Legacy Elementary School

We have two boys in this school and could not be happier with the dedication and support the staff show at every turn. The sense of community is carried through in the school and the principal is approachable and very open to suggestions/recommendations. When the PTO was in danger of not having a president this year he reached out personally to the parents to fill the position. Yes, the school is over-crowded and our oldest has struggled, but his teacher has communicated every step of the way and the support we have received has been outstanding. The staff has come up with creative ways to help both of our children learn and I am particularly impressed with the different levels of teaching material offered based on individual student ability. Brambleton is very fortunate to have such a wonderful school.
—Submitted by a parent

I love this school. There is a strong emphasis for parental involvement by volunteering. The principal is ever present throughout the school, not sitting behind the desk all day. He knows the kids and the kids know him. He is highly regarded throughout the county and it shows in his staff. The only downside is that it is currently the largest elementary school in the county with grade overflow every year. But, that is due to the tremendous amount of community growth in the Brambleton area. The school still manages to run efficiently and effectively. I can only say positive things about Legacy ES.
—Submitted by a parent

We love this school! Great teachers that seem to love what they do. Our children feel challenged and enjoy going to school each day.
—Submitted by a parent

Great school, arguably one of the best principal, nice curteous supporting staff as well. My son had really great teachers all the way till 4th grade; 4th grade teacher is a little new; no correction of papers, etc, put us a little anxious some times to see how good our son is doing. Do not get me wrong, she is equally competent and well qualified, just that less feedback compared to other grades.
—Submitted by a parent

We had 2 boys going this school. One of them had a great teacher with a great web-page with links to do the homework. And my son did great in the school. My other son had a bad luck getting several substitute teachers in both years he spend in the school. We had no clue what was going on in his class. No e-mails no Thursday folder coming home with important information from tests etc. His grades went down from his usual A's from previous 3 schools he had gone to. This school is very unsafe. Kids get tired of waiting the second run of school buses and walk home over the four lane Belmont Ridge.
—Submitted by a parent

Legacy has the BEST principle ever !! THAT makes all the difference in any school.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is began his second year at Legacy this month. The school is definitely overcrowded, but I would say the problem lies with poor planning by the county. This is one of the fastest growing counties in the region with a #1 birthrate in the last decade. And this is an area that has been made to attract families with children. This year enrollment is up from I believe 800 last year to 1000. Another school is definitely needed. As far as education is concerned, I feel my son is being prepared for his future. I believe the teachers we have had thus far genuinely care about my son and his classmates. Learning is also supported by specials classes that reinforce what is being learned in the main classroom. The principal is very involved and has a visible presence in the school as does the PTO.
—Submitted by a parent

I respectfully disagree with the last parent. Loudoun County and Legacy have a wonderful communication system. The county uses a telephonic and email delivery system of all important events. Additionally, the school has Thursday folders with hard copies of all important upcoming events. Did the last parent sign up when the paperwork went home at the beginning of the year? I have had children at Legacy for 3 years and find all staff to be very professional. I believe the prior parent and I share the same teacher. Yes, the teacher may have not updated their welcome page, but please understand that this teacher was on leave through November. Teaching her students is a higher priority than is her introduction. She also gives an appropriate amount of homework for 4th grade. Finally, the school I know would never dismiss a child as a walker if they had to cross Belmont.
—Submitted by a parent

We could not be more pleased with Legacy. Even with the full enrollment, the sense of caring and attention is remarkable. I see people complaining about class size, etc., but that is a challenge across Loudoun County. If I had any fault it is that more parents are not involved, and some have a 'country club' attitude toward their expectations. I feel many of us in Loudoun do not have enough respect for the quality of the education our children are receiving. In particular, the staff and -- most importantly -- leadership at Legacy are remarkable.
—Submitted by a parent

An overcrowded school with too much emphasis on standardized learning. If you have a child who is not failing or otherwise deserving of special attention, they will fall through the cracks. The teachers have all they can do to manage the bedlam in the classrooms, let alone teach or give special attention to any child who does not rock the boat.
—Submitted by a parent

We are quite disappointed in the lack of differentiation of among thev various levels of the students. The standards of achievment are below average and do not to compare to other school systems in the area. The communication from teachers to parents is poor. Yes, the principal and teachers are nice, but nice isn't enough.
—Submitted by a parent

Legacy is such a wonderful school! The principal is wonderful and so are the teachers! 100% !
—Submitted by a parent

We recently moved to the area and my kids (1st grader and 3rd grader) started at Legacy this year. We had very high hopes that based on the area and our experience with one year at Dominion Trail. I have so far been very disappointed with Legacy. This school is way too overcrowded. There are 26 kids per teacher. Our kids have had several incidents already due to the inability of teachers and staff to handle this many kids. Two new schools (Creighton's Corner and Rosa Lee) were open in the nearby area to alleviate the stress. However, based on research, the county allowed special permission to allow kids that were supposed to be redistricted to the new schools to continue to go to Legacy. These two new elementary schools are way under enrollment (14 kids per teacher) compared to Legacy and have many empty classrooms.
—Submitted by a parent

This is an excellent school. We are impressed with every aspect of the school from bus drivers to the principal.
—Submitted by a parent

Awesome principal, caring staff.It's a loving , fun environment where kids thrive.
—Submitted by a parent

Great School, lots of after school activities. A few shortcomings IMHO, but I confess the school in the same county I came from far exceeded my expectation and maybe set my expectations unreasonable for Legacy. The office staff seems a little overwhelmed at times but it's a big school and they do an amazing job of knowing the students and always making them feel very welcome. I point out the bad, but I don't know how they do it this good, and no idea how some do better. Loudoun schools are great.
—Submitted by a parent

As a military family with 3 children attending Legacy I couldn t be more pleased with Legacy. They will get the best education possible with the added bonus of top notch leadership, opportunities and programs while we are here. Mr. Duckworth and his staff are very involved, always available and extremely helpful. The teachers are highly educated and have great command of the classroom, therefore more learning is going on and it shows. They are serious about teaching and have such creative ways of motivating the children in a positive manner. I m kept informed either by email, papers, and conferences. The children have little homework and when they do it s creative. The teachers grade their papers, not other students. The PTO is very active and there is an even balance of fund raising and free activities like movie night or parties.
—Submitted by Chris Hansen, a parent