Joint Board of Supervisors & School Board Committee Meeting - March 24, 2026
Joint Board of Supervisors & School Board Committee Meeting
On March 24, 2026, the Joint Board of Supervisors and School Board Committee convened to discuss traffic safety initiatives, committee rules, and the 2026 meeting schedule. Co-Chairs Chandler and Tacroni led the meeting, which included updates on speed camera and stop-arm camera enforcement programs, adoption of the meeting schedule, and adjustments to the work plan.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar items were listed.
Public Comments & Testimony
- The public input period (15 minutes) was called but no speakers were documented in the transcript.
Discussion Items
- Speed Camera Enforcement Program in School Zones: Deputy Chief David Smith of the Leesburg Police Department presented an update on the town's speed camera program, launched in August 2025. Six cameras operate at three school zones (Loudoun County High School, Balls Bluff Elementary, and Harbor Park Middle/Tolbert Elementary). The program uses radar-based cameras, a 30-day warning period (1,300 warnings), and has issued citations with a steady decline from October (750 citations) to February (400–500 per month). Cost is $3,100 per camera per month, with $100 fines. The program is cost-neutral and has improved compliance. Discussion included the legal requirement for local ordinance, community safety, and potential expansion. Lieutenant Colonel Sawyer noted the Sheriff's Office has opted not to pursue speed cameras countywide, preferring physical enforcement.
- Stop Arm Camera Enforcement Program on School Buses: Lieutenant Colonel Sawyer and Sergeant Bressler presented a joint LCPS-Sheriff's Office initiative to equip school buses with cameras to record drivers illegally passing stopped buses. The program requires county ordinance adoption (currently in final review with County Attorney), with civil penalties of $250 per violation. The initiative aims to enhance student safety; similar programs in Fairfax, Montgomery, and Prince William counties have shown over 90% of cited drivers do not repeat the offense. LCPS would manage camera procurement and installation, while the Sheriff's Office would review violations. No additional positions requested initially.
- Joint Committee Rules of Order and Mission: Staff presented the existing rules and mission for review, noting annual review requirement. No substantive changes proposed.
- 2026 Schedule of Meetings: Staff proposed remaining meeting dates for 2026: June 1, September 10, and November 16. The schedule was approved unanimously.
- Work Plan Additions and Deletions: Supervisor Tacroni moved to add "Winter 2025–2026 Snow Removal in LCPS Walk Zones and Bus Stops" to the work plan (in response to a recent ice storm response) and to remove "Land Matrix Committee Activities Update" (as that committee no longer meets). Approved unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Approved 2026 Meeting Schedule: The committee voted unanimously (4-0, with Mrs. Griffiths absent) to recommend the proposed schedule to the Board of Supervisors and School Board.
- Approved Work Plan Changes: The committee voted unanimously (4-0, with Mrs. Griffiths absent) to add snow removal review and remove the land matrix committee update from the work plan.
- Speed Camera Program: Noted as successful in Leesburg; no formal action taken.
- Stop Arm Camera Program: Ordinance draft in final review; expected to be operational for the next school year pending Board of Supervisors approval.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. I call to order this March twenty third, twenty twenty-five joint committee with the Board of Supervisors and School Board Meeting. Welcome everyone to the LCPS boardroom. We are happy to host the joint committee this afternoon. So we will jump right in with our reports. I'll start tonight. Good evening, joint committee members and to our families and communities watching at home. This has been an exciting and inspiring few weeks across Loudoun County public schools with many moments that highlight the talent, dedication, and heart of our students and staff. I'd like to begin by recognizing the incredible accomplishments of our students. More than 300 high school students recently participated in the 44th Annual Regional Science and Engineering Fair at Tuscarora High School. These students demonstrated curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking as they tackled real world challenges through original research. We are especially proud of those who will advance to the international level and represent LCPS on a global stage. We are also celebrating the power of words at the regional spelling bee, where Belmont Ridge Middle School student Vickyath Tanamala claimed the championship after 16 impressive rounds, correctly spelling the word Picant. Vicky, along with the runner up, Dea Sudhakar will go on to represent Loudoun County at the Scripps National Spelling Bee this spring. And looking toward the future, more than 600 students from across Virginia participated in the Cyber Slam 2026 at George Mason University, gaining hands-on experience in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and digital forensics fields that are shaping tomorrow's workplace. Our success as a division is made possible by our extraordinary extraordinary dedication of our staff. This month we are proud to recognize Transportation Supervisor Sue Carlson as the SHINE Award recipient. Her commitment to ensuring that every student's transportation needs are met with care and precision exemplifies the very best of LCPS. We also celebrate eight educators who have achieved national board certification, one of the most rigorous and respected professional accomplishments in education, and congratulate Hannah Boggs of Elaine Thompson Elementary, who was selected for the Fulbright Teachers of Global Classrooms Fellowship. Her upcoming international experience will further enrich learning for her students and our division. In addition, more than 250 staff members came together for Inspire Loudoun, a division wide professional learning event focused on innovation, collaboration, and strengthening instructional practice. LCPS continues to strengthen connections between classroom learning and real world opportunities. Through our recent career and technical education roundtable, we partnered with more than 100 business and community leaders to ensure our programs align with the workforce needs and prepare students for success beyond graduation. And we are excited about upcoming opportunities like the Student Environmental Action Showcase, where students will share innovative ideas to promote sustainability and make a meaningful impact in our community. Before I close, I would also like to recognize our transportation department, which was recently featured nationally for its innovation and commitment to serve, logging millions of miles each year to safely bring our students to and from school. In every classroom competition and collaboration, we see what LCPS makes LCPS so special. Students who are curious and driven, staff who go above and beyond, and a community that supports them every step of the way. And I would also like to share that I have appointed Dr. Rashiv Rashid to serve as co-chair of this committee. Thank you. That concludes my report, and I'll pass over the floor to you, Co-Chair Tacroni. Thank you, Co-Chair Chandler. Co-Chair Glass is unable to be here today, so as vice co-chair on the board on the board of supervisor side, I am giving the co-chair's report. First, I would like to congratulate you on being elected chair of the school board and by extension co-chair of this committee. Congratulations. I also want to welcome our new committee members, Dr. Rashid and Dina Griffith. We look forward to working with you on all continued advocacy for our students. Since the joint committee last convened in November, the Board of Supervisors has undertaken several actions that I wish to highlight. Perhaps most importantly, the board is in the process of concluding our budget, which is slated to be approved at our meeting on Tuesday, April 7th. We undertook several work sessions for the fiscal year 2027 budget and kept the real estate property tax rate of 80 and a half cents per 100 dollars in assessed value and successfully lowered the vehicle tax rate by 15 cents to 294 per 100 in assessed value. Even with the tax reduction, we can provide several new positions to serve our residents and maintain the school board's full budget request. The Board of Supervisors did not fund a request from the sheriff's office to provide school resource officers in all elementary schools. However, the board did fund five additional school resource officers and a sergeant to serve as floating SROs that be can be used to backfill and covered vacancies at the middle and high schools. Also related in the budget as part of the Board of Supervisors Fund Balance allocations in January, the board used 17 and a half million dollars to replenish the Loudoun County Public School Health Self Insurance Fund and to replace several items at various schools. Two of the items on our committee's work plan, the Board of Super Supervisors have recently acted on include safe passages to school, schools item. The board has begun reviewing the Loudoun's countywide transportation plan. This multi-year update on the plan will review several aspects of our transportation infrastructure that extend beyond vehicles, such as bicycle infrastructure, pedestrian safety, and other alternative modes of transportation. The Board of Supervisors Transportation Land Use Committee has also been exploring using county owned land for attainable housing opportunities. The committee recently had a presentation on an inventory of county land from our department of housing and community development.
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