Tuesday, January 10th, 2022.
The Loudoun County School Board 
21000 Education Court
Ashburn, VA 20148

To the Loudoun County Public School Superintendent, Scott A. Ziegler.

And, Members of the LCPS School Board:

Jeff Morse, Chair, Dulles District
Ian Serotkin, Vice Chair, Blue Ridge District 

John Beatty, Catoctin District
Tom Marshall Leesburg District

Brenda Sheridan, Sterling District 
Atoosa Reaser, Algonkian District
Denise Corbo, At-Large 
Harris Mahedavi, Ashburn District 
Andrew Hoyler, Broad Run District

Subject: Urgent Request to reinstate / continue Virtual/ Distance learning Option with immediate effect. This representative petition is a very sincere appeal from concerned parents of Students attending Loudoun County Public Schools to reinstate the option for Virtual/Distance learning. 

Today, We reach out to you as a collective voice of concerned parents of students enrolled in the Loudoun County Public School (LCPS) system as We are extremely concerned about the recent COVID-19 cases at schools across our communities & are seeking your immediate help, with a current online petition in support of our representation initiated by LCPS Parents for a virtual/distance learning option has near 10,000+ signatories & counting, as of 01/09/2022.

We do understand that Chapter 456 of the Code of Virginia requires LCPS schools to open for in-person instruction, maximizing the opportunity for them to continue to learn in a safe, consistent and in-person environment. However, given the current heightened situation and rapid rise of the highly transmissible Delta variant of #Covid19, in-person learning is no longer safe for LCPS students. While we recognize in-person schooling is the best option for children to learn and grow, safeguarding our kids during a pandemic is equally, if not far more vital to their well-being. Unfortunately, we have already lost a precious young life in our area in the last week, as reported by the VA Department of Health. Loss of even one student is one too many. 

We are fully aware LCPS has precautions and guidelines such as masking, social distancing, etc. However, cases have continued to rise exponentially due to the exceptional severity of the deadly Delta variant. You must note that LCPS Parents are going through severe anxiety, apprehension every single day as the situation seems to deteriorate, and are highly hesitant to send their children to schools for in-person learning due to risk to lives.

Furthermore, without Loudoun County sponsored virtual / distance learning option, parents will be forced to unenroll their children and look for alternate options of homeschooling or private schooling. This sub-par option is a significant burden to our communities and students, and May not be the best outcome of a still manageable situation with your timely and necessary intervention. 

In the best interest of the students’ and our community’s health and well-being, we sincerely request LCPS to reinstate a virtual/distance learning option for all families to choose. We hope the board will prioritize kids safety and alleviate the pain of the parents by approving & adopting his option with immediate effect. It must be mentioned that as parents we sincerely do trust the LCPS school system and are looking for your continued guidance and support through these difficult & challenging times.

Thank you for the gracious support.
Sincerely, Rajesh Gooty, President, The Lead America Foundation. On Behalf of Concerned Parents of LCPS. 
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