Relaunch Arc of Loudoun's School For Students With Disabilities Supported By Grant

LANSDOWNE, VA — After the Arc of Loudoun was locked out of its old campus run by the Paxton Memorial Trust, it has support from a grant and fundraising to restart its Aurora School in a new location.

The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation has provided a $300,000 gift to help the nonprofit Arc of Loudoun restabilize its operations and relaunch its Aurora School at its new location at The National Conference Center in Lansdowne. The National Conference Center has agreed to house the Aurora School as well as the Ability Fitness Center program.

"Their generosity is more than financial," said Lisa E. Max, CEO of The Arc of Loudoun. "It is a statement that even though these past few months have brought challenges, this community will rally to ensure children and adults with disabilities are never left behind. We are deeply grateful for their belief in us and their investment in a brighter future."

“We are pleased to support The Arc of Loudoun and recognize the urgent need to reduce the disruption this transition has upon the students and families that rely on the Aurora School," added John H. Cook, IV, the executive director of CMCF. "The Arc serves incredibly vulnerable members of our community who need and depend upon the continuation of this essential service. We hope our support reduces the interruption of care affecting their clients and strengthens The Arc’s long-term viability."

The Arc of Loudoun, which provides services for 4,529 people with disabilities in Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia last year, has also raised more than $400,000 in its fundraising campaign. The campaign has a $1 million goal.

The funds will support the Aurora School's relocation to the National Conference Center, retain the 60 Aurora School teachers and staff, and restore the school's disrupted services. The nonprofit says the relocation to the National Conference Center "will enable it to operate with fewer space limitations, opening the door for future growth to truly meet the regional needs of families whose children live and learn with disabilities."

The Arc of Loudoun had been locked out of the Margaret Paxton Memorial Trust's campus in Leesburg in early August, according to the Loudoun Times-Mirror. That came after negotiations failed between the Arc of Loudoun and the trust, and the former's previous lease expired on Aug. 31, 2024. The nonprofit had been on the campus for more than 16 years. Members of the Aurora School community held a protest seeking a return to the campus.

As reported by the Times-Mirror, the trust has proposed an expanded campus with multiple tenants and nonprofits providing services. The trust wanted The Arc of Loudoun to be one of its tenants, but the Arc of Loudoun did not agree to remaining under the new terms of the multi-tenant campus.

Since the Arc of Loudoun's lockout, Nova Day School has proposed taking over the Aurora School on the trust's Leesburg campus. Nova Day School currently runs a special education school in Chantilly.

The Arc of Loudoun raised concerns about not having access to the campus to keep the Aurora School open for the new school year. The school served 51 students with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families last year, according to The Arc of Loudoun. It also has 60 teachers and staff.

Meanwhile, the Arc of Loudoun's Ability Fitness Center reopened in August. The expanded space allows the center to serve more clients than before, including pediatric clients. The clinician-led center features specialized equipment for play-based therapy and activity-based interventions to improve functional ability for individuals with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, balance disorders, developmental disabilities, muscular dystrophy, Down syndrome and other neurological conditions.

The Arc of Loudoun's ALLY Advocacy Center has also relocated its operations and has open office hours in public libraries and other locations.