Joint Board of Supervisors & School Board Committee Meeting – September 16, 2025
Joint Board of Supervisors & School Board Committee Meeting – September 16, 2025
The Joint Board of Supervisors and School Board Committee met on September 16, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. The meeting featured reports from co-chairs, updates on the LCPS Transition Center, student activity fees, and youth substance abuse prevention efforts, along with a motion to add a discussion of the LCPS-Sheriff’s Office MOU to the November 2025 agenda.
Co-Chairs Reports
- Co-Chair Chandler (School Board) reported that LCPS opened the 2025–2026 school year on August 21. As of August 6, LCPS had hired 626 new licensed personnel, of whom 59.7% hold a master’s degree and 2.1% hold doctoral degrees; 237 are first-year teachers. The teacher fill rate is approximately 99%. Two new programs opened: the Loudoun Recovery Academy (substance use recovery) and the Access Academy (college and career skills in IT). The School Board voted on August 12 to join the State Corporation Commission proceeding on the Dominion Energy transmission line.
- Co-Chair Glass (Board of Supervisors) noted approval of a minor special exception for Banneker Elementary School expansion, approval of eight Safe Passages to Schools pilot locations, and ongoing monitoring of federal funding impacts.
Transition Center (LCPS VIEW Transition Academy)
- Tedra Richardson (LCPS Student Services) presented an update. The center will serve students with disabilities working toward applied studies or extended standard diplomas, focusing on career and technical education (CTE) and independent living skills. Proposed pathways include building/moving, creating/experiencing, caring for communities, cultivating resources, and connecting/success. The academy will offer courses in personal finance, emergency response, health, and customer service. A location has been identified and concept planning has begun. The proposed name – LCPS VIEW (Vocation, Independence, Employment, Work Readiness) Transition Academy – will go before the School Board on September 30.
- Supervisor Brisman asked about opening date (fall 2028) and budget requests. No FY26 requests; FY27 still under discussion.
- Supervisor Riskman expressed excitement as a certified special education teacher. Co-Chair Chandler noted the Transition Center Roundtable included input from five invited students (two former, three current; unable to attend, but feedback gathered via teachers).
Update on LCPS Student Activity Fees
- Sharon Willoughby (LCPS Business & Financial Services) reviewed progress since 2019: elimination of athletic participation fees (FY24), AP test coverage (up to four per student, FY22), student parking fee elimination (FY23), and introduction of an activity allotment to offset non-athletic co-curricular fees (FY25). Additional supports include teacher classroom supply allotment and universal paper/tissue. Future focus remains on consumables; FY26 eliminated fees for supplemental CTE materials. Data from FY25 activity allotment will inform FY27 budget.
- Supervisor Brisman asked about marching band fees, noting a student fundraising event at Dominion High School. Ms. Willoughby clarified that a music allotment ($9,600 per high school) and performing arts allotment exist, but fees may still be charged at the school level. Chair Chandler requested offline clarification. Supervisor Chernoff supported data collection on allotment usage and noted that basic instructional materials in arts classes are also being addressed. Supervisor Glass asked about National Honor Society and FBLA fees; Ms. Willoughby said the activity allotment is intended to offset such club fees.
Loudoun County Update on Youth Substance Abuse: Response and Resources
- Evan Braff (Opiate Response Coordinator) and Jennifer Evans (Director of Student Mental Health Services, LCPS) presented prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts. Key points:
- MHSADS leads prevention, intervention, and treatment. Prevention programs (REAL, Camp REAL) reached 687 youth, with 87% improving/maintaining skills.
- Treatment services include assessment, case management, crisis stabilization, and psychiatric services. A comprehensive opiate needs assessment is underway. Regional youth detox/crisis stabilization center is being developed with opioid abatement funds.
- LCPS has trained over 1,500 staff in Naloxone use. Student Assistance Specialists expanded from 19 to 30, covering all secondary schools. Prevention presentations begin in 5th grade on vaping. Sources of Strength and peer programs are active. The RISE Academy (Recovery Inspiration, Strength, Empowerment) opened at North Star School for high school students in recovery.
- Law enforcement partners Lt. Col. Chris Sawyer (Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office) and Lt. Chris Mongelluzzo (Leesburg PD) described SRO programs (triad model: enforcement, education, counseling) and canine scans for opioid detection in schools (Labrador retrievers). Data showed a significant decrease in juvenile opioid overdoses from 2022–2023 peaks: 2025 to date has had only one fatal overdose (linked to pyro, a potent analog). The canine scan program aims at deterrence and prevention; results are not published to avoid stigma, but the overall number of students charged in schools is extremely low (39 total charges in 2024–25, mostly assault, not drug-related).
- Supervisor Tracroni commended the collaboration and asked about resource needs; an upcoming needs assessment will provide guidance. She also emphasized community policing and relationships. Chair Chandler requested aggregate data on canine scan outcomes (hits, referrals) but Lt. Col. Sawyer cited the program’s prevention focus as reason for not releasing specific numbers. He noted no complaints about the dogs, but many requests for more scans.
- Supervisor Brisman asked about Camp REAL referrals (via school counselors and social workers for at-risk students) and clarified that the regional youth crisis stabilization center is separate from the county’s adult crisis receiving center (funded by county and opioid abatement grant; opening in six months). He also asked about adding more in-house psychiatrists; Margaret Graham (MHSADS) reported that two child/adolescent and one addiction-certified psychiatrist positions were approved in January 2025 and are being recruited.
New Business: MOU Between LCPS and Sheriff’s Office
- Co-Chair Glass moved to add a presentation and discussion of the Memorandum of Understanding between Loudoun County Public Schools and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office to the November 2025 joint committee work plan. The motion was seconded by Supervisor Tracroni.
- Supervisor Tracroni expressed support and noted previous additions to the MOU, including trauma-informed training and parent/guardian notification policy. Co-Chair Glass suggested extending the November meeting by one hour to accommodate the additional item. The motion passed unanimously with all present members in favor (Co-Chair Mansfield and Ms. Shernoff absent).
Key Outcomes
- The Transition Center will open in fall 2028; concept planning is underway. The name “VIEW Transition Academy” will be voted on by the School Board on September 30.
- LCPS will continue to analyze FY25 activity allotment data to inform FY27 budget and will follow up on marching band fees and universal fee regulations.
- Youth substance abuse prevention efforts will continue with expanded psychiatric services, regional detox center, and ongoing canine scans. A comprehensive needs assessment report is expected fall 2025.
- The joint committee approved adding the LCPS-Sheriff’s Office MOU to the November 2025 agenda for presentation and discussion. The November meeting may be extended by one hour.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. This is April Chandler calling to order the September 15th, 2025 joint committee of the Loudoun County School Board and Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. We normally start with public comment, but seeing as we have not had anyone sign up to speak tonight, we will move on. We'll start tonight with the co-chair's report. Um with Supervisor Glass as Chair Mansfield is absent tonight. I hope everyone had a lovely summer. LCPS welcomed back our welcomed back our students to the classroom on Thursday, August 21st. As of August 6, 2025, LCPS had hired 626 new licensed personnel for the 2025-2026 school year, of which 59.7% hold a master's degree and 2.1% hold doctoral degrees. Also, of those 626, 237 are brand new teachers to the profession. As of August 13th, 2025, LCPS has a fill rate very close to 99% of all school-based licensed positions. This is slightly higher at this time of year than in previous years. LCPS opened two new programs this year, the Loudon Recovery Academy and the Access Academy. The Recovery Academy is designed for students who are in early recovery from substance abuse or substance use disorders. The Accelerated College and Employability Skills Program, or Access Academy, is a collaborative program with the Loudoun County Public Schools, George Mason University, and Northern Virginia Community College. Access Academy supports students in developing hands-on experience and industry aligned skills in information technology, earning college credit, and gaining career experience while still in high school. As for school board activity, since the previous meeting, the school board has taken action on the Dominion Energy Golden to Mars Transmission Line Project. At the August 12, 2025 School Board meeting, the board voted to join the State Corporation Commission proceeding joining the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and the Loudoun Valley Estates HOA in this effort. Next, we'll share some good news about LCPS students and schools. 44 students from LCPS traveled to Anaheim, California to compete at the Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference, and 17 made it to the stage. An incredible accomplishment for LCPS and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Qualifying for nationals is an outstanding achievement, and many of our students advanced to the finals in their events, placing among the top 15 in the nation. Taking the stage was simply the icing on the cake. These incredible students showcase not only their skills, but also their leadership, kindness, and LCPS pride. Seventeen LCPS schools were recognized for their participation in the No Place for Hate program during the 2024-2025 school year by the Anti-Defamation League. These 17 schools are among 194 schools in the Washington, D.C. region that were recognized for their participation in the No Place for Hate program last school year. No Place for Hate is a framework that encourages schools to speak up against bias by creating projects that promote respect and inclusion. Through the support of students, staff, and families, No Place for Hate schools gather input from all invested parties to make changes in their school communities, helping to ensure that there are places that encourage learning without interference from bias. And on that positive note, I will end my remarks because we do have a very full and important agenda today. And now I'll invite Co-Chair Glass to provide her report. Thank you, Co-Chair Chandler. As this is our first meeting since the beginning of the school year, I want to take the opportunity to welcome students, staff, faculty, and parents back to school. As many of you know, I'm an employee of LCPS, and I am looking forward to another great school year for our community. Since our last meeting in June, the Board of Supervisors approved a minor special exception application for the renovation expansion of Banneker Elementary School in St. Louis. Approval of the minor special exception will allow for the addition of five classrooms and a multipurpose room and allow the school to be served by on-site sewer and water systems. In July, the Board of Supervisors approved the eight priority pilot locations identified under the Safe Passages to Schools Pilot Program. This program began in the joint committee and focuses on identifying solutions to community concerns about pedestrian safety around schools, including including missing crosswalks. The board will include funding discussions on the pilot locations in our next capital improvement program, budget deliberations for consideration and prioritization. We are also developing a process to create a community a community request crosswalk program to allow for easier studying and construction of crosswalks throughout the county. Finally, the Board of Supervisors continues to monitor the current federal funding and policy changes that it could affect that could affect the amount of money that is sent to Loudoun, including to Loudoun County Public Schools. Co-Chair Chandler, that is my report. Thank you for that report, Co-Chair Glass. We'll move on now to our action items, starting with Item 4.01 Transition Center, which will be presented by Ms. Tedra Richardson, LCPS Student Services. The purpose of this item is for Loudoun County Public School staff to provide an update on the status of the project and building and program planning for the transition center. Ms. Richardson, the floor is yours. Thank you, and good afternoon. Next slide, please.
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