Alexandria officials gathered yesterday (Sept. 2) to mark the topping out of the reconstructed George Mason Elementary School, the latest of Alexandria City Public Schools’ modernization projects.
Monday’s topping out ceremony represented the installation of the final structural steel beam on the school. The school at 2601 Cameron Mills Road in the North Ridge neighborhood is being rebuilt to address capacity needs and replace an aging facility, according to ACPS. Built in 1939, the school was renovated before in 1949 and 1977.
The new 114,000-square-foot school building will have a capacity for 670 students between PreK and fifth grade. The building will feature an interior courtyard, a full-size gym with a climbing wall, play spaces for different age groups and multi-use outdoor sports fields and courts.
Students are attending a swing space at 1703 N. Beauregard Street during the construction.
Acting Superintendent Grace Taylor, who attended George Mason Elementary as a child, said it was significant to see the milestone for her former school.
“When I think about it, I think about the halls, the classrooms, the learning spaces,” Taylor said. “I think about the joy of being a George Mason Dragon. Now more than ever, we’re able to really see the future for our kids.”
Mayor Alyia Gaskins said each space in the new building was designed to foster learning for young students.
“Today is about celebration,” Gaskins said. “We are celebrating the important progress we made on this incredible building but more than that when I think about modernization of George Mason Elementary School, when I think about projects we recently completed … it’s a celebration of the investment that we continue to make in our kids and in the future of this city.”
The projected opening date for the school is fall 2027.
Image via ACPS/Facebook
