Design unveiled for Prince William County’s 14th high school; site to preserve stream and woodlands

Prince William County Public Schools staff and DLR Group on Oct. 15 presented preliminary drawings for the division’s 14th high school, describing a site-layout that preserves a stream and woodlands, uses a “boardwalk” concourse to link interior spaces, and divides classroom areas into four “small learning communities” with space reserved for future expansion.

Vern Bock (chief operating officer for PWCS) introduced the design team from DLR Group, who said the building design responds to site constraints and opportunities at the corner of Minnieville Road and the Summit School Road extension. Brian Donnelly of DLR Group described a campus layout that places the building at the center of the site, locates athletic fields to address Minnieville Road, and keeps a resource-protection area — including a small stream — as an integral, on-site learning environment.

The school is planned for roughly 1,400 students. DLR described the academic portion as four wedge-shaped, three-story “houses” or small learning communities; each house will contain core and applied-learning spaces such as science and CTE labs. The design emphasizes daylight and outdoor views across the campus, with three interior “landings” for informal gathering at the main entry, the cafeteria and an overlook near the gym. The project also includes a theater, cafeteria, gym, library, and a “white box” area for robotics and drone activity designed to support demonstrations and applied learning.

DLR said the site sits partly on a slope; the main (entry) level is between a half-level below and a one-and-a-half-story level above. The bus drop, gym and several academic spaces are on the lower level; the library sits above the main entry and overlooks the cafeteria. The façade and materials palette will reference natural materials (stone, wood tones) and emphasize connections to the woodland and stream.

Board members asked about expandability and DLR confirmed the design reserves space for a fifth small-learning-community wedge to add capacity later; the cafeteria, gym and theater were sized with potential expansion in mind. DLR said construction documents are on schedule for permit submission in May 2026, with an expected bid release in September 2026 and a construction period of roughly 30 months leading to an opening for students in 2029, barring schedule changes.

Costs and final program budget were not provided at the presentation. Board members suggested exploring partnerships for multiuse community facilities and reiterated interest in programming for robotics, applied learning and STEM pathways.

"This school should be a place where the community feels they belong, where every student feels like they have a place to belong," Donnelly said, summarizing stakeholder input that guided the design. PWCS staff and the DLR team answered questions from board members and said they will return with final construction documents and permitting information as the project advances.