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Loudoun County Public Schools (abbreviated LCPS) is a branch of the Loudoun County, Virginia government, and administers public schools in the county. LCPS's headquarters is located in Ashburn, an unincorporated section of the county. The term public school has three distinct meanings: In the USA and Canada, elementary or secondary school supported and administered by state and local officials. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Loudoun County (pronounced LOUD-un; IPA: ) is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. ... The term public school has three distinct meanings: In the USA and Canada, elementary or secondary school supported and administered by state and local officials. ... Ashburn, Virginia is an unincorporated area located in Loudoun County, Virginia, 30 miles west of Washington, D.C., and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. ...

Due to the rapid growth in the region, LCPS is the fastest growing school district in Virginia and one of the fastest growing public school districts in the United States, serving over 50,000 students in the 2006-2007 school year.^[1] LCPS is the fifth largest school district in Virginia, surpassing the enrollment of Henrico County Public Schools in the 2006-2007 school year.^{[citation needed]} The superintendent of schools is Dr. Edgar B. Hatrick. School districts are a form of special-purpose district in the United States (amongst some other places) which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools. ... An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. ... The Henrico County Public Schools system is a Virginia school division that operates as a branch of the Henrico County, Virginia county government, and administers public schools in the county. ... In education, a superintendent is an individual that has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization. ...

History

The public school system in Loudoun County was established in 1870 to fulfill the needs for free education after the Civil War and in an era of Reconstruction. For most of its history, LCPS has served a rural county, known for its dairy farms. Since the 1960s, Loudoun County's population skyrocketed, accompanied by that of the school system. More than thirty schools have been built between 1996 and 2006.^[2] Free education is a policy stance in politics that ensures education for its citizens up to a certain level. ...

Administration

The LCPS system, while operated on a day-to-day basis by the Superintendent, is managed under the direction and authority of the Loudoun County School Board, a nine member panel elected by citizens in the county. Eight of the nine board positions are divided among voting districts that represent communities throughout the county, while the ninth seat is elected at-large by the entire county. The voting districts correspond to those used for Loudoun County Board of Supervisor elections. Unlike the Board of Supervisors, the chairmanship of the School Board operates on a rotating basis between members, while the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors is always the at-large seat. While the School Board makes decisions relating to school policy and curriculum, it receives funding through the Board of Supervisors. In education, a superintendent is an individual that has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization. ... A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors of a school, local school district or higher administrative level. ... Loudoun County (pronounced LOUD-un; IPA: ) is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. ... The Board of Supervisors is the body governing counties in Arizona, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Virginia, and Wisconsin. ...

Demographics

In the 2006-2007 school year, LCPS was 67.3% White; 8.2% Black; 12.4% Hispanic; 11.8% Asian; and 0.3% Native American.^[3]

Schools

High schools

All high schools serve grades 9–12 unless otherwise noted.

• Loudoun Academy of Science, Sterling
• Briar Woods High School, Ashburn
• Broad Run High School, Ashburn
• Dominion High School, Sterling
• Freedom High School, South Riding
• Heritage High School, Leesburg
• Loudoun County High School, Leesburg
• Loudoun Valley High School, Town of Purcellville (due to overcrowding, Loudoun Valley only serves grades 10-12)
• Park View High School, Sterling
• Potomac Falls High School, Potomac Falls
• Stone Bridge High School, Ashburn

The Loudoun Academy of Science is a a part time alternative school program for high school students enrolled in Loudoun County Public Schools. ... Briar Woods High School is a public secondary school located in Ashburn, an unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States, and is part of Loudoun County Public Schools. ... Broad Run High School Broad Run High School is a public secondary school in Ashburn, Virginia. ... Dominion High School is a public secondary school in Sterling, an unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. ... Freedom High School Freedom High School is located in South Riding, Virginia. ... Heritage High School is a public secondary school located in Leesburg, Virginia, and is part of Loudoun County Public Schools. ... Loudoun County High School is a public secondary school in Leesburg, Virginia. ... Loudoun Valley High School (more commonly known as Valley) is a public secondary school in Purcellville, Virginia. ... Park View High School Park View High School is a public secondary school in Sterling, Virginia. ... Potomac Falls High School Potomac Falls High School is a public high school in Sterling, VA. The school is part of the Loudoun County Public Schools system and is located on 46400 Algonkian Parkway. ... Stone Bridge High School is a public secondary school in Ashburn, an unincorporated community in Loudoun County, Virginia. ...

Middle schools

Loudoun County currently has 11 middle schools, all of which typically feed into one high school currently, or in the near future. Older middle schools such as Simpson, Blue Ridge, Sterling, and Seneca Ridge originally were able to carry about 1,000 students, but have all went or are going through expansion projects that will allow them to carry 1,200 students once the projects are complete. Newer middle schools built since 1995 when Farmwell Station opened typically have capacities of 1,200 to 1,350 students depending on the age of the building and how fast growth was around the particular school when the school opened.

Serves grades 6-8 unless noted

• Belmont Ridge Middle School, Leesburg
• Blue Ridge Middle School, Purcellville (carries only grades 6 and 7)
• Eagle Ridge Middle School, Ashburn
• Farmwell Station Middle School, Ashburn
• Harper Park Middle School, Leesburg
• Mercer Middle School, Aldie
• River Bend Middle School, Sterling
• Seneca Ridge Middle School, Sterling
• J. Lupton Simpson Middle School, Leesburg
• Smart's Mill Middle School, Leesburg
• Sterling Middle School, Sterling
• Stone Hill Middle School, Ashburn

Intermediate schools

LCPS has one intermediate school in the western part of the county which serves 8th and 9th graders. This is only a temporary concept, which will end after a new high school opens in 2010.^[4]

• Harmony Intermediate School, Hamilton

Elementary schools

LCPS currently has 47 elementary schools, which are nearly all community based, with over half of them opening in the last 10 years. Newer elementary schools throughout the county can carry approximately 800 to 875 students. Older elementary schools in the eastern part of the county can carry anywhere from 400-600 students. There are some rural elementary schools in Loudoun County as well, nearly all of them in the western part of the county. They are much smaller in size and are much older facilities, typically holding enrollments of about 100-150 students.

Serves grades K-5

Instructional centers

• C.S. Monroe Technology Center, Leesburg (technical school for high school students and graduates)
• Douglass School, Leesburg (alternative education center)
• Loudoun Academy of Science, Sterling (specialized science and mathematics center similar to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, Virginia)

The Loudoun Academy of Science is a a part time alternative school program for high school students enrolled in Loudoun County Public Schools. ... Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST, TJ, Jefferson) is a public secondary magnet school in Alexandria, Virginia. ... Fairfax County is a county in Northern Virginia, in the United States. ...

Future Schools

• Creightons Corner ES scheduled to open in Ashburn in 2008-2009.
• Kenneth Culbert ES scheduled to open near Purcellville in 2009-2010.
• Liberty ES scheduled to open in South Riding in 2008-2009.
• Steuart W. Weller ES scheduled to open in One Loudoun in 2008-2009.
• Woodgrove HS, tentatively scheduled to open in Purcellville in January 2010.

• ES-14 scheduled to open in Brambelton in 2013-2014.
• ES-15 scheduled to open in the Leesburg area in 2010-2011.
• ES-16 scheduled to open in Moorefield Station in 2010-2011.
• ES-20 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles area in 2010-2011.
• ES-21 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles area in 2011-2012.
• ES-22 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles in 2012-2013.
• ES-23 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles area in 2013-2014.
• ES-24 scheduled to open in Leesburg area in 2013-2014.
• ES-25 scheduled to open in the Western Loudoun area in 2012-2013.
• ES-26 scheduled to open in the Western Loudoun area in 2014-2015.
• ES-27 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles area in 2011-2012.

• MS-5 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles in 2010-2011.
• MS-6 scheduled to open in the Ahsburn/Dulles area in 2013-2014.
• MS-7 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles area in 2013-2014.
• MS-10 scheduled to open in Western Loudoun in 2015-2016.

• HS-5 scheduled to open in the Leesburg area in January 2010.
• HS-6 scheduled to open in the Dulles area in 2012-2013.
• HS-7 scheduled to open in the Dulles area in 2011-2012.
• HS-8 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles area in 2015-2016.

• Advanced Technology Academy to open on County Property in 2012-2013.

Woodgrove High School (better known as HS-3 or the Western Loudoun High School) is a planned public secondary school tentatively scheduled to open in Purcellville, Virginia in the 2008-2009 school year on the Fields Farm, bordering the northern part of the town. ...

Curriculum

High Schools

Students primarily attend classes on their home campus, but have opportunities to take additional, specialized courses at LCPS's magnet and alternative schools, such as science and math at Loudoun Academy of Science and vocational education classes at C.S. Monroe Technology Center. The Loudoun Academy of Science is a a part time alternative school program for high school students enrolled in Loudoun County Public Schools. ... A blacksmith is a traditional trade. ...

Each school's instructional curriculum is set primarily by the LCPS district office based on Virginia Department of Education requirements. There are generally eleven academic departments, each supervised by a department head (usually a teacher):^[5]

The "core" courses of English, mathematics, science and social science typically have tracks or sequences that are determined by grade level (e.g. English 9, English 10, English 11, etc.; and earth science, biology, chemistry, etc.). This is true for some of the other course groups as well, such as world languages, physical education and fine arts. Additionally, many of the core courses are further arranged into basic/general, academic, honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classifications. Each classification generally denotes a progressively more challenging level of instruction, although the distinction between honors and AP is often blurred. Advanced Placement (AP) is the term used to describe high school classes that are taught at a college level. ...

• English: Includes basic/general, academic, honors levels for all grades (with honors replaced by AP in 12^th grade. Electives, including composition, journalism, etymology, public speaking, and world literature are also offered.
• Mathematics: Includes algebra 1 & 2, geometry, as well as trigonometry, pre-calculus and calculus*, computer science*, probability and statistics*, and discrete math (* AP level offered).
• Science: Includes earth science, biology, chemistry, physics. AP level courses are offered in biology, physics and chemistry.
• Social Science: Includes world history, Virginia and US history, and government. Electives are offered in comparative religions, economics, contributions of ethnic groups in America, philosophy, psychology and sociology. AP classes are provided for government, US history and world history.
• Fine Arts: Includes four progressive levels of art studies.
• World Languages: Includes American Sign Language, French, German, Latin, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.
• Career and Technical: Includes desktop/multimedia presentations, computer information systems, accounting, business management and business law.

Students attending Loudoun Academy of Science at Dominion High School in Sterling and C.S. Monroe Technology Center in Leesburg do so every other class day, taking their non-magnet classes (typically core courses, such as English, social sciences and electives) at their home campuses on the alternate days. The Advanced Placement Program is a program that offers college level courses at high schools across the United States and Canada. ... It has been suggested that ASL Grammar be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... This article is on all of the Northern and Southwestern Chinese dialects. ... Dominion High School is a public secondary school in Sterling, an unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. ...

Specialized Programs

ESL

Nearly all LCPS schools offer a full English as a Second Language program, now called "Limited English Proficiency", for students whose native language is not English and who do not speak and/or read English well. ESL redirects here. ... “Native Language” redirects here. ...

Special Education

LCPS offers a wide range of Special Education programs for students who have minor learning disabilities to those with mild to moderate mental retardation in most schools. If a student is severely mentally impaired, he or she attends a special county wide program at Loudoun County High School. This article is about educating students with disabilities or behavioral problems. ... This article is about the use of the term in the United States and Canada. ...

See also

• List of school districts in Virginia

List of school districts in Virginia Fairfax County School District See also Lists of school districts in the United States External links List of school divisions from the Virginia Department of Education List of school districts from GreatSchools. ...

External links

• Loudoun County Public Schools Homepage
• [1]Loudon County Public Schools Web page at Great Schools Web site

References

Citations

The Washington Post is the largest newspaper in Washington, D.C.. It is also one of the citys oldest papers, having been founded in 1877. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (362nd in leap years). ...

Sources