Herndon High School renovations will be mostly finished when students return

Renovations at Herndon High School that have been in the works for half a decade are nearing completion.

A project to update the 54-year-old building at 700 Bennett Street is in its final stages, Fairfax County Public Spokesperson Jennifer Sellers tells Reston Now.

Most recently, construction workers completed phase three renovations that began about seven months ago. That includes work on areas for gymnastics, wrestling, the auxiliary gym, auditorium, music wing, and an extended main corridor.

The project’s third phase was finished in time to welcome students when they return to school for the new academic year on Aug. 23.

“Overall, Herndon High School will be returning to a much different space than previous,” writes Sellers.

There’s still some work to be done, though, including finishing the concessions building, an additional parking lot, tennis courts, and several instructional rooms. That should all be finished this fall, leaving a few other small items to be completed by the end of the calendar year.

In the meantime, students and staff affected by the ongoing work will be temporarily relocated into interior spaces that have already been renovated until winter break. There will still be one temporary classroom in a trailer until then as well.

Most of the work is also happening towards the back of the building, further limiting the impact on in-person learning.

The last time Herndon High School underwent renovations was 1991.

With the school remaining mostly virtual all of last year, it has allowed construction to happen without interfering with day-to-day operations. The main gym closed for renovations right after a community goodbye and right before the COVID-19 pandemic mostly shut down Fairfax County Public School buildings for more than a year.

Construction on Herndon High School started in early 2018, adding more than 138,000 square feet to the building. In total, nearly 416,000 square feet is being renovated or added, and the school will now have a capacity for about 2,500 students.

Funding for the projects came from bonds approved by county voters.

Nearly three-quarters of county voters supported a $250 million bond referendum in 2013 that partially helped fund the planning of Herndon High School’s renovations. A significant portion of the 2015 $310 million school bond went towards the high school’s renovations and additions.

Courtesy FCPS