Citizen Participation

Thank you for engaging with the School Board. The School Board welcomes comments from Loudoun County residents and believes that strong community engagement and outreach are important components of a successful school system.    

Public Attendance
Members of the public will be allowed to view public comments and the full meeting in the School Board Meeting Room. Members of the public will be admitted through the west entrance of the Administrative Offices to view the meeting.

Public Comments      
Those who sign up to offer public comment to the School Board must be one of the following:

Members of the public eligible to address the School Board include:

  1. Residents of Loudoun County (including incorporated towns within);

  2. Businesses located in whole or part in Loudoun County; 

  3. Loudoun County taxpayers;

  4. Current or former LCPS students; parents and guardians of LCPS students that live outside of Loudoun County; and

  5. LCPS employees and retirees; or representatives of organizations serving LCPS employees and students.

Those wishing to speak to the School Board must provide proof that they meet these criteria. The following means of identification will be accepted:

  • A valid Virginia driver’s license indicating Loudoun County residency;

  • A utility bill from 2023 with the resident’s name and a Loudoun County address;

  • A mortgage or rental lease agreement displaying the resident’s name and current street address of residency or business;

  • A current Employee ID or Student ID;

  • An email or letter from Loudoun County Public Schools to the parent from the 2023-24 school year regarding a currently enrolled LCPS student.

  • A student report card or progress report


Public Comment Procedures
Two types of public comment will be accepted: virtual and in-person.

Access to register for virtual and in-person public comment is available on this page of the LCPS website when it is active for an upcoming meeting. The public comment period will open at 9 a.m. on the Friday prior to the School Board meeting and close at noon on the day of the meeting. Registrants will be expected to complete the registration form in full and register only as an individual speaker. Speakers should participate in one method of comment only. A list of pre-registered speakers will be posted at the front of the building one hour prior to the start of the meeting and will be posted on the division’s website. Virtual speakers will precede in-person speakers.

For those who have not pre-registered, walk-up registration will be accepted at the front of the Administration building until 30 minutes before the start of the meeting. Those who register on-site will be added to the end of the list of pre-registered speakers. 

A list of public commenters will be posted on the front of the building. Pre-registered speakers may check the list to confirm their participation and order in the speaking lineup. Pre-registered speakers should line up at the west entrance to be admitted. Speakers who miss their time slot will not be called at a later time. 

Time Limit
Speakers must limit comments to the time allotted by the Chair and announced prior to the public comment period. The Chair determines the time based on the number of speakers and the agenda, but not to exceed five minutes. (The typical time allotted for individual comments is one minute.)

Campus and Building Access 

  • Follow the signs and instructions of Safety and Security personnel regarding where to park.

  • A designated Public Assembly Area has been set up as a pedestrian safe area devoid of vehicle traffic.

  • Everyone must enter through the west entrance marked “B1” and go through security screening.

  • Seating capacity in the Boardroom is limited.  Seating is on a first come first serve basis. 

The following items are not permitted in the building* 

  • Firearms, ammunition, knives, aerosols, mace, pepper spray, batons, sticks, or any item defined as a weapon under Code of Virginia §18.2-308A.

  • No Food or drink (Water in a one-liter or smaller soft plastic container is permitted, one per person). No food is permitted. 

  • Bags, backpacks, briefcases, boxes, or containers of any type.  (Purses or handbags 8”x11”x2” or smaller are permitted.)

  • All materials being submitted to the Board must be hand-carried without boxes or bags.

  • Lighters or matches. 

  • Voice enhancement devices. 

* Security personnel may deny the admittance of any item deemed a threat to safety or that may be used as a projectile or weapon. 

Signs, Flags, Pictures, Banners and All Other Visual Props

Maximum allowable size of any sign, banner, flag, or visual prop is 24” x 30”.  Any such item that extends beyond these limits in any dimension may not be brought inside the building. 

  • All items must be hand-held and not supported by any stick, pole, frame, or handle. Items must remain on the person and may not be adhered to a wall or any other surface.

  • All signs, banners, flags and visual props must be constructed of paper, non-corrugated cardboard, soft cloth, or paper poster board.  Signs mounted on or constructed of plastic, foam board, wood or metal are not permitted in the building.

Decorum

Per School Board Policy 2520, the civility, decorum and respect for the functioning and dignity of the School Board shall be maintained at all times. 

  • All persons in the public seating area must remain seated.  The only exception is during public comment.  The person speaking will stand at the podium and the next two persons waiting to speak may stand in a location indicated by the Chair or security personnel near the podium when called by the Chair.

  • At no time will anyone obstruct or interfere with a speaker at the podium.

Public Meeting Information  
Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA) provides that meetings of public bodies shall be open to the public. Attendees are reminded that photos, video or other recordings are allowed. Images may become part of the public record or be used in media coverage. The public is reminded that access to School Board meetings is available through LCPS-TV on Comcast Channel 18 and Verizon FIOS Channel 43. Public comment will be broadcast via audio and closed captioning. The livestream of the meeting may be viewed on the website.  

Assistance 
Those who need translation/interpretation assistance or a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability in order to be able to participate meaningfully in School Board meetings or public hearings should contact the Superintendent's Office at least three days prior to the meeting. The speaking time will be doubled for speakers requiring translation/interpretation assistance when requested. 

Distribution of Materials to School Board Members
Copies of materials for Board members should be given to the Public Information Officer or designee in the media box at the back of the Board room prior to the start of the meeting for distribution to Board members. Please provide 12 copies of the materials. Under no circumstances will a speaker approach the dais.

Second Day Sessions
In some instances, a School Board meeting may begin on one day and have to be extended into another day to complete the business on the scheduled agenda. In these cases, enhanced safety and security protocols will remain in place, and capacity in the Boardroom will be limited. The public will be admitted on a first come, first served basis.  

Committee Meetings: Please visit the LCPS calendar listing for the committee meeting that you wish to address for details about that meeting.

Public Speakers

The Public Speakers webpage hosts the list of those community members who have signed up to speak at a School Board meeting. This list is published after noon on days when the School Board is scheduled to meet so that community members may confirm their registration and order in the line up of speakers. The list is removed shortly after the completion of the meeting.