South Lakes HS Expansion Includes 40,000-Square-Foot Addition

The Fairfax County School Board has filed a Planned Residential Community application for a building addition and other improvements for Reston’s South Lakes High School.

The plans will add about 40,000 more square feet to the high school, which has exceeded capacity that was added in renovations in 2006-07. The renovations were followed by a redistricting that added more than 700 students to the school, which has capacity for 2,300. FCPS predicts school enrollment will be more than 2,900 by 2017-18.

The SLHS addition, as well as previously announced improvements for Herndon High School, is part of the five-year capital improvement plan, which has $220 million in funding from approved school bonds that were approved in 2013, FCPS says.

The remainder of the funds for the CIP will comes from a school bond referendum in the fall of 2015. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors last week authorized the $310 million schools referendum, which has one more step before being added to the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

South Lakes’ addition should increase space from about 2,300 students to 2,700 students, school officials previously said.

The site plan includes adding 40,000 square feet, bringing the total space in the school building to 373,750 square feet. There are also plans for adding 120 parking spaces, bringing capacity to 750 spaces.

Approximately 74 percent or 35.89 acres of property will remain in open space, school officials said.

The plans are tentatively scheduled to have a Fairfax County Planning Commission public hearing on Oct. 15.