Watermarks loom in the asbestos ceiling tiles above the heads of students at FHS. A brackish pool of perpetually leaking city water lingers stagnated at the base of a toilet in the girls’ bathroom in the 300 hallway. From sweating to shivering, students battle the inconsistent temperatures of their classrooms throughout the day, meanwhile struggling to hear their teachers above the groaning and growling of the antique air conditioners.

“During my history class we have to cover the air conditioner with textbooks because it is unbearably cold,” junior Melissa Williams said. “There was also a dead rat in the air conditioner in my marketing class causing the room to have a heinous stench.”

For many years, the condition of FHS’s physical structure has been recognized as a problem by students, faculty, and the administration, and has been brought to the attention of the Board of Supervisors on several occasions. However, due to budget cuts and the decisions of the county administrators, very little money is available for renovations and repairs. According to Principal Roger Sites, Fauquier has always needed renovations.

The Fauquier High School Modernization Feasibility Study was prepared in 2006 by an architectural firm, in conjunction with a team of school division staff, to recommend a funding request to the Planning Commission. The administration and School Board estimate that $35 million to $40 million is needed to completely renovate FHS, according to Assistant Principal Kraig Kelican.

The study addressed whether it is economically feasible to keep spending millions on additions, such as a wing above the annex, which has been the practice for the last 30 years. Alternatively, would it be more efficient to completely demolish the building and start over. Although very different, both plans have one thing in common, they are just the hopes of dreamers. There is no money for any major renovations.

The Board of Supervisors has not yet acted on one of the School Board’s most recent proposals of $19.4 million for the 2008-2009 school year to renovate FHS and then another $19.4 million for the 2009-2010 school year. Last fall, the request was sent to the Planning Commission, and in February they approved a recommendation of $8 million in 2008-09, $8,000,000 in 2009-10, and $9.2 million in 2010-11 for all school division renovations, including not only FHS but also Warrenton and Taylor Middle Schools. The Board of Supervisors will review this proposal in May and/or June.

The Planning Commission’s proposed budget for renovations will not cover even one of the School Board’s projects according to Assistant Superintendent for Administration Janice Bourne. With the opening of Kettle Run High School in the fall on 2008 and the Planning Commission’s plan to tack on an addition to the school in 2013, FHS has been pushed down the Board of Supervisor’s list even further.



The Board of Supervisors toured all Fauquier County Public Schools on April 28 in order to see each school’s state of repair. The Board of Supervisors controls funding for not only the school system, but also landfills, parks, and the Sheriffs’ department, which is currently at the top of their budget list.

Making the building more handicap-accessible is at the top of the administration’s desired renovations list. Adding an elevator in the annex, creating more teacher space, and the replacement of all exterior doors are also on the list.

"I'd like to see the entire building gutted and renovated," Kelican said. "I don't believe I'd like to see the building razed. Not only is it a historical landmark with a lot of character, but it also has a lot of sentimental value to many members of the community."

The consolidation and updating of the science classrooms is another top priority. Kettle Run’s classrooms are being built in pods, with teacher work space in the center of the pod, which would be impossible for Fauquier to convert to without complete demolition.

“Science labs need to be completely renovated,” Kelican said. “They were okay in the mid 60s and 70s, but now we’re just making do. As far as students’ learning hindrance, I don't think [the lack of renovations] plays a huge role. Teachers do a terrific job adapting to their environment."

Because the gymnasiums, cafeterias, and the auditorium, are constantly being used by the public, many members of the community recognize FHS’s needs and have joined forces with the School Board to support renovation projects.

“I’m encouraged that the community constantly gets to see the status of the building and that it is not a lost cause to help seek funding for repairs,” Kelican said.

The Addison Lightfoot Auditorium has the largest seating capacity in Fauquier County and it is often used by the community for such events as Easter and Christmas morning mass. The Auditorium needs to have its seats replaced, the addition of more bathrooms and handicap stalls, concession space, and a storage area for the theatre program.

“The lack of storage space on this campus has impacted athletics, music, and theater in a negative way,” Theatre teacher Kevin Mettinger said. “We waste a lot of time that we could be engaging in our activities, moving things from place to place like nomads. If the Board of Supervisors had to move the amount of equipment and materials that the marching band, theater students, and the athletes have to move at FHS on a daily basis, they would fund a renovation here in a heart beat.”

The top priority of the Board of Supervisors’ is replacing systems such as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, according to Bourne, if any funds become available. However, they will probably not be able to improve classroom spaces or interior and exterior circulation patterns at current funding levels. Whether renovations actually occur depends on what the Board of Supervisors decides the community can afford. Every project leads to another. For example, if new lights are installed, an entire new electrical system must also be installed. This is the same concern with upgrading the plumbing and air conditioning systems.

“Until the Board of Supervisors realizes that we are 10 to 15 years behind in school construction and improvement,” Mettinger said. “We will be playing a very dangerous game of catch up that ultimately compromises the safety of the students and staff.”