Oakcrest School in McLean was granted a special exception yesterday by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to build a new school in Vienna.
Oakcrest School in McLean was granted a special exception yesterday by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to build a new school in Vienna.
An independent school for girls grades 6-12, Oakcrest originally opened in Washington, D.C. in 1976, but has been at 850 Balls Hill Road in McLean since 2000 and enrolls 177 students. Planning for a permanent home began several years ago when Oakcrest determined its students would be best served in a new facility and sought to find a new location to build a new school. After purchasing property for a permanent home in Vienna in November 2007, Oakcrest has been preparing site plans to submit to the county to request a special exception to build a new school.
Plans for the new Oakcrest School include “expanding the facilities to better fulfill [its] mission, a larger campus to provide additional classroom space and expanded sports facilities for the students,” said a press release sent to the News-Press this morning.
Director of Admission Holly Hartage said, “Our new location in Vienna will allow us to continue serving our families while reaching a larger pool of students.”
With the special exception process behind them, Oakcrest is proceeding with the next steps of filing for all necessary permits to begin building. Overlapping this process, the school has also embarked on a capital campaign to raise the funds necessary for this project.
While the exact timeline of the move is dependent upon the permitting process and fundraising, Head of School Ellen M. Cavanagh said she is looking forward to settling into a permanent home for the school.
“Our mission is to continue to grow and make an Oakcrest education available to a larger number of girls who would benefit from our program,” said Cavanagh.
