Woodgrove High School - History

History

Woodgrove was planned on around 2000 to alleviate overcrowding primarily at Loudoun Valley High School, where the student population has doubled since the 1995-1996 school year. In 2005, the Loudoun County School Board approved the use of Fields Farm, a property north of the Town of Purcellville on County land, but in an urban growth zone jointly controlled by the Town and the County, known as PUGAMP. The town of Purcellville was not pleased with the decision, because of traffic concerns and also because it was expected to provide essential services to the new high school, despite being located outside of the Town. The School Board claimed that the high school's best location was in Fields Farm, and on June 20, 2006, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted 6-3 to start construction of Woodgrove on Fields Farm. The Town of Purcellville pursued legal action in court to stop its construction with a Richmond legal firm; the case is still pending in Court. In July 2006, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors reexamined the possibility of opening Woodgrove in Round Hill, but efforts were unsuccessful.

In February 2007, Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) began its standard procedure for drawing boundary lines which would split Loudoun Valley into two high schools. Land construction still did not start on Fields Farm due to the lawsuit filed by Purcellville. LCPS also acknowledged that because of the lawsuit, they would file a special construction exemption to expedite construction of the school, which may open as late as January 2009, but still "split" Loudoun Valley into two schools in the 2008-2009 school year.

According to LCPS, if Loudoun Valley was not split into two schools by 2008, students who move to the area may be forced to attend Briar Woods High School or Freedom High School because the school would be at maximum capacity then. Briar Woods and Freedom at the time would not have student populations at capacity for at least two school years.

On March 17, 2007, the Loudoun County Circuit Court ruled in favor of the Town of Purcellville, due to Loudoun County's lack of consultation with the game town on the building of the high school. Because of the decision, the high school is likely to be delayed and not opened until 2010.

On September 12, 2008, The Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the County of Loudoun has sole authority over location decisions for public facilities in the Purcellville Urban Growth Area located outside the Town of Purcellville’s corporate limits. The decision came as a result of a series of lawsuits brought by the Town of Purcellville against Loudoun County to challenge the proposed Western Loudoun High School location north of the town. The court rejected the argument that the Town of Purcellville had authority to decide whether new public facilities, such as the high school, could locate in this unincorporated area of the county. That decision lies only with the county.

The court also decided that the proposed high school is not a feature shown on the Purcellville Urban Growth Area Management Plan, and so its location must be submitted by the Loudoun County School Board to the Loudoun County Planning Commission for a determination that it is in substantial accord with the plan. This review is referred to as a “Commission Permit.”

County Attorney Jack Roberts said; “I am pleased with the court’s ruling. It rejected the town’s fundamental assertion that it had authority beyond its borders to veto the location of public facilities.”

Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott York said; “The next step is to work with the School Board to coordinate the filing and scheduling of a Commission Permit request so that we can move forward with this desperately needed school.”

The school broke ground for construction in 2009. Woodgrove High School had finished construction and opened for the 2010-2011 school year. Students who went to school together have been separated and split upon redistricting, except for the 2010-2011 seniors, who all stayed and finished their education at Loudoun Valley. Thus, only the rising 9th-11th graders were moved to Woodgrove High School.