veterans Day as well. This past week, and I also had the honor of attending the Diwali celebration at the Babs Temple, and really did enjoy the

[04:12:20] presentations, many of them were by LCPS students, about culture and religion and history and all the good that the community is doing for others. It was very meaningful and just the tremendous hospitality was wonderful. Last week I had the opportunity to visit Arcola Elementary and hang out with Principal Andrew Stevens and talk about the needs of their, it was very timely with SIAC tonight but the needs of their special education program and the constraints put on both the teachers and the administrators. I just barely missed the kickball game which disappointed me

[04:12:58] because it would have been really fun to see the administrators and teachers play against third through fifth graders at kickball so I apologize. Traffic just got me that time. We did not, we have not had Student Services Committee yet. Student Services Committee is tomorrow. We just have a very light agenda we are going to talk about a new policy or a change in policy for a student cardiac arrest or student athlete sudden cardiac arrest and with that I am going to thank you Dr. Rasheed thank you chair so at the November Curriculum and Instruction Committee meeting we had to defer our action on

[04:13:34] the updated policy 5430 which was use of generative artificial intelligence additional we're supposed to get additional guidance and that's that has just come out from VSBA and we will need to be considered before the committee votes to bring this policy to the full board. So we also received an update on common assessments and in these relatively early stages these assessments are proving valuable to evaluate student mastery and potentially preview SOL performance given the updated passing standards. The division continuously seeks feedback from teachers to improve common assessments and noting that they are a work in progress and staff is looking at

[04:14:13] opportunities to improve in areas such as decreased technology and enhanced family communication and I'm eager to see how this continues to evolve. I was able to visit Aldi Elementary School just last week where I met with Principal Parkley and PTA over there. I was impressed by the warm family-like community at the school and that is not an understatement. As I've said before educators and students are more than line items and schools like Aldi are not just buildings so this vibrant home is where children receive exceptional education so that they can truly thrive and thank you for sharing your day with me Bobcats and happy Veterans Day and happy belated Diwali thank you miss

[04:14:52] LaBelle thank you madam chair on Thursday I'm sorry on October 28th I had the opportunity to visit with students and families at Lincoln elementary school again a family-oriented school like the one that miss dr. Rashid was just yet it was a wonderful day fall wise it was great and we had so many fun activities many of them outside for the students there was face painting art projects pumpkin bowling a tractor ride and principal Mishner took part in a

[04:15:28] hilariously messy blind taste test and so much thanks to the staff at Lincoln for inviting me over to join them our November on Thursday we have our next select committee of the school board regarding the MOU between LCPS, LCSO and LPD and as we move forward with these discussions I will continue it and I want to reiterate and advocate again that our youngest learners deserve to have the same level of security that our older students do. As representative of five

[04:16:04] out of our six small rural schools as well as our rural charter schools I cannot emphasize enough that we need SROs in our elementary schools, especially in rural Loudoun.

[04:16:19] Those schools are so far apart and so isolated that they really do need that extra layer of protection. On Thursday, we have, oh, I'm sorry, I just read that one. At our November 4th SEAC meeting, we had our special education resource fair where representatives from LCPS programs and support services, shared insight, and resources with families.

[04:16:48] This is an important event to bridge families with the support they need, and I hope that those who attended were able to get their questions answered and learn more about our programs. Our next Student Behavior and Accountability Committee meeting is Monday, November 23rd at 4:00 p.m.

[04:17:07] My next Family and Community Roundtable will be Thursday, December 3rd at 6:30 at Coach's Corner in Percival, and I hope to see all our families and teachers and anyone else who's interested there. And finally, I am looking forward to attending Veterans Day events tomorrow.

[04:17:25] I get to start at 7:45 a.m. with Breakfast with Veterans in Lovettsville Elementary, so I really want to get out of here and get home and get to sleep. After that, I'm going to rush myself over to County to sit along with the rest of our board and enjoy their Navy Junior ROTC program for Veterans Day.

[04:17:48] And I will close out the day with the Valley Patriotic Concert in Percival. So it's gonna be a very busy day. - Thank you so much. So exciting to hear what all of our colleagues are up to and have been doing for the last few weeks.

[04:18:06] We'll move on to item 16, new business. Is there any new business? Seeing none, we will move on to adjournment. Seeing as there's no new business, the November 10th, 2026 Loudoun County School Board meeting is now adjourned.

[04:18:23] Please drive home safely.

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