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Academies of Loudoun
Address
42075 Loudoun Academy Dr Leesburg, Virginia 20175
Coordinates	39°02′33″N 77°33′01″W / 39.042637°N 77.550348°W / 39.042637; -77.550348
Information
Type	Magnet school
Motto	Explore, Research, Collaborate, Innovate
Founded	2018
School district	Loudoun County Public Schools
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	2,156 (2022-23)
Color(s)	Blue, Green, and Teal
Mascot	Raptor
Website	www.lcps.org/o/acl

The Academies of Loudoun (ACL) is a magnet school in Leesburg, Virginia. It is part of Loudoun County Public Schools, and houses three schools with a focus on STEM education: The Academy of Engineering and Technology (AET), The Academy of Science (AOS), and the Monroe Advanced Technical Academy (MATA). Students enrolled in the Academies of Loudoun attend the Academies every other school day, spending the remaining days at their non-magnet high school, determined by attendance zones. The Academies has an acceptance rate of 1.5%, making it one of the most competitive high school programs in the country. The Academies is located on a 119-acre wooded campus, and cost $125 million.

Academies offers a 4-year program, but also has a three, or two-year program. AET has three pathways, Engineering, IT, or Entrepreneurship. Engineering and IT have a four-year class plan, and Entrepreneurship has a two-year plan, though you can then switch to a two-year plan of either Engineering or IT upon completion of Entrepreneurship.

Programs

The Academies of Loudoun offer 3 programs to Loudoun County students: the Academy of Science, the Academy of Engineering and Technology, and the Monroe Advanced Technical Academy. The Academy of Science was the first to be founded in 2005.

Academy of Engineering and Technology (AET)

The AET program has a variety of subprograms. For students admitted their freshman year of high school, they can apply to IT (4-years), Engineering (4-years), and Entrepreneurship (2-years). Upon completion of entrepreneurship, students may choose to fully leave the Academies, or join the engineering or IT program. For students admitted their junior year of high school, they can apply to Advanced AET. Advanced AET attends on the alternate day from regular junior-and-senior AET, but still encompasses either engineering or IT.

Academy of Science (AOS)

The AOS program is a lot more rigid in comparison to AET. The AOS program begins in a student's freshman year of high school, and lasts until their senior year. The first two years, students spend all day with the same group, rotating from math to Integrated Science I and II freshman year, and rotating from math to Integrated Science III to Research sophomore year. The final two years are more like a regular high school, where students mix from class to class, and where there is more variety in choices. Junior year, all students must take AP bio and Jr. Science Research, but have their pick between AP calculus AB and AP calculus BC. Senior year, students must continue in their math progression (either from Calculus AB to BC or from BC to Multivariable), but they may choose their AP science from AP Physics, C:Mechanics, AP Chemistry, and AP Environmental science. Students must also continue in their research senior year.

Research classes are differentiated by the aspects of each student's project. Some students work in pairs, though most work alone. Students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of science and research competitions, such as RSEF and ISEF.

Monroe Advanced Technical Academy (MATA)

History

The Academies of Loudoun opened in the 2018–2019 school year. This brought the three pre-existing schools under the same roof. The Academy of Science was relocated from Dominion High School, the Academy of Engineering and Technology was relocated from Tuscarora High School (Virginia), and the Monroe Advanced Technical Academy was rebranded from the C. S. Monroe Technology Center, known as Monroe Tech, and relocated from its building in Leesburg.

2024 Fire

On Tuesday, September 17, 2024, a structure fire sparked in the welding workshop at the Academies of Loudoun. Fire-rescue crews were called at approximately 1 pm when a pull-station was activated, with the school resource officer reporting heavy smoke in the boiler room less than a minute later. All students and faculty were evacuated safely. Arriving units determined that the fire was located towards the rear of the building, inside of the welding classroom's fume extraction system. Crews worked for about an hour to fully extinguish the fire. One firefighter and an adult civilian sustained minor injuries and were transported to area hospitals for treatment, with no further injuries reported. The fire alarm and sprinkler system were reported to have functioned as designed. The Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal's office determined that debris or a spark had accidentally entered the extraction system from students welding earlier that day. The fire caused an estimated $1 million in damages. The building was temporarily closed to students and staff the next day due to a strong odor remaining after the fire. The building was reopened to students next week, six days after the fire on Monday, September 23.

2025 Email Leak

On January 16, 2025, a reply-all email was made public (academies_students_gs at lcps.org), resulting in students signing-up the email for various websites, and using it to communicate in a way akin to a 2000s-era chatroom.

Around 3:30 PM, the LCPS Department of Digital Innovation (DDI) was able to disable the reply-all email. A follow-up email from administrators, sent at 4:54 PM of the same day, contained the following text:

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ACL administration was made aware of an unauthorized mass email to all ACL students. This email resulted in numerous responses (reply all) that led to inappropriate comments and material. In addition, it appears that student LCPS emails have been used to register for websites that are not permissible under LCPS policy. This situation was immediately reported to the LCPS Department of Digital Innovation (DDI) and local law enforcement for investigation.

Because this incident involves possible disciplinary consequences and even criminal charges, I cannot offer further details. It is being addressed in accordance with School Board policies and the guidelines laid out in the Student Rights and Responsibilities document that we all acknowledged at the beginning of the school year.

We are reaching out to families to let you know and ask that you use this as an opportunity to talk with your student about the proper use of school resources. We ask all parents to talk with their students about the responsible use of electronic devices and the Internet. This means not attempting to access or share inappropriate websites, making threats, or posting disparaging remarks, videos or images of any kind.

We take matters that involve the safety of our students and staff, both physical and emotional, seriously and will continue to enhance our efforts in cultivating a culture of kindness, inclusivity, and affirmation for every member of our student body and staff.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at

Respectfully,

Interim Principal

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Admissions Controversy

In 2019, the Loudoun NAACP filed a complaint that alleged African American students were denied opportunity to attend the Academies of Loudoun, based on their racial background. The Attorney General's office subsequently launched an investigation, and Virginia officials found that the Academies of Loudoun's admissions policies prevented qualified black and Hispanic students from being accepted. The Academies of Loudoun has since reviewed and modified their admission policies.

Activities

Robotics Team

ACL RoboLoCo, the Academies' robotics team, participates in the FIRST Robotics Competition annually. In 2022, and 2023, they qualified for the FIRST Championship, colloquially known as "Worlds".

References

1. "2022-2023 School Profile - ACL" (PDF). Loudoun County Public Schools. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
2. Nadler, Danielle (2017-03-06). "Academies of Loudoun Takes Shape". LoudounNow.com. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
3. ^ "Academies of Loudoun Opens in Leesburg". Loudoun County Economic Development, VA. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
4. Truong, Debbie (2018-09-17). "Loudoun now has an elite science and technology academy of its own". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
5. Balingit, Moriah (2023-04-11). "Academies of Loudoun will take collaborative approach to STEM education". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
6. Collazo, Veronike (2018-09-13). "Loudoun County Public Schools changes course on Monroe Tech plans". Loudoun Times-Mirror. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
7. "Structure Fire at Academies of Loudoun in Leesburg Determined to be Accidental". Loudoun County, VA. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
8. Gustin, Alexis. "Damage from Academies Fire Estimated at $1M". LoudounNow. LoudounNow. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
9. Staff, 7News (2024-09-17). "Accidental fire at Loudoun Co. school stemmed from welding class, causes $1M in damages". WSET. Retrieved 2025-01-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
10. Gustin, Alexis (2024-09-27). "Repairs Underway After Fire at Academies of Loudoun Classroom". LoudounNow.com. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
11. Natanson, Hannah (2020-11-20). "Virginia AG's office finds elite Loudoun STEM school discriminates against Black, Hispanic students". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
12. "Academies of Loudoun robotics team qualifies for world championship". INSIDENOVA.COM. 2023-04-27. Retrieved 2023-11-06.

• 2018 establishments in Virginia
• Schools in Loudoun County, Virginia