Meghan Mangrum

New: At last night’s Loudoun County School Board meeting it came to light that the school system has implemented a hiring freeze for teachers without the school board’s authorization.  And school administrators proposed closing four schools in rural parts of the county to save money.   The school board has managed to find millions of taxpayer dollars to build new co-ed school bathrooms to accommodate transgender and non-binary students, after-school care for some families in eastern Loudoun, and a warehouse operation to distribute free items to community members.   The school board has also found money in its $2 billion budget to hire more highly paid administrators and give big raises year after year to Superintendent Aaron Spence, whose compensation exceeds half a million dollars.   During the school board public comment period on Tuesday, several parents asked the school board not to close the four schools.  Meanwhile, some immigrant parents in eastern Loudoun County, who didn't speak English, asked the school board to expand taxpayer-subsidized after-school care.    An interpreter on behalf of a Spanish-speaking parent told the school board, "I would like to thank you for allowing me this after-school pilot program to be implemented. Thanks to this effort, many families are seeing the benefits these programs provide to our children. My son attends Guilford Elementary School and participates in this program. As a mother, I have seen how beneficial it has been for him. He not only has a safe place to stay after school, but he also learns, interacts with other children, and participates in activities that positively contribute to his academic and social development. As a mother who works extended hours, this program gives me great peace of mind. I can fulfill my work responsibilities knowing my child is in a safe place, learning and making good use of his time while I finish work and get there to pick him up. These programs benefit more than 250 families, but funding and available spaces are currently limited. I am concerned that the funding has an end date and that many families could lose this important opportunity, this important support. That is why we are asking you to consider a $10 million investment in the 2027 school budget to ensure these programs continue in the long term, maintain the five schools currently participating in Sterling Park, and expand the program to two additional schools in the Leesburg area. Our children need opportunities to learn, grow, and participate in positive activities after school. Our families also need accessible childcare options that allow us to work with peace of mind. Investing in these programs means investing in our children, the well-being of our families, and the future of our community.”   Loudoun County parent Brandon Michon hopes the school board doesn't close western Loudoun elementary schools to help fund these types of programs in eastern Loudoun County. Michon’s children attend one of the schools on the chopping block.   "Everyone has their own life situation," said Michon. "I'm not gonna say anyone's personal situation is better than anyone else's, but to go and plead for potentially millions of dollars of "free" services, and there was some parents who said 'we have to go work and so we need someone to watch our kids'. Well, I have to work as well. And so do all the other parents. Why do those people get free services, but we don't get free service? I am not a big proponent of everything should be free. Life isn't always equal at times, and I'm not gonna try to argue that, but this is a school system. This is not a charity. [LCPS is] there to educate our children, and if we don't have schools to educate them in, then that's scary."   The closure of the four rural schools would also mean that children who attend those schools would likely have to wake up much earlier to catch a school bus to a school farther away.