Loudoun County School Board Votes Overwhelmingly to Initiate Application for Conversion of Middleburg Elementary School to Charter School

Motion passes 7-1-1 with one Board member absent 

September 11, 2013 (Ashburn, VA) – The Loudoun County School Board last night voted to initiate an application for conversion of Middleburg Elementary School to a Charter School. The School Board will review the application under the policy and regulations they had amended previously to incorporate recent changes to the Commonwealth of Virginia charter school law. Those changes allow for local School Board initiated charter applications that bypass review by the Virginia Board of Education. 

The School Board was clear that this initiation of action does not guarantee that the application will be approved. The School Board also stated that considering the application under the new school board initiated option was justified by the lengthy history of effort from Middleburg community members and student parents in working to resolve the problem of falling enrollment that was undermining the viability of the community school. 

The motion was introduced by Mr. Morse (Dulles) who enthusiastically supported the opportunity to consider the community initiated charter application while reiterating the caveat that approval is not guaranteed. Mr. Reed (At Large) seconded the motion and offered his support for the efforts of the charter applicants and direction the board was taking. 

Ms. Bergel (Catoctin) stated her support for the motion and that she felt it very important that the application contain a transportation plan, in light of the fact that many students the school aims to serve are financially insecure. 

Chairman Hornberger (Ashburn) noted the history of falling enrollment at Middleburg Elementary and that its uncertain future had led a group of parents to explore with the community the idea of a charter school. He stated his appreciation for the changes to state law that allows the school board to work directly with the community. 

Mr. Fox (Leesburg) offered his support for the possibility of a charter school initiated by parents and community members. He also emphasized the importance of charter schools as a way to offer more options for education in the county. Mr. Kuesters (Broad Run) supported the motion and stated that he wants to see a charter provide something different from what LCPS offers and that it needs to provide value to the county. 

Ms. Rose (Algonkian) backed the motion and noted that most of the heavy lifting in developing a final charter agreement needs to be done by the applicant. Ms. Sheridan (Sterling) opposed the motion and stated that she is philosophically opposed to charter schools. 

The motion passed 7-1-1 with Ms. Turgeon (Blue Ridge) absent. 

"We are grateful to the School Board for their expeditious and thoughtful consideration of our application. We look forward to working with them to make Middleburg Charter School a successful, innovative school that serves the needs of our community and provides an option to every child in Loudoun" said Janelle Stewart. "We agree that we must consider the needs, including transportation, of all students. Consideration of the needs of students is the primary motivation for creation of the charter school. To that end, we will work with the School Board on all details of the application." 

The goal of the Middleburg Charter School Movement is to "develop life‐long learners who are curious, caring, reflective, and productive members of our community." 

Students will learn using methods that work best for each of them. They will learn at their own pace, from teachers who bring out a child’s natural curiosity.