A private school in the Wolf Trap area is one step closer to expanding its services to younger students.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval Wednesday (Oct. 8) of a special exception permit for Oakcrest School to expand its campus to add kindergarten through fifth-grade students.
No one spoke at a public hearing prior to the vote. The recommendation is nonbinding, and the permit still requires approval by the county’s Board of Supervisors.
Oakcrest is a private, all-girls Catholic school that serves sixth- to 12th-grade students. It operates on a 23-acre campus at 1619 Crowell Road, west of Wolf Trap off the Dulles Access Road. The school opened in 1976 in northwest D.C. and moved several times over the years before landing at its current home in 2017.
The property is zoned for residential development, so a special exception permit is required for uses that fall outside the scope of the zoning classification. The current application seeks to update an existing permit granted in 2010.
Hunter Mill District Commissioner John Carter praised the campus, which is located in his district, as “a very well-done site” with adequate space for younger children.
“They’ve got plenty of places to play,” he said.
Lori Greenlief, a land-use planner with McGuireWoods representing Oakcrest, said the proposal was led by parents who petitioned the school to expand services to elementary-aged children.
School officials don’t plan to add to the campus as part of the expansion, according to the application. The county has capped enrollment at 450 students, and officials say the current capacity is at 75% to 85%, with a decrease expected next year. The new students would be educated in existing classrooms with no necessary changes to the footprint of the building.
The number of teachers and staff is estimated at 90. County planner Mary Ann Tsai said the proposal wouldn’t increase traffic in the area or require any changes to parking.
Matthew Buonocore, Oakcrest’s chief financial officer, said there are no specific plans or timeline for implementing the additional grades.
“The purpose of our application was to receive approval for the possibility of opening a lower school at some point in the future,” he said. “We’re in the process of conducting a more comprehensive feasibility study.”
