By Stephen Twentyman (Nov. 7, 2003)

Well over 2,000 Falls Church residents voted on Tuesday to approve the bond referendum allowing the City to borrow $25 million to construct a new middle school on the site of the current tennis courts on the George Mason High School campus. The referendum, which won nearly 78% of all votes cast, is seen as a major victory in the struggle against overcrowding in the city’s schools.
 

The construction will use up to $25 million in borrowed money, payable over 20 years. The referendum approved this loan and authorized a tax hike of $0.13/$100 of property value to cover the expenses. George Mason building principal Robert Snee said, "Now the next phase of work begins. There are many important matters to consider and questions to formulate. People will have to meet and discuss the implications of the new grade configuration. We’ll have a 5-7 middle school and an 8-12 high school, which is something quite different from our current structure."

The project will commence almost immediately. If all goes smoothly, construction should begin in earnest by the New Year. The new tennis courts and bus parking lot are to be built first at the city transfer site. Upon their completion, the current courts and lot will be demolished and bulldozed. Utility lines will be installed come springtime, setting the stage for the actual school construction. On September 6, 2005, the building is scheduled to open to the public.

Of 2,961 total voters, 2,279 (78%) voted for the referendum and 682 (22%) against. Also on the ballot was the race for Virginia State Senate, won in a similar landslide by incumbent Mary Margaret Whipple (D) over challenger Kamal Nawash (R). Jim Scott (D) kept his Virginia House of Delegates seat in an uncontested election, as did Commonwealth’s Attorney R.E. Trodden (D).