Last week, the City of Falls Church took a significant step forward to address school facilities and growth in our student population. The School Board, City Council, and Planning Commission, with support from the Long Range Financial Planning Work Group, unanimously agreed to pursue a federal Qualified School Construction Bond, or QSCB.

Last week, the City of Falls Church took a significant step forward to address school facilities and growth in our student population. The School Board, City Council, and Planning Commission, with support from the Long Range Financial Planning Work Group, unanimously agreed to pursue a federal Qualified School Construction Bond, or QSCB. The city’s plan is to use this money to expand and renovate Thomas Jefferson Elementary School.

TJ will be the first of the city’s schools to hit capacity, currently projected to happen during the 2012-13 school year. The School Board intends to use the QSCB to expand the size of the TJ cafeteria and add approximately 12 classrooms to the current facility. The plan would also look to removal of some of the trailers from the site, while ensuring that TJ has access to wireless Internet.

To accomplish this, the School Board is seeking a $5.95 million QSCB bond from the state. A decision is expected by the end of December. If successful, the intent is to break ground at TJ in 2012, with all construction completed for the 2013-2014 school year.

The expansion of TJ is part of the School Board’s longer term intention to move fifth grade from MEH to TJ. In doing so, eighth grade could move to MEH, helping address the capacity issues to come at George Mason High School in 2013-14.