The Loudoun County School Board held a meeting at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 12, in the School Board Meeting Room at the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) Administrative Offices, 21000 Education Court in Ashburn.
Board Member Attendance
Chair Melinda Mansfield: Present
Vice Chair Anne Donohue: Present
Arben Istrefi: Present Remotely
April Chandler: Present
Deana Griffiths: Present
Dr. Linda Deans: Present Remotely
Kari LaBell: Present
Lauren Shernoff: Present
Dr. Sumera Rashid: Present
Work Session
The Department of Academics provided the School Board with an overview of the VDOE School Performance and Support Framework (SPSF). This included an update on the VDOE accreditation and accountability system and Loudoun County Public Schools’ (LCPS) continuous school improvement process.
The Department of School Leadership provided the School Board with an overview of student discipline data from the 2021-2022 through 2024-2025 school years to show trends in data since the return of students from the pandemic.
Recess Meeting
Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Ashley Kolbas and the National Anthem was performed by Henry Newman from Heritage High School.
Recognitions
The School Board recognized two new educational initiatives launching in the upcoming school year - the ACCESS Academy and the Recovery School. Each program will welcome its inaugural cohort of students this fall, marking an important milestone in our commitment to expanding tailored learning opportunities. The Board also formally recognized the principals of both schools for their exemplary leadership and dedication in bringing these programs to fruition.
Superintendent’s Report
Highlights of the report include:
LCPS held orientation and development conferences for staff to prepare for the new school year. This included over 230 new teachers attending the New Teacher Institute.
More than 50 middle school students connected sustainability lessons with real-life examples during a field trip to Amazon’s HQ2.
17 LCPS schools have received No Place for Hate designation for the 2024-2025 school year.
Family and Community Engagement Office makes connections at National Night Out.
LCPS will provide allotments to assist teachers with their classroom needs for the fifth year in a row.
View the entire Superintendent’s Report.
Public Comment
Community members participated virtually and in person to provide the School Board with comments on a range of topics.
Action Items
The Board addressed one action item:
The School Board adopted the proposed meeting calendar for the FY 2027 Capital Budget and an Ashburn and Dulles North Planning District elementary school attendance zone change process.
The Board voted to suspend the rules and voted to join the SCC proceeding, which the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and the Loudoun Valley Estates HOA have previously joined, by filing a notice of participation. The Board joins the SCC proceeding regarding the Dominion Energy Golden to Mars Transmission Line Project.
Information Items
The Board addressed several information items, including:
The Board discussed a supplemental increase in budget authority required for the Workers’ Compensation Self-Insurance Fund and the Health Self-Insurance Fund to recognize costs in excess of the FY25 budget estimates.
The Board discussed the bids received for IFB 25-539 to construct High School 14. The Board moved to suspend the rules and voted to award the bid to Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc.
The School Board then entered into a Closed Session. After the Closed Session, the Board voted to authorize outside legal counsel to respond to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights' July 25, 2025, communications on behalf of the School Board, in its operation of Loudoun County Public Schools, in line with what was discussed in closed session. Specifically, while LCPS would be open to further discussion with the Office for Civil Rights, LCPS is unable to agree to the terms of the proposed resolution agreement at this time.
The August 12, 2025, School Board Meeting was held in recess at 11:30 p.m. and reconvened on September 2, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.
Information Items (continued)
3. The Board discussed revisions to Policy 5095, Participation in the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, to include changes in language for clarity and alignment with current practices.
The School Board then entered into a Closed Session. After the Closed Session, the Board voted to authorize counsel for the School Board to proceed in the manner outlined in closed session.
View the entire agenda online.
To view the full Board meeting, visit the LCPS Website.
*The summary is provided as a quick reference to School Board meeting activity but does not serve as an official record. Official minutes are posted as soon as available.