South County Secondary School is built on 76 acres in Lorton, Virginia. It was initially designed as a high school with a capacity of 2,500 students, but was modified to accommodate middle school children for the 2005 opening. The school opened to 7-11th grade students, without its senior class, and was near its capacity of 2500 students. The school is currently operating with a senior class and 3,054 students.

The future middle school, designed to relieve the overcrowding, is currently planned in the out years on the CIP at a cost of $76 million, with expenditures being allocated at some point in FY 2012-FY 2016. FCPS currently owns the 41 acres of land where the middle school is expected to be built, which is slated for 2017.

The Fairfax County School Board and Facilities provided a short-term “band-aid” fix to the overcrowding at South County Secondary School this fall with the latest boundary study. As a result, some Lorton communities will be going to Hayfield for the 2007 school year. The boundary recommendation also stipulates that if the community has not secured funding for a Middle School by 2008, the South County Area will be facing another boundary study in Fall 2008 to determine what communities will be shifted to Lake Braddock and Hayfield. If this boundary study is conducted, we may never get a middle school.

Shifting local communities to Lake Braddock and Hayfield is not the answer… The solution that follows the School Board’s Strategic Governance initiatives, the recent Sleep Study, and the best programmatic solution for our children is to take the time to develop a plan to build a middle school now, instead of rushing into another “band-aid” fix.

The South County Middle School Solutions Group is working with community leaders, politicians, school board members and community members to develop a plan and secure funding for the Middle School. Click here to read the South County Federation Resolution passed in February 2006 supporting the acceleration of a Middle School.

GET INVOLVED AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY! Click here to find out how you can help.