Advisory Commission on Youth presents 2025 State of Loudoun Youth report; members highlight absenteeism, mental health and access to teen spaces

The Advisory Commission on Youth presented its 2025 State of Loudoun Youth report on June 2 to the joint Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and School Board committee, summarizing survey results, county and state data, and recommendations to increase youth access to safe, unstructured spaces and mental-health resources.

Dr. Goldman, chair of the Advisory Commission on Youth, and Griffin Cook, an Ashburn representative who worked on the report, highlighted three headline concerns: observable declines in curiosity and engagement among some students, gaps in social and emotional skills and increased academic apathy or skill loss. The commission also cited chronic absenteeism as a continuing challenge, disproportionately affecting some student populations.

Why it matters: the commission framed absenteeism and mental-health trends as risks to graduation and long-term outcomes, and recommended targeted outreach, expanded facility hours and transport access to county-owned teen spaces.

Findings and recommendations

The commission said its report combines LCPS data, a commission survey and state data where available. It reported that over 1,000 bullying incidents were reported and addressed by Loudoun County Public Schools administrators during the 2023–24 school year, based on Virginia Department of Education data presented to the commission. The commissioners said school-related stress appeared frequently in survey responses from both students and parents, and that parents ranked online bullying as a high stressor for youth.

The report assessed physical access to county facilities and recommended three main changes: extend operating hours of community centers, recreation centers and libraries on Fridays and Saturdays; increase the number of county-owned facilities with dedicated teen amenities (the report said dedicated teen spaces exist in 3 of 7 community centers and in 1 recreation center); and extend Loudoun County Transit local service to additional county facilities (the report found less than half of recreation and community centers and only one of eight district parks are accessible by local bus routes).

The commission also described outreach and data limitations. The commission’s own survey included roughly 268 youth respondents and about 68 parents (the presenters said they are continuing efforts to increase response rates and noted constraints on incentivizing participation because of privacy concerns). The commission said it plans a youth summit in 2026 to collect more direct input.

County and board discussion

Supervisors and school board members questioned the data’s causes and asked for more detail. Cochair Randall asked whether the report identified why school was the primary driver of stress; presenters said multiple, overlapping factors contribute—academic pressure, competitive norms, family expectations, and social factors depending on the student. County staff and LCPS representatives said some absenteeism is tied to English-language learners, family responsibilities and work; LCPS leaders said they are expanding EL supports.

Supervisors raised disparities in graduation and dropout rates among Hispanic students and asked about follow-up for students who leave school midstream. Presenters and LCPS staff said multiple graduation pathways exist and that communication about alternatives and supports is an ongoing challenge.

On substance use and vaping, commissioners described pilot programs to test confiscated devices to determine contents and said alcohol, marijuana and vaping were the most commonly reported substances in student surveys; speakers cautioned that alcohol-related harms and benzodiazepine risks warrant attention. Presenters also said Loudoun’s overdose mortality trends compare favorably with surrounding counties, in part because of local training and interventions.

Ending: Commissioners asked the board and school leaders to consider the report’s recommendations—expanded hours, teen amenities and transit access—and to partner on a 2026 youth summit and targeted outreach to populations with higher absenteeism and lower graduation rates.