Alexandria’s rebuilt Douglas MacArthur Elementary School opens on Monday. School and city officials cut the ribbon to the replacement school on Janneys Lane Friday morning.
“The sense of community and caring throughout this project has been strong and will continue to be felt as our students are welcomed into their new classrooms,” said Principal Penny Hairston on Friday.
The three-story, 154,221-square-foot West End school sits on the site of the original school that opened in 1943. The first school had eight classrooms and one common area.
The city demolished the original one-story school in April 2021, moving students into a swing space at the old Patrick Henry Elementary School during the new school’s construction.
Planning for the $75 million, state-of-the-art facility took three years and construction, two.
“This is a beautifully designed school. It is truly going to be the beacon in the school community,” said Alexandria Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt at the ribbon-cutting.
Watch the ribbon-cutting ceremony:
The new MacArthur has space for 840 students. In addition to new classrooms, the school has dedicated art and music rooms, a multipurpose room, and a dedicated space for physical education. There are also turf fields and play areas.
“I have to say this day is truly one of my proudest as a member of the Alexandria school board because this new school building represents our city’s commitment to educating and empowering all of our students to thrive in this diverse and ever changing world that we live in,” said school board chair Michelle Rief.
Alexandria City School Board Chair Dr. Michelle Rief presented a commemorative plaque to @DMPrincipal, to hang inside of the newly constructed Douglas MacArthur that represents the commitment and support of our community to the school and our students. pic.twitter.com/0Xp3PQQUat
— Alexandria City Public Schools (@ACPSk12) August 18, 2023
Feature image of Douglass MacArthur Elementary School by Angie Moran
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