Opening Delayed for New High Schools

By LoudounExtra.com staff

Thursday, January 10, 2008

The planned opening for two new public high schools has been delayed until 2010, Superintendent Edgar B. Hatrick III announced at Tuesday's school board meeting.

Because the opening of Woodgrove High School near Purcellville and another high school, known as HS-5 near Leesburg, has been postponed from September 2009 to January 2010, Loudoun County Public Schools has removed $880,321 from its proposed 2009 operating budget, the school district said.

The $880,321 was budgeted for positions that would be filled before the new schools opened to help prepare for the openings. It would have paid salaries for two principals, two assistant principals, two secretaries, two athletic directors and two head custodians.

In a school district statement, Hatrick indicated that the projected September 2009 opening date for the 1,600-student Woodgrove High School isn't likely because of ongoing litigation between the county and the Town of Purcellville.

The district is continuing efforts to acquire property on Business Route 15 near Smart's Mill Middle School for HS-5, Hatrick said.

"Our hope in both of these cases is that we can resolve property ownership issues so that construction on both schools can begin," Hatrick said in a statement.

Voters approved funding for the construction of Woodgrove High School in November 2005, which originally was to open in September 2008. Funding for HS-5 was approved in November 2006; it was originally to open in September 2009.

Tagged: Edgar B. Hatrick III, high schools, HS-5, Leesburg, Loudoun County Public Schools, Purcellville, Woodgrove High School

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