Renovation of Falls Church High School to start in 2021
 |
| An illustration of the facade of the renovated Falls Church High School. [Perkins Eastman] |
Falls Church High School will be totally upgraded and expanded, with the work scheduled to begin in 2021.
“Everything is going to be new. Every space will be totally renovated,” says Godson Nwosu, of the facilities department at Fairfax County Public Schools.
Getting the decaying and obsolete school upgraded has been a long-term of the Falls Church PTSA and school board member Sandy Evans. They tried for years to get the school board to revise the FCPS “renovation queue,” which is used to set a schedule for school construction projects.
The 265,000-square-foot school will be expanded with about 160,000 additional square feet.
There will be a brand-new science wing and about 20 new classrooms, Nwosu says.
There will also be new collaboration space for project-based learning; a new, larger gym; a new lecture hall; a new music wing; a new culinary wing in the Career and Technical Education area, which will be relocated; and new administration offices.
The school will have all new windows, ceilings, mechanical systems, and lighting and additional parking spaces.
Construction will take four years, as the work will mainly be done in the summer, Nwosu says. “By the time we’re done, the community will be proud of it.”
7 responses to “Renovation of Falls Church High School to start in 2021”
Leave a reply
This has been long overdue for this school and I'm glad it's finally happening. The school has a lot of potential and was neglected by the county time and time again. Especially with Loehmann plaza getting a new face with apartments and shopping like Mosaic this will be a nice compliment.
What about the planetarium? That was very cool when in use, my grand kids would’ve loved to be able to visit.
I don’t want anyone in the community to think that just because the physical building is aged, that Falls Church isn’t an excellent school right now. People are what make a place great. Falls Church is a wonderful institution right now because of its dedicated and talented teachers and staff. The physical space needs updating, but the quality education is already in place today. I know this first hand. I am a parent of a recent graduate and current student.
Please don't get rid of the mosaic Jaguar near the theater. My dad's class of 1961 donated when they graduated from old fchs high school. I graduated in 1991 my brother in 1996. Please keep the sentimentality of the long history of fchs in tact.
Agree Crystal….My folks went there in 67/68 and theAunts & Uncles in various years. My sister in 94 and myself in 1991..I remember going there during renovation and it was crazy then. My nieces and nephews are there for 2022 and beyond. Good for the area to have a new school but keep the history there.
This is a long time coming, reaching back to 2011 and a group of concerned and involved parents at FCHS including the PTSA and UPROAR (United Parents to Renovate Our Academic Resource) who navigated public hearings, sent letters to Fairfax County School Facilities personnel, and who conducted multiple meetings/discussions with School Board members (both current and former). Salute to everyone! This is a great thing for Falls Church High School and the community. Go Jags!
I hope they show the public soon on what it will look like. Really excited and long overdue.