ALDIE, Va. — Hovatter Elementary is Loudoun County’s 97th public school. Hovatter opened in the midst of a global pandemic after a year of hybrid and distance learning. An official dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new school was held on November 15th, 2021.
“This building was designed to match the instructional vision and mission of our school division and would be a learning environment conducive to deeper learning with a strong emphasis on collaboration,” said Principal Lori Mercer. “It is beyond incredible.”
The Dedication Ceremony
The Lightridge band and cheerleaders welcomed the dedication audience to Hovatter and the Loudoun County Junior Naval ROTC presented the colors.
School board members Jeff Morse (Dulles District), Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge District), Harris Mahedavi (Ashburn District) and Andrew Hoyler (Broad Run District) attended the dedication along with former Leesburg District School Board member Tom Marshall. The LCPS Central Administration was represented by Deputy Superintendent Dr. Ashley Ellis; Chief of Staff Dr. Mark Smith; Executive Director, Chief of Schools Rae Mitchell; Chief Operations Officer Kevin Lewis; Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Dr. Asia Jones; Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Neil Slevin; Director of Equity Lottie Spurlock; and Director of Elementary Education Elaine Layman.
The Hovatter Story
Hovatter Elementary is built on the former 151-acre Hovatter Farms property. In 2017, the site was sold to Loudoun County to honor the wishes of Hovatter and his wife, Sibyl, who wanted the land to be used for schools. Two of the Hovatters’ sons, Ken and Marv, were on hand for the dedication.
In his dedication remarks, LCPS Superintendent Dr. Scott Ziegler said, “This land, which represented Loudoun County’s agricultural past, now embodies its educational future. In both cases, this land was put to an essential use for the good of the community. Landscapes change, buildings come and go, but one thing that endures is the spirit of community.”
About The School
Hovatter Elementary School (ES-29) is located on 41135 Collaboration Drive in Aldie, Virginia. The elementary school includes classrooms, a media center, a cafeteria, a multipurpose room, and two unlighted outdoor physical education fields. The contractor is Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc. and the architect is Grimm + Parker.
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