Louise Archer renovation among projects up for funding from 2021 school bond referendum

Fairfax County voters will face a one-question test on Election Day tomorrow (TuesdaY0, where they’ll decide whether to fund 15 school projects, including three in the Tysons area.

The 2021 school bond referendum includes renovations for two high schools (Centreville and Falls Church) and 12 elementary schools, plus a site acquisition for a future Western High School.

If approved, the ballot question would allow Fairfax County Public Schools to spend up to $360 million in bond revenue, but the district suggests in an informational packet that the additional bonded debt for the county would not significantly affect local taxes.

Louise Archer Elementary School

One project covered by this year’s referendum is the modernization and expansion of Vienna’s Louise Archer Elementary School (324 Nutley St. Northwest), which was last renovated in 1991.

Bond proceeds would provide $37 million to replace two temporary classrooms and 10 modular classrooms, which consist of two trailers and a 66-foot by 180-foot modular space, among other upgrades.

“It’s a major renovation, and it’s phased, so every finish, every ceiling tile, every electrical outlet, every mechanical system, it’s a complete…gut and renovation as well as addition, so it’s a total redo,” senior project manager Brad Pierce with Reston-based Architecture, Inc. told the Vienna Board of Architectural Review on Oct. 19.

The transformation will expand the school form nearly 53,000 square feet of space, plus nearly 12,000 square feet of temporary setups, to over 103,000 square feet. Most of the additional space would come through a new second-story addition constructed behind the existing school.

Plans for the project also call for expanding the parking lot and bus loop, bringing a new playground and basketball courts, repurposing the current cafeteria for the library, adding a stage off the school gymnasium, and creating a community room.

The project could finish in 2025.

Falls Church High School

The referendum would also provide $130 million to increase Falls Church High School’s building area (7521 Jaguar Trail) by nearly 41.6%, from 303,413 square feet to 429,596 square feet.

The additions include science classrooms, administrative offices, library, music rooms, and more for the building, last renovated in 1989.

“The construction will occur in phases to allow for continuous use of the school building,” FCPS says on a project website. “The renovation will take approximately four years to complete.”

Mosaic Elementary School

Mosaic Elementary School (formerly known as Mosby Woods, located at 9819 Five Oaks Road) is also set for a renovation. The $38 million renovation would add approximately 37,000 square feet, bringing the school to 110,000 square feet.

The school currently has eight temporary and 10 modular classrooms.

The projects up for school bond money were selected from the 2022-2026 Capital Improvement Program. More information about the 2021 referendum can be found on the FCPS website.

Photo via Google Maps