School Board Approves Contract for $90 Million TJ Renovations

Renovations at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology will move forward this year as planned. The Fairfax County School Board awarded a contract to Henley Construction Company, Inc. Thursday night in the amount of $67,440,000 for the school renovation project.

According to an agenda item from Thursday's meeting, the motion to award the contract was put forth by Sandy Evans, who represents Mason District on the board, and was carried unanimously.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $90 million and funding for the project will come from the 2011 School Bond Referendum. Previously, the Fairfax County School Board proposed asking school boards in Loudoun, Arlington and Prince William counties and Falls Church City to assist in paying for the renovations since students from those areas attend TJ. According to the Washington Examiner, school representatives in those areas have not come to a decision about whether they will contribute funding toward the project. A Washington Post article from January stated some school board representatives questioned whether it was worth allocating funds to renovate TJ.

Once complete, the school will have a research wing with elaborate technology for neuroscience and oceanography, a greenhouse, learning spaces, and outdoor classrooms. In addition to expanding its resources for students, part of the need for the renovations is to address the overcrowding at TJ. The school currently has 25 trailers on its campus, the Examiner article states.

During the developing stages of the plan in 2011, Kevin Sneed, director of design and construction services for Fairfax County Public Schools. told Patch he hoped construction on the expansion would begin in 2013 and finish in the fall of 2015.

Related:

• Thomas Jefferson High School Plans for Major Expansion