Broad Run High School

Public education in Ashburn predates Broad Run's debut in 1969. In 1892, a school for Black Americans was built in Old Ashburn. At a cost of $6,000, a separate school, known as Ashburn High School, was built for both elementary and high school white students in 1911. It was a four-room wood-frame schoolhouse; additions to the original structure were made in 1922, 1930, and 1934. The school served white Ashburn students until February 14, 1944, when the entire building was destroyed by fire. Its replacement, an elementary-only brick structure, was constructed in 1945 and is still in use. Known as the Ashburn Annex, it is a training center for LCPS and has also been used for Broad Run High School population overflow.^[9][10]

In the 1960s high school age children from eastern Loudoun County attended Loudoun County High School. As Dulles Airport and residential developments, such as Sterling Park,^[11] opened close to the Fairfax County border, Loudoun County High School's population began to outgrow the facility. The decision to construct a high school in rural eastern Loudoun County was made. The strain on Loudoun County High School, however, was so severe that its eastern Loudoun students were temporarily schooled in the then-recently closed Douglass High School in Leesburg. Thus, the first Broad Run High School class actually formed in 1968, a full year before the Broad Run Ashburn campus construction was completed.^[12] 1968 had been the first year that the county schools were completely racially integrated, making the previously all-black Douglass High School available as it closed and its population moved to other county schools.^[13]

The campus of the district's third high school (Loudoun County High opened in 1954 and Loudoun Valley High School opened in 1962), opened its doors in 1969 to grades 8–12,^[14] for students from all of Ashburn, Arcola, western Chantilly (now known as South Riding), and Sterling. Named for the nearby Potomac River tributary, Broad Run was dedicated on October 13, 1969. The ceremony's keynote address was delivered by then-Governor of Virginia, Mills E. Godwin Jr.^[15] At the time, Loudoun's three high schools were not limited to 9th through 12th grades since there were no middle schools. Broad Run, therefore, had a "Thetamen" class for two years, its name for eighth graders (similar to calling ninth graders "Freshmen").^[14] In 1976 a portion of the Sterling student body was moved to Park View High School.^[16] By 1979 the Thetamen were shifted to newly opened middle schools. As the Ashburn area grew considerably, additional students shifted to Potomac Falls High School in 1997.^[17] Stone Bridge High School opened in 2000, which split the Ashburn student body into two different high schools.^[18] In 2014, Broad Run moved some of its students in the Ryan Park area to Rock Ridge High School. In 2015, Broad Run shifted students who live in University Center and Potomac Farms to Riverside High School in Lansdowne in order to relieve overcrowding. In addition to this, Broad Run also transferred students living in Ashburn Run, Timberbrooke Estates, The Ridges at Ashburn, and many other subdivisions located off of Ashburn Road to Stone Bridge.^[19]

Broad Run's enrollment was 929 on opening in 1969 (including an 8th grade class)^[14] but the county's steady population increases saw accompanying student body expansions, to 1,838 by 2012,^[20] periodically relieved as other high schools opened in eastern Loudoun County (Park View in 1976, Potomac Falls in 1997, Stone Bridge in 2000, Dominion in 2003, Freedom in 2005, Rock Ridge in 2014, Riverside in 2015, Independence in 2019, and Lightridge in 2020).^[21]

The campus sits on 39.96 acres (161,700 m²) along Ashburn Road, across from the Ashbriar community.^[22] It has been renovated and expanded many times since its opening in 1969 and is located ½-mile south of Farmwell Road and one mile (1.6 km) north of the Dulles Greenway.^[22]

The Broad Run attendance boundaries encompass the Ashburn communities of Ashburn Village, Farmwell Hunt, One Loudoun, as well as the Ashbrook residential subdivisions.^[23] The LCPS middle school Farmwell Station and, by extension, the elementary schools Ashburn, Discovery, and Dominion Trail feed students to the high school.^[23] Students living in neighboring communities outside the current attendance boundary, such as Ashburn Farm and Brambleton, have attended in previous years as a result of frequent boundary changes and the school board's policy of "grandfathering" students.^[24]

In the 2025-2026 school year, the ethnic/racial composition of Broad Run’s student body was 39.0% White, 28.1% Asian, 16.1% Hispanic, 10.6% Black, and 5.7% two or more. 22.8% of the student body is classified as Economically Disadvantaged (meaning they are eligible to participate in the federally subsidized meals program).^[25]

The school's administrative team is headed by the principal and includes three assistant principals and the director of guidance. The principal and school, as part of LCPS, are under the direction of the Superintendent, who operates under the authority of the elected Loudoun County School Board.

Broad Run has had only five principals since it opened: James C. McBride (1969–1979); E. Wayne Griffith (1979–1996); Edgar T. Markley, Ed.D. (1996–2010), Doug Anderson (2010–2014), and David Spage (2014–present). Its principal before Doug Anderson, Edgar T. Markley, a 2003 recipient of The Washington Post's Annual Distinguished Educational Leadership Award,^[26] retired after the 2009–2010 school year.

There are 117 teachers, yielding a teacher/student ratio of 1:14.^[27]

Students mainly attend classes on the Broad Run campus, but have opportunities to take additional, specialized courses at LCPS's magnet and alternative schools, such as science and math at Loudoun Academy of Science or vocational education classes at C.S. Monroe Technology Center.

The school's instructional curriculum is set primarily by the LCPS district office based on Virginia Department of Education requirements. Broad Run's curriculum is typical of Virginia and United States secondary schools.^[28]

Students attending the Loudoun Academy of Science and Monroe Advanced Technical Academy do so every other class day, taking their non-magnet classes (typically core courses, such as English, social sciences and electives) at Broad Run on the alternate days.^[29]

In the 2007–2008 school year, AP Physics students at Broad Run were credited with the discovery of Asteroid 2007 TW04, which they have officially begun calling "Sparta" in honor of the Broad Run's mascot, the Spartan. The team, led by their AP Physics teacher Janet Bosch, was awarded by NASA.^[30][31]

• Pierce Askegren, author at Marvel Comics^[47]
• Taylor Clarke, drafted as a pitcher in the 3rd round of the 2015 MLB draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Now plays for Kansas City Royals; attended College of Charleston^{[citation needed]}
• Alex Field, played football at Virginia, and on the practice squads of the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals.^{[citation needed]}
• Travis Fulgham, professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles who played college football at Old Dominion^[48]
• Larry Izzo, football player for the New England Patriots, attended and played football from 1988 to 1990 before moving to Texas; attended Rice University.^[49]
• Connor Jessop, quarterback for the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Brigade, attended Shepherd University^[50]
• Holly King, midfielder for the Washington Spirit and Colorado Pride, head coach of the girls' soccer team at Heritage High School, attended University of Florida^{[citation needed]}
• Conor Mullee, pitcher with the New York Yankees; attended Saint Peter's University^[51]
• Patton Oswalt, actor, writer, voiceover artist and comedian: graduated in 1987; attended the College of William and Mary,^[52] a member of the Broad Run Speech and Debate team who regularly contributes money to the team
• Kim Paffenroth, religious scholar, horror author, and professor at Iona University^{[citation needed]}
• Samson Sergi, professional soccer player for Loudoun United who played college soccer at Xavier^{[citation needed]}