Clifton Elementary To Be Demolished Following Update To FCPS Facilities Policy

CLIFTON, VA — At its meeting on Thursday, the Fairfax County School Board approved policy updates that would change how the school system a new process and timeline to demolish buildings deemed uninhabitable or have structural or environmental hazards.

The updated to Policy 8258 - Building Evaluation, Building Renovation, and Infrastructure Maintenance reads:

“Buildings deemed uninhabitable shall be removed from service immediately anddemolished within 36 months of the uninhabitable determination, unless granted anextension by the School Board for documented extenuating circumstances.”

With strong support from the Town of Clifton, School Board Members Sandy Anderson (Springfield) and Kyle McDaniel (At-Large Member) led the effort to change the policy on how the FCPS handles school facilities that are unsafe and unusable.

Since Clifton Elementary School, which has been unoccupied since 2010, is not suitable for renovation or reuse, the community agreed that the building should be demolished.

“Many residents have personal connections to the school, having attended as children or watched their own children learn there,” the Clifton Town Council said, in a June 19 letter to the school board. “While we value those memories, the deteriorating building no longer serves our community.”

Anderson and McDaniel released a joint statement on Friday, sharing their thoughts on what the new process will mean to the Clifton community.

“I’m eager, after 15 years, to ensure a path forward for the Clifton Elementary site and for this community. My predecessor, Delegate Laura Jane Cohen, laid the groundwork to make this happen during her time on the school board," Anderson said. "The next step is to determine the site’s future use, but for now, we are prioritizing increased safety, and that feels like a win.”

“We were so fortunate to get great feedback from the Clifton Town Council, and I want to thank
them for their collaboration and support,” McDaniel said. “This brings some closure to the community, and now we can start building towards an exciting future for the space."

The following is the full text of the letter elected officials in the Town of Clifton sent to the Fairfax County School Board.

Dear Members of the Fairfax County School Board,

We are writing to express our strong support for Board Member Kyle McDaniel’s motion to demolish the former Clifton Elementary School building. After more than a decade of uncertainty, our community needs closure on this. matter.

Many residents have personal connections to the school, having attended as children or watched their own children learn there. While we value those memories, the deteriorating building no longer serves our community and has become a place for vandals and poor behavior by our young people.
We appreciate School Board Member McDaniel’s leadership in addressing what our community has recognized as necessary. It’s time to make a clear decision and move forward.

Continuing to delay this decision serves no one and leaves a dangerous, vacant, blighted property in our community. We respectfully ask that you support School Board Member McDaniel’s motion when it comes before the Board. Our community has endured more than 15 years of discussion about Clifton Elementary, and we’re ready for resolution.

The decisions you make aren't easy, but we believe this action is necessary. We trust your judgment and appreciate your service to our community.

Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,

Mayor Tom Peterson
Vice Mayor Regan McDonald
Councilmember Lynn Screen
Councilmember Jay Davis
Councilmember Steve Efros
Councilmember Mary Hess