City To Break Ground On New Patrick Henry Elementary Building

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Alexandria City Public Schools will break ground on the new Patrick Henry Elementary School building in June after school ends. The last day of school is Thursday, June 22.

The new estimated completion date for the new school building and recreation center is now late fall 2018. The School Board approved the initial construction contract in early May. Construction work was originally planned to end in August 2018.

Officials say delays to the opening would be due to topography challenges, increased building size and capacity, phasing the site work and ensuring safety.

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An official groundbreaking ceremony for construction will be on on June 19 at 8:30 a.m. on the playing field. Students, School Board officials and City Council members will attend, and the community is invited.

Community members are also invited to a meeting on Wednesday, May 31 at 6:30 p.m. in the Patrick Henry Elementary School cafeteria. The construction company, architects and project managers will discuss the groundbreaking ceremony, timeline of the project, safety during construction and access to the site. Interpreters, babysitting and pizza will be available.

During the construction phase, school buses will follow a new bus route to keep students away from the construction area and save money from a temporary drop-off area. Students dropped off by car will also use this loop for six months while the final parent drop-off loop is constructed. Parents and community members will receive more updates during construction.

The new building will help address increasing enrollment in the public school system. According to ACPS, enrollment is rising by between 3 percent and 5 percent each year, and increases are expected to continue for the next ten years. The city timed the recreation center replacement with plans to construct a larger capacity school building.

The project was approved in December, the Alexandria Times reported. The School Board approved $1.4 million in capital funding for the project in fiscal year 2014, $3 million in fiscal year 2015 and $38 million in fiscal year 2016. The existing school building at 4643 Taney Avenue was built in the early 1950s.

"We remain excited about this joint project with the City and know that the new building will provide students with the optimal environments for learning that all students deserve, as well as providing the community with a great recreational resource,” said Superintendent Alvin Crawley in a statement.

See more about the Patrick Henry Elementary project here.

Rendering via Alexandria City Public Schools/Youtube screenshot