School Board Approves Frisch Proposal for New Dunn Loring Elementary School, Providing Capacity Relief in Tysons Periphery
Plan Will Provide Capacity Relief for Shrevewood Elementary School and the Broader Dunn Loring, Tysons, and Falls Church Communities
FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — This morning, the Fairfax County School Board approved a proposal from Providence District Representative Karl Frisch to repurpose Dunn Loring Administration Center as a new elementary school, complete with a $36.8 million renovation. Paid for with existing bond funds, the endeavor will provide capacity relief for Shrevewood Elementary School and the broader surrounding community.
“This project will bring much-needed, sustainable capacity relief to the Falls Church, Dunn Loring, and Tysons communities where overcrowding has been a persistent challenge,” said Frisch. “I am grateful to the many parents and school staff who have shared their capacity concerns with me over the past year. If not for their persistent advocacy and willingness to think outside of the box, this would not have been possible.”
Approved by voters in 2017 and 2019, bond funds were initially earmarked for a new elementary school in the Fairfax/Oakton area. While no specific location was assigned for the school, early discussions centered on Blake Lane Park as a possible site. Two elementary schools in the area no longer have the dire capacity needs once projected and the park property is not available to the school system.
Dunn Loring Administration Center functioned as an elementary school from 1939 to 1978. In the years since, it has housed school division staff for program registration and various student assessments. It is located in the Tysons periphery, not far from Shrevewood Elementary School, which is projected to reach 120 percent capacity by 2025.
The typical construction timeline for new elementary schools includes one year for planning, one year for permitting, and three years for construction. The boundary adjustment process to fill new schools begins as construction nears completion. Planning for this project will begin as facilities staff complete their work around return to school.
