Loudoun Schools To Host Listening Sessions Beginning This Week

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — This week, the Loudoun County school system will host its first community listening session at Potomac Falls High School. One listening session will be held in each Loudoun County district before the end of the school year.

The community listening sessions will provide residents with a new way to give feedback on the school district's recent performance and initiative. Acting superintendent Daniel Smith will attend each session, along with at least one member of the Loudoun County School Board.

In a recent news release, officials said the community discussions will focus on students' academic and mental health needs along with a focus on how the school district can better engage and communicate with residents.

"As a school division, we know that we have a lot of work to do to rebuild trust and ensure we do a much better job of engaging and communicating with our community," Smith said in the news release. “These upcoming listening sessions are one way we look to do just that. We encourage community members to attend an event, hear from LCPS leadership and board members, ask questions, and provide feedback on a variety of important topics."

Here is the full schedule for the eight listening sessions:

• Wednesday, March 22 at 6 p.m.
  • Potomac Falls High School in the Algonkian District
• Thursday, March 30 at 7 p.m.
  • Trailside Middle School in the Ashburn District
• Thursday, April 20 at 6 p.m.
  
  • Willard Middle School in the Blue Ridge District
• Thursday, April 27 at 6 p.m.
  • Sterling Middle School in the Sterling District
• Monday, May 1 at 6 p.m.
  • Freedom High School in the Dulles District
• Thursday, May 11 at 6 p.m.
  • Broad Run High School in the Broad Run District
• Wednesday, May 17 at 6 p.m.
  • Heritage High School in the Catoctin District
• Monday, May 22 at 6 p.m.
  • Loudoun County High School in the Leesburg District

School officials urged residents to RSVP to any event they're interested in attending.

The Loudoun County school district has been embroiled in controversy in recent years. Contentious issues have included the school system's policy regarding transgender students and a pair of high-profile sexual assaults committed by the same student.

The school district is currently searching for its next superintendent. The previous superintendent, Scott Ziegler, was fired in December.

The school board chose to fire Ziegler after a grand jury indicted him due to concerns about his handling of a pair of high-profile sexual assaults at Loudoun high schools.

Read more: LCPS Employees Indicted By Grand Jury

The school system has asked community members to fill out a survey to provide more information about what kind of qualities and traits they would like to see in a new superintendent. The survey closes on Tuesday.

School board members have said they expect a new superintendent to be announced in the spring with a potential start date of July 1.

Read more: Loudoun Superintendent Search: School Board Asks For Resident Feedback