FCPS school board purchases office building to relieve overcrowding at Bailey’s
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| 6245 Leesburg Pike. |
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has purchased
a five-story office building in Seven Corners for $9.37 million to relieve severe overcrowding at Bailey’s Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences. The funds are from a school bond passed by voters in
November.
a five-story office building in Seven Corners for $9.37 million to relieve severe overcrowding at Bailey’s Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences. The funds are from a school bond passed by voters in
November.
“I’m pleased that we have been able to purchase the
building at 6245 Leesburg Pike through negotiations with the property owners
without having to resort to other legal means,” said School Board chair Ilryong
Moon Dec. 20. If the owners refused to sell the building, the school board was
prepared to seize it through eminent domain, a solution authorized by the board
Dec. 5.
building at 6245 Leesburg Pike through negotiations with the property owners
without having to resort to other legal means,” said School Board chair Ilryong
Moon Dec. 20. If the owners refused to sell the building, the school board was
prepared to seize it through eminent domain, a solution authorized by the board
Dec. 5.
“It is our goal to open a new school at this site
for Bailey’s students by fall of 2014,” said Moon. “There is sufficient
space within the building to support FCPS educational specifications, and the
architects chosen for the project have experience in this type of building
conversion.”
The building will be retrofitted with
classrooms to serve about 400 students in grades 3-5. It will be the first FCPS school with a
vertical design geared for an urban area.
classrooms to serve about 400 students in grades 3-5. It will be the first FCPS school with a
vertical design geared for an urban area.
Bailey’s is currently at 130
percent capacity with more than 1,300 students housed in the building and in 19
on-site trailers. A portion of the school library has been converted to
classroom space and the school-age after school program and pre-kindergarten classes were removed
from the Bailey’s site to make room for students. By the 2017-18 school year, FCPS
projects enrollment will soar to 1,593.
percent capacity with more than 1,300 students housed in the building and in 19
on-site trailers. A portion of the school library has been converted to
classroom space and the school-age after school program and pre-kindergarten classes were removed
from the Bailey’s site to make room for students. By the 2017-18 school year, FCPS
projects enrollment will soar to 1,593.
The school board saw the office building as a solution after
failing to find available land for a new school in Bailey’s Crossroads. A
proposal to incorporate classrooms into the renovation of the Woodrow Wilson Library, which is next door to Bailey’s Elementary was rejected as not
feasible.
failing to find available land for a new school in Bailey’s Crossroads. A
proposal to incorporate classrooms into the renovation of the Woodrow Wilson Library, which is next door to Bailey’s Elementary was rejected as not
feasible.
Many questions will need to be resolved in converting the
office building to a school, including how that site would be administered and
how it would be integrated with the original Bailey’s school; how safe, outdoor
play space could be provided since FCPS isn’t authorized to make any changes to
the outdoors or exterior of the building; and the need to address the impact on traffic on the already congested Route 7. The long-term implications include
the likelihood of a boundary study, resulting in the reassignment of students
at other schools.
office building to a school, including how that site would be administered and
how it would be integrated with the original Bailey’s school; how safe, outdoor
play space could be provided since FCPS isn’t authorized to make any changes to
the outdoors or exterior of the building; and the need to address the impact on traffic on the already congested Route 7. The long-term implications include
the likelihood of a boundary study, resulting in the reassignment of students
at other schools.
I hope this is not a giant mistake. The impact of a bad decision here will be big to the neighboring community.
This is just a bandaid for the real problem.
A band-aid is better than bleeding all over the place. And then sometimes the cut can get infected. No, I think a band-aid is better than nothing.