Falls Church HS sports will be off-campus this spring

Much of the renovation/expansion project at Falls Church High School has been completed, but the athletic fields won’t be done until next summer or early fall.

That means spring season sports will have to be conducted at other locations, said Scott Eschbach, director of design and construction for Fairfax County Public Schools, at a community meeting on Oct. 6.

Sports disruption

Renovation of the athletic fields will begin in January and will take nine months to complete, Eschbach said. The plan calls for the stadium to be completed in time for the first game next fall. “That is a priority,” he said.

Meanwhile, FCPS central office staff, Falls Church High School leaders, and team coaches will work on securing off-site venues for games and practices for spring 2026.

Tom Horn, FCPS director of student activities and athletics, said alternative sites could include fields managed by the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services or fields at other public or private schools. All athletes will be provided transportation to get to practices and games.

The goal, Horn said, is to have a single site designated as a home field for each sport.

Due to the lack of home games this spring, several booster club members raised concerns about the loss of revenue from concession stands. Horn said FCPS will develop a plan to ensure the booster clubs “will be made whole.”

Renovated athletic fields

There were also concerns that the renovated baseball field won’t have its own concession stand, requiring people to take a long walk to the stadium. Superintendent Michelle Reid said FCPS will look into resolving that issue.

The stadium will have a new plaza entrance, concession stand, restrooms, ticket booth, press box, LED lights, and storage for field equipment, Eschbach said.

The baseball and softball fields will have new press boxes, dugouts, lighting systems, and irrigation systems. The softball field will have a new batting cage and restrooms.  

The athletic complex includes a new synthetic turf practice field for football and soccer, six new tennis courts, two refurbished shot put areas, and stormwater management improvements.

Phase 3 underway

Within the school building, Phase 3 is currently underway. Construction is expected to be completed in summer or fall 2026, said Eschbach.  

Phase 3 includes the main gym; the physical education wing; weight room; wrestling room; auxiliary gym; theater wing; cafeteria extension; and English, business, and marketing classrooms. The lobby area by the gym has been partially completed.

According to Horn, the gym will be completed by the start of the winter sports season on Dec. 1.

Phases 1 and 2 are finished. Those components include the Falls Church Academy wing; administration offices; art, social studies, and English classrooms; the special education area, which includes a renovated gym; and the main entrance. The planetarium has been upgraded with a new projection system.

Throughout the school, there are new, small gathering spaces and more natural light.

Despite a promise to protect Falls Church’s historic mosaic, it was damaged during construction, resulting in numerous cracks. The mosaic, depicting a jaguar head, was designed by a student in 1961. It is being restored and has been installed on a wall in the new gym lobby.

Related story: Falls Church HS’s historic mosaic will be protected during renovations

The project includes 122,000 square feet of additional space. The school’s capacity will increase to 2,500 students. Current enrollment is 1,957.

Comments and questions about the project can be submitted here.

A self-guided tour preceding the meeting highlighted new spaces, along with areas where work still needs to be done: