Falls Church school leaders are planning to add a modest number of items to the system’s updated 2026-31 capital-improvement program.
And nearly already have funding sources available, School Board members were told on Dec. 10.
Among the updated list of ongoing and new capital projects in the queue are:
- $3 million for security upgrades and $1.4 million for renovations to the oldest part of Oak Street Elementary School.
- $950,000 for roof replacement and solar panels at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School.
- $2 million for a turf baseball field and $1.2 million for improvements to the fieldhouse/pressbox area and restrooms at the football field at Meridian High School.
The package was presented by staff and is expected to be acted on by the School Board on Jan. 14.
“We’ve got some time to think about this” before final action, School Board Chairman Tate Gould said.
All of the projects have funding identified except the roof project at the middle school. Support for that project will be sought by the City Council when the capital plan goes to that body following review by the Planning Commission.
Kristen Michael, the school system’s chief operating officer, said the best approach would be to combine the roof replacement with installation of solar panels at the same time.
“Putting solar on the roof as soon as it’s replaced is the absolute best timing,” she said.
During discussion of the capital plan, Board member Lori Silverman noted concerns raised by teachers at Oak Street Elementary about the lack of soundproofing between some classrooms.
Those spaces originally were not used for classrooms and have metal “accordion walls” separating them, leading to sound seapage, Silverman said.
Brian Fowler, the school system’s director of facilities and security, said a contractor would be coming to the school during the upcoming winter break to make improvements.
“They’re hoping to have the whole thing wrapped up by the time we return,” he said. “We’ll address any other sound issues as we go.”
School Board Approves 2026-27 Calendar: Falls Church City School Board members on Dec. 10 approved the school system’s 2026-27 calendar, with several tweaks from an earlier draft.
Board members moved spring break from the planned post-Easter week to the week leading up to it (March 22-26, 2027). Falls Church typically follows Fairfax County’s lead on spring break, and Fairfax school leaders recently made the change to a pre-Easter week off.
In addition, Falls Church officials opted to move two consecutive teacher workdays from late October to Nov. 2-3, meaning students will not be in class on Election Day (Nov. 3, 2026).
That request had been made by the Electoral Board, which uses Oak Street Elementary School as a polling place.
As had been detailed by staff earlier, graduation for students at Meridian High School will be shifted to the Friday before Memorial Day (May 28, 2027). Traditionally it has been held the Tuesday after Memorial Day.
Under the adopted calendar, school will start Aug. 24, 2026, with winter break running from Dec. 21, 2026, to Jan. 1, 2027. The end of school will be June 11, 2027.
