Names Recommended for Two New Loudoun County Public Schools

Buffalo Trail Elementary School and J. Michael Lunsford Middle School are the names recommended to the Loudoun County School Board by two Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) naming committees for two new schools set to open in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Buffalo Trail Elementary School, located at 42190 Seven Hills Drive in South Riding, will open for the 2010-2011 school year.

J. Michael Lunsford Middle School, located at the intersection of Braddock and Ticonderoga Roads, adjacent to the South Riding community, will open for the 2011-2012 school year.

J. Michael Lunsford served as LCPS director of transportation from July 1995 until his death in July 2009 at age 57. Lunsford began his career at 16 as a student bus driver at Loudoun County High School in September 1968. Rising to director of transportation, Lunsford oversaw a fleet of 776 buses that traveled more than 9 million miles per year, and transported every LCPS student either to or from school or on field trips or to athletic events and other competitions.

In October 2007 Lunsford, a native of Loudoun County, was named one of the “Hidden Powers” in the Washington, D.C., area by Washingtonian magazine. The magazine defined a hidden power as “people you may not know about who can change your life.” Lunsford was cited for his ability to cancel school during inclement weather. He was honored for his 40 years of service to LCPS at the School Board’s June 10, 2008, meeting. Lunsford is survived by his wife of 31 years, Catherine, his sons Josh and Zack and daughter Emily.

The School Board is expected to act on the naming committee recommendations at it Tuesday, Oct. 27 meeting.

School Naming Committees

Two naming committees were appointed in September by the Loudoun School Board to suggest names for the new elementary school (formerly S-20) and new middle school (formerly MS-5). Dr. Sam Adamo, LCPS Director of Planning and Legislative Services, served as the non-voting chairman of both committees.

The ES-20 Naming Committee consisted of Christine Balog, Angela Campbell, Katie Contario, Mike Dang, Trisha Dickshinski, Shannon Dingus, Jesseca Fernandez, Linda Foresha, Tricia Haneghan, Sarah Lichter, Barbara Malinowski, Christine Masielll and Joyce Msuya.

At their second meeting, the committee recommended Buffalo Trail Elementary School as the name for the new school, and provided two alternate names – McGraw Ridge Elementary and Conklin Ridge Elementary – for the School Board’s consideration. The MS-5 School Naming Committee was made up of Jesselyn Batts, Kira Cadang-Kristan, Sally Fuller, Hershel Holiday, Sabiha Ladak, Amy Lerch, Madeleine McCafferty, Jeff Morse, Katy Nystrom, Felicia O’Meara, Amanda Smith, Madeline Sugg and Barbara Yudd.  The committee met twice, and on Oct. 21, voted to recommend the new middle school be named J. Michael Lunsford Middle School. The committee’s alternate second and third school name choices for School Board consideration are Eric J. Olsen Middle School and Justice Middle School, respectively.julia@loudouni.com