After meeting in closed session for about 30 minutes during last night's Loudoun County School Board meeting, board members approved 8 to 1 the purchase of 170 acres of land that will be the future site of an elementary school, middle school and high school for students in the western part of the county. The combined purchase price of the Cangiano and Burgess properties for the school cluster is $11.4 million.

Mike Engley, Executive Director, Apple Federal Credit Union Education Foundation; Dawn Meyer, Executive Director, Loudoun Education Foundation; and Paul Lin, President, Loudoun Education Foundation (Photo by Erica Garman)

School Board member Bob Ohneiser (Broad Run) was the lone dissenter of the purchase, citing that the acquisition "doesn't take into account our current fiscal crisis."

"This risks other projects that are far more critical," he added, noting that his district is facing overcrowding as well.

The board also awarded a $477,500 construction contract to replace and enhance the stadium seating at Loudoun Valley High School in Purcellville. Although building officials claim the grandstand currently meets safety standards, it was noted that the 42-year-old structure bows and shows significant signs of rust and deterioration.

Speaking of high school stadiums, the board unanimously approved the renaming of the stadium at South Riding's Freedom High School to honor a beloved teacher and coach who recently died of cancer.

The Eric Olsen Memorial Stadium will be dedicated before the season's first home lacrosse game (one of the sports that Olsen coached). Support for the stadium renaming swelled shortly after Olsen's death on Jan. 25; the Facebook page devoted to the cause has more than 1,400 members.

And at a time when budgets are stretched thin, it was a much-welcomed gesture when the Apple Federal Credit Union Education Foundation presented a $10,000 check to support the Loudoun Education Foundation's teacher grant program, which awards special project funding to LoCo educators.