The Leesburg Performing Arts Commission at a regularly scheduled meeting approved its bylaws and selection handbook and agreed to present a scholarship proposal to Leesburg Town Council while reserving a small outreach budget.

The commission voted to send to the council a recommendation that the commission use current commission funds to award three $500 scholarships — one each to graduating seniors at Tuscarora High School, Heritage High School and a Loudoun County high school — for students entering the performing-arts field. Commissioners said the award would be presented at each school’s senior awards ceremony if the council approves the plan. The proposal and related materials are due to be delivered to town staff on April 7 for the commission’s April council presentation.

Why it matters: commissioners said a modest scholarship program would be quick to implement, generate local media attention for the new commission and create points of contact with school counselors to reach eligible students.

Most important facts
- Bylaws and a “selection handbook” were approved by unanimous vote and will be submitted to town staff for inclusion in the April council packet. The commission will note the bylaws adoption date on the submitted packet.
- The commission’s primary spending recommendation to council is three scholarships of $500 each for graduating seniors pursuing performing-arts study in college; the commission said it expects to work with school guidance counselors to distribute an application packet if council approves.
- Commissioners discussed an alternate option: spending the commission’s current-year funds on a targeted outreach and advertising campaign to solicit public feedback about the commission’s priorities. That alternate option was also presented to council as a secondary path.
- To ensure outreach even if scholarships are approved, commissioners voted to allocate $250 for marketing/outreach tied to the scholarship plan.

Details and process
Commissioners repeatedly emphasized that the scholarship plan is contingent on council approval. The commission agreed it will produce a scholarship packet and route it to each school’s guidance office to solicit applicants. Commissioners said eligibility would focus on graduating seniors planning to major in or pursue performing-arts study at the college level; final selection criteria and timeline will be developed by the commission and submitted with the April materials.

Commission discussion also covered a lower-effort outreach alternative that could use the commission’s available funds to produce a brochure, run social-media advertising targeted to Leesburg residents and collect public feedback via a QR-code survey. Staff and commissioners said the town’s procurement rules determine costs for printed materials, and that social-media ad buys could be run through the town’s channels if needed.

Timing and next steps
The commission will submit bylaws, the selection handbook and its top spending recommendation to town staff in time for the council work session packet due April 7. Commissioners also set an annual update date for the council in November 2025. Commissioners said a fuller planning discussion about how to spend the town’s FY26 allocation (noted in the meeting as a separate $5,000 allocation for the next fiscal year) will be presented at a later meeting, with more time to develop a detailed plan.

Other actions taken
- Adopted the meeting agenda and approved minutes from the Feb. 27, 2025 meeting.
- Approved a motion allowing a commissioner to participate electronically and resumed the meeting with that member present.
- Agreed to invite a Loudoun County parks representative to present the county’s comprehensive performing-arts plan; commissioners moved that presentation to the June meeting and approved a 10-minute time slot.

What remains unresolved
- The council must approve the scholarship plan before the commission can award funds. If the council declines, the commission will pursue the alternate outreach/advertising option. Final selection criteria, application materials and disbursement mechanics were not finalized at the meeting and will be drafted for council and commissioner review.

The commission closed the meeting after passing the listed motions and setting follow-up steps.