LOUISA COUNTY, Va. — Louisa County Public Schools (LCPS) welcomes students, teachers and staff back to the classroom Wednesday for the start of a new school year.
About 5,500 students are expected to return across the division.
The first day comes with a special sense of nostalgia for Louisa County Middle School Principal Dr. Amanda Harper.
Harper was an eighth-grade student at the school when it first opened in 1996. Now, 30 years later, she's helping lead the school as it opens a brand-new addition for a full calendar year.
“This is the area where lives will be changed and middle school memories will be made,” Harper said.
The 62,500 square foot facility features 36 state-of-the-art classrooms, a 200-seat cafeteria, an expanded gymnasium, and technology labs designed to provide advanced training and lessons for students.
The addition adds space as the county continues to grow.
Data published this year by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia revealed Louisa County saw a nearly 13 percent population increase estimate of 42,218 in 2025 compared to a Census count of 37,596 in 2020. This is the fourth highest growth rate in Virginia.
Harper says the school's focus goes beyond academics, emphasizing relationships and creating a positive environment for both students and staff.
“We’re a very connected team who cares about each other and our students,” she said. “Relationships are paramount here in our school atmosphere.”
That focus mirrors the division's broader emphasis on its so-called Five C's: collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking and citizenship.
Superintendent Doug Straley says those skills are designed to prepare students for a future where the jobs they eventually enter may not even exist yet.
“We have to make sure we’re doing here in our school division is really focusing on what we call the 5 C’s [collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and citizenship],” Straley said.
Straley begins his 11th year as superintendent and his 32nd year as an employee of Louisa County Public Schools. He says the connection to the community is one reason he continues to come back.
Straley also says the division is entering the school year fully staffed, with all positions filled.
He credits the culture within LCPS for helping attract and retain employees.
“It’s all about your people,” Straley said. “You can have all the amazing programs you want, but it’s all about your people.”
Construction is underway on a 56,000 square foot Career and Technical Education Center connected to Louisa County High School by a sky bridge. The new facility is expected to open in August 2027 and will expand opportunities in areas including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and marine mechanics.
The center is also expected to serve adult learners in the Louisa community.
Straley applauds the work of his Marine Corps JROTC program that doubled in size to 96 cadets following its inaugural year in 2025.
For students returning Wednesday, Harper says the message is simple: there are plenty of opportunities ahead.
“This is a school where students’ hopes and dreams for their futures can take hold, and where anything is possible,” Harper said.
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