The Fairfax County School Board could opt for a geographical reference, rather than a person, for the newest high school’s name.
On Thursday (Jan. 8), Superintendent Michelle Reid presented Western High School as her final name recommendation for the future school at 2949 Education Drive in the Herndon area.
The school board authorized the purchase of the former King Abdullah Academy for $150 million last summer after Fairfax County Public Schools had spent years seeking a location for a new high school to alleviate crowding in the western part of the county.
FCPS sought name suggestions for the new school from the community before Reid identified several finalists on Dec. 4.
Skyview was the top favored name among students, while Western was the top choice for parents and staff. The superintendent’s other name suggestions included Discovery, Sally Ride, Bessie Coleman, Innovation, Kalpana Chawla, Endeavour, Ronald McNair and David Brown.
There was no formal presentation to the school board during Thursday’s late-running meeting, but the school board will have a final vote on the high school’s name on Feb. 12.
A new western high school had been in FCPS’ capital budget planning since 2015 to address overcrowding. However, rising property and construction costs led FCPS to estimate construction costs for a new high school would rise to $431 million.
School board members championed the acquisition of the former private school property as a more cost-efficient option that wouldn’t need significant construction.
The former King Abdullah Academy, which served more than 1,000 students, closed at the end of the 2024-2025 school year after the Saudi Arabian government ceased funding and no “viable financial path to self-sustainability” emerged.
The new high school will open in the 2026-2027 school year on an opt-in basis. That means it will enroll up to 500 rising ninth graders and 500 rising 10th graders who seek to enroll from the Centreville, Chantilly, Oakton, South Lakes and Westfield High School pyramids. If student opt-ins exceed capacity, FCPS will use a randomized lottery and prioritize students within the high school’s projected boundaries.
While the Fairfax County School Board will vote on district-wide school boundary changes on Jan. 22, the western high school’s boundary won’t be finalized until June.
The western high school boundaries will be phased in starting in the 2027-2028 school year. That means ninth graders within the new school’s boundary will be assigned during that school year, unless they opt out to attend their previously-assigned school. Tenth and 11th graders from the previous school year will remain enrolled.
In 2028-2029, the school would have all four grades, as new ninth graders within the boundary will be enrolled.
