Education is a keystone of our democracy. Loudoun citizens have wisely invested in world-class standards of education. Just like a successful business, continued investments must be made in school infrastructure. If new schools are not built to accommodate the children who have entered and will soon enter the school system, Loudoun County will begin to see a slow, steady decline in the high level of education children now receive. As overcrowding increases classroom size and as older schools fall into greater disrepair, Loudoun will begin lose its coveted new reputation as a county with an excellent school system. And as life has taught us, it is much harder to recover a tarnished reputation than it is to maintain a good one.
We must not be penny shy and pound foolish with our school system. Invest in our children's future by invest in school development now, when it is needed.

Posted by LoudounPatriot (anonymous) on July 7, 2008 at 4:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I agree with you, LoudounPatriot. I am not a Loudoun resident, but will be relocating within a year to Northern Virginia. I once lived in Prince William County, but am greatly attacted to Loudoun County this time around because of such a strong commitment to youth in the area. I visited the websites of several middle schools and the Loudoun youth website with my 12-year old daughter who is now excited, along with me, about moving to Loudoun County because there are so many positive activities for teens throughout the community.

I urge the school board and the county seat to PLEASE work hard to resolve the problems between the two entities as soon as possible! After having reviewed student body population numbers, the need for new schools at all levels is imminent. And, while my daughter is excited about participating in some of the teen activities in the community, I am excited about having her and my son, who is now 10, enrolled in what strongly appears to be one of the most rigorous educational systems in the United States. Nonetheless, overcrowding is not an option I wish to consider; my family has had enough of that in South Florida where we have been enrolled in schools for the last four years.

Our children depend on us to do what is in their best interest. If we fail them because of failure to act in a timely and constructive manner for their benefit, we only have ourselves to blame.

Posted by tracey_lewis (anonymous) on July 7, 2008 at 10:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

LoudounPatriot, please put your money where your mouth is, and give generously to the voluntary tax fund this year. Some of us are tired of seeing our taxes go higher and higher.
This also goes for the 13 of you who voted that we need new schools immediately - I look forward to seeing the thousands of dollars you donate to the voluntary tax fund this year. Anything less would be hypocritical.

Posted by Hoqenishy (anonymous) on July 8, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Why oh why do so many Loudoun County residents believe that if they build more schools the quality or education will keep getting better? Where has this been proven? As the system grows so do the management issues. In other words, who is looking into improving the existing system? I am no expert so I will not list the issues I believe to be obvious but there are experts out there who could recommend solutions that might just be a little more cost effective than to "Build More Schools". Manage what you have and our children could get get so much more out of it. We have the tools and equipment to provide a first class education; we need an administration that can use the tools properly. Full disclosure, I have two children in the system and one who graduated recently. I am tired of the tax increases and I am tired of seeing every school bond passed without regard to the total cost to the community.

Posted by salm624 (anonymous) on July 8, 2008 at 8:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Please raise my taxes so we can buy more land that we will not build schools on.

Posted by Funnyguyva (anonymous) on July 8, 2008 at 2:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Wahoo! I just got my latest mortgage statement, and my payment has gone up two hundred dollars this month! Thanks, Loudoun Board of Sh!theads - between the extra cost of fuel, electricity, and natural gas, I was wondering what I could possibly spend the last $200 of my paycheck not going down the drain right now on. I sincerely urge all of you to take a nice long walk in the middle of the night somewhere in Sterling with poor lighting.

Posted by Hoqenishy (anonymous) on July 9, 2008 at 2:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

LoudounPatriot -- "world-class?" "high level"? "coveted new reputation?" Seriously the county should have you on its PR team lol. But you can't make judgments about the school system by just reading the school board press releases. Have you read the curricula at some of the Loudoun schools recently? Go to the schools' websites, they are often posted. It's pathetic. There is a county-wide dumbing-down of the curricula, things that you and I might have learned in second grade is what currently passes for fifth grade level. And the county wants more tax dollars to subsidize this "world class, high-level reputation as a coveted new" educational cesspool? No thanks.

Posted by Justthefacts (anonymous) on July 16, 2008 at 10:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Posted by cakkallen (anonymous) on July 16, 2008 at 10:53 a.m.

Dear Cakkallen,
No need to vote with our feet. Instead I think I will do what so many other neighbors, who can no longer afford to live here, have done, start renting out rooms to low income folks who have no ties to the community, no pride of ownership and no respect for the neighborhood. This way I can continue to bring down the quality of life for all Loudoun residents. Then we can all relate better to our wonderful Prince William and West VA friends and neighbors. Of course we could also vote out these tax spending fools and "Just say No" to any proposed education bonds presented on this years ballots....

Posted by salm624 (anonymous) on July 17, 2008 at 10:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

For Example:
"Voters will decide whether the county should borrow $82 million for a high school south of Dulles International Airport, $22 million for an elementary school in the same vicinity and $8.5 million for a fire station in the county's northwestern corner."

$112,500,000 over 30 years plus interest is how much in tax increases per family per year????? And this is just election day 2008. Don't forget how many bills have already passed and how many more will be presented in the years to come. Perhaps the upper 5% income level in Loudoun can afford this but the other 95% cannot. It is time to apply the brakes. There is a curve up ahead and there is no way that we have enough traction to make it through. In order to maintain control, the time to apply the brakes is before you enter the turn, not while you are in it. It may already be too late.

Posted by salm624 (anonymous) on July 17, 2008 at 10:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Doesn't it seem like we heard more about athletic achievements/state championships rather than scholastic achievements?

Posted by yind2b (anonymous) on July 17, 2008 at 11:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

cakkallen - what a fantastic idea! I assume you'll be sponsoring my move, as well as the added cost in gasoline and time for me to get to work. No? Then stop being a dumbass. Just because you want to pay more taxes doesn't mean the rest of us do.

Posted by Hoqenishy (anonymous) on July 17, 2008 at 1:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)