🌱 Loudoun Parent Receives Threats + Board Increases School Budget

Morning, everybody! I'm back with your new edition of the Leesburg Patch newsletter. Here are all the things you need to know about what's happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Monday: Partly sunny and delightful. High: 80 Low: 53.
• Tuesday: Partly sunny and pleasant. High: 77 Low: 50.

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Here are the top three stories in Leesburg today:

1. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is investigating threats made against a Loudoun County resident and parent who has been outspoken at school board meetings. According to Elicia Brand, a Jewish woman, she received nearly 100 phone calls and voicemails last weekend. She said some of the voicemails she has received include death threats. The phone calls allegedly took place days after 7News revealed that some members of the Loudoun Love Warriors Facebook group had threatened Brand and another Loudoun County resident who had spoken at school board meetings. (WJLA)
2. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors opted to intervene after the school district's FY 2024 budget lost millions of dollars due to a state funding miscalculation. A representative for the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) told WUSA9 that the department discovered in January that a tool on its website was giving school divisions inflated estimates of state funding, which led to a $13 million budget gap for the Loudoun County school system. County authorities claim that to fill the $13 million gap, the Board of Supervisors increased the Loudoun County Public Schools FY 2024 Operating Fund budget. (WUSA9.com)
3. The Leadership Academy, a program held at Freedom High School in Loudoun County, first started as a model and idea proposed by prior principal Douglas Fulton. The Academy provides students who are unclear about their post-graduation goals with real-world mentors and specialized classes. The academy uses curriculum in math, business, English, and US government as a framework and places a high priority on project-based learning. (WTOP)

From our sponsor:

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Today and tomorrow in Leesburg:

Monday, May 22

• Coffee and a Movie At Rust Library (2:00 PM)
• Heritage Commission: African American Resource Protection Subcommittee At Lovettsville Room, Government Center (5:00 PM)
• DIY Teens: Woven Tapestry At Rust Library (6:00 PM)
• Brush And Brew At Harpers Ferry Brewing (6:00 PM)
• Advisory Commission On Youth Meeting At Mickie Gordon Room (7:00 PM)

Tuesday, May 23

• Storytime Gone Wild At Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve (9:30 AM)
• Toddler Storytime At Rust Library (10:00 AM)
• Art Advisory Committee At Dulles Room, Government Center (3:00 PM)
• Planning Commission Public Hearing At Board Room, Government Center (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Coming soon! A large new store called Painted Tree Boutiques is on its way to Loudoun County. According to reports, it will be the rising brand's first presence in the DC area. Painted Tree Boutiques will take space in the Sugarland Crossing shopping plaza in Sterling, off Route 7. The brand describes it as "an Etsy marketplace and Pinterest catalog come to life. (The Burn)
• To develop a complete online tool for accessing, administering, and maintaining Loudoun County's land-related information, the county is getting ready to introduce a new online land management system called LandMARC, replacing the current systems, including LOLA and e-Permits. The county has not yet announced a launch date and some services for land development customers will not be available for approximately a week leading up to the launch. (Loudoun Now)
• The Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System is looking for volunteers and is holding a monthly new volunteer orientation! Classes are full days for new volunteers, where they learn about the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System, their many amazing volunteer benefits, and become AHA CPR certified. To learn more about volunteering, visit OpenNewDoors.org. (Volunteering with the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Young Scholars Circle — (Visit website)

Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Free Stuff And Great Perks Every Week (May 23)
• NOVA MUSICFEST Benefiting Cancer Can Rock (May 28)
• All About Bees! (May 28)

Featured announcements:

• 🏡 Lovely assisted living community in downton leesburg! 🏡 (Details)

You're officially in the loop for today. I'll be back in your inbox soon with a new update!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.