REACHING THE BREAKING POINT
Improvement plan does not include support for McLean renovation
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NYLA MARCOTT NEWS EDITOR
ools of water in the bathrooms, a roof leaking from multiple locations and an aging heating system are just a few indicators of an outdated building. The FCPS Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) allocates millions of dollars each year for construction and renovation of schools. For the 2023-27 school years, $180 million will be spent to improve schools across the county, but McLean High School is not included. Renovations are planned on a queue and McLean is not expected to receive funds to be fully renovated until 2050. McLean was constructed in 1955 and last renovated in 2005, creating concerns that there will be increasing structural and maintenance issues. “[The aging building] is a huge issue. I know that the students are concerned with the bathrooms, as we all are, because it is not pretty in there,” school finance technician Jennifer Hill said. “There is definitely work that should be done.” McLean was the last school in Fairfax County to be renovated using an outdated method, in which repairs for separate portions of the building were contracted out to different companies. The segmented process resulted in functional issues as the school aged. After McLean’s renovation, the process was improved to ensure that future schools were renovated more effectively. “They would take a part of the school and bid it out to a company...and then
Langley High School
4 | NEWS | March 2022
they would bid out the next section of the school,” Principal Ellen Reilly said. “That is probably why we have air conditioning and heating problems—there was a disconnect between the two companies.” McLean’s renovation was less thorough than other schools, yet placed the school at the end of the queue. FCPS is considering altering the allocation of renovations, but it is unclear whether this will impact McLean.
WE DEFINITELY NEED HELP IN THIS BUILDING. IT’S HARD ON THE CUSTODIANS AND FOR STUDENTS. WE JUST NEED UPDATES ALL AROUND.” - ELLEN REILLY PRINCIPAL “[FCPS] is getting ready to do a new renovation queue based on new criteria, one of which is overcapacity,” said Nora Molnar, a McLean parent representative advocating for building improvements. “I believe that under the new queue, because of the capacity problems, we’re going to be moved up higher in the next queue.” McLean finance technicians have a few options to fund small projects while awaiting a full renovation. The school can
submit a work order form when there are plumbing and structural problems or use money the school raises through community use. Community use funds are typically for small improvement projects, such as the installation of new blinds, that would not otherwise be paid for by the county. “Community use is the money that we make from hosting events for outside [groups] in our school,” Hill said. “We get to keep a certain amount of the proceeds, which is 15% but is changing to 25%.” FCPS has issued guidance regarding the number of students all school buildings should be able to accommodate. “The school system has what’s called an education specification (ed spec). The ed spec says the ideal capacity for every school in Fairfax County is 2,500 students. Our capacity without the mod was like 1,992 students; with the mod it’s still not 2,500 students,” Molnar said. “Being in the biggest growth area, we shouldn’t be treated like we’re a little school and then doing these piecemeal, expensive fixes.” The CIP released by FCPS states that with the modular building, McLean is currently at 107% of capacity and will decrease to 105% of capacity in the 2026-27 school year. “[FCPS] made a prediction that McLean is going to lose students...or be relatively flat,” Molnar said. “That prediction is contradicted by their own documents, which show hundreds, if not thousands, of students coming to this area.”
McLean High School Page design by Ariana Elahi | Photos by Nyla Marcott | Langley photo courtesy of Grace Chen
