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.
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.