Fairfax County Public Schools can move ahead with a renovation of Armstrong Elementary School in Reston.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the project without discussion after a public hearing on June 25, setting the stage for an expansion that will give the school additional space and updated amenities.
Originally opened at 11900 Lake Newport Road in 1986, Armstrong Elementary has been in line for a renovation since 2009, though it hasn’t struggled with crowding like some other schools. It had 364 students enrolled during the 2023-2024 school year — 82% of its program capacity, which is 446 students, per the most recent FCPS capital improvement program.
However, FCPS said in its application that the one to two-story building still needs “significant improvements.”
The 79,819-square-foot school will be expanded to 107,069 square feet with three additions: a one-story administrative suite, a two-story, 11,500-square-foot classroom building and a 8,500-square-foot library. That will increase the design capacity from 786 students to 800 students.
“The proposed building addition will match the façade of the existing building,” county staff noted at the public hearing.
Some outdoor improvements are planned, including three new playgrounds, two sports courts, an outdoor classroom, a 2-foot-tall retaining wall that will allow for an ADA ramp and stairs to the athletic fields, and a 6-foot-wide asphalt trail around the soccer and football fields.
The newly approved plan will also expand the school’s existing kiss-and-ride parking lot from 80 to 111 spaces and add bicycle racks by the north and south parking lots. Buses will get five parking spots, utilizing a one-way loop in front of the main entrance for pick-ups and drop-offs.
As part of its development conditions, FCPS has agreed to designate three parking spaces as electric vehicle charging stations and install infrastructure for future stations.
In addition, approximately 20,000 square feet of the existing building’s roof will be reinforced with steel to support future solar panels, though no guarantee has been made that panels will be installed.
Funded by bonds approved by voters in 2021 and 2023, the $56.9 million project is now in the county’s permit review process.
“We hope to put the project out to bid in late November and receive bids before the end of the year, with the goal of awarding the contract in early 2025,” FCPS said. “The project will likely involve 30 months of construction, meaning it will hopefully be complete by summer 2027.”
