Politics & Government

Former Falls Church School Has New Life

FCPS decides to share the building with three Fairfax County government programs.

The green and yellow signs on the kiosks have been taken down and the student body at Graham Road Elementary has moved into new digs down the street, but there is new life in the old building.

Three Fairfax County government programs will share the building at 3036 Graham Rd. in Falls Church during the 2012-13 academic year, said Mary Shaw, spokeswoman for Fairfax County Public Schools:

  • School Aged Child Care (SACC)
  • Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) Region 2 Teen Center
  • NCS Athletic Services

The programs are underway in the building, Shaw said.

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Emily Rojas, who had a child attend classes in the now-vacant building and lives nearby in Falls Church, said she thought they were going to tear the building down once school relocated.

“I’m glad they are going to keep it open,” Rojas said. “It’s good that they are going to have programs there.”

Find out what's happening in Falls Churchwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Shaw said the SACC program will operate in the building Monday through Friday, through June 24, from 7 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. She said SACC provides fun, safe, and educational care for children in kindergarten through grade 6 before school, after school, and during school vacations in most elementary FCPS schools. The Teen Center will be open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday through June 30 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. The center allows teens in grades 5 through 12 to grow in a supervised, structured, and enjoyable environment with trained staff and other teens, Shaw said.

Shaw said various community leagues, organizations, and groups of individuals can use the former school’s gym Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, from 5p.m. through 10:15 p.m. and Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., through June 30.

Shaw said FCPS is looking into playfield and parking lot improvements for the site. A vote is expected to vote on a proposed charter school request for the building this fall.

Graham Road Elementary opened the school year in a newly refurbished building. Shaw said the old administrative building cost FCPS more than $10 million to convert into a modernized school with more class space than the old building. The school can hold up to 515 students, she said.


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