See the first bite taken out of Douglas MacArthur Elementary School in the photo gallery here:
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Alexandria City Public Schools
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Alexandria City Public Schools
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Alexandria City Public Schools
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Alexandria City Public Schools
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Alexandria City Public Schools
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Alexandria City Public Schools
This is the end for the old Douglas MacArthur Elementary School building.
Calling it an exciting day for students and the entire community, a small group of school officials gathered at the front of the school Monday morning next to an excavator poised to make the first, symbolic cut into the 78-year-old school building.
Principal Penny Hairston thanked the teachers and the entire school community for their involvement in the planning process.
The farewell ceremony was broadcast online at 9 a.m. through the Alexandria City Public Schools Facebook page. (The live stream is embedded below, though difficult to hear due to Monday's windy weather.)
Douglas MacArthur was built in 1943 and originally named Chinquapin School. The new school will be three stories and include significant improvements in academic spaces.
The following renderings show the new Douglas MacArthur Elementary School from various angles.
ACPS
The former Patrick Henry Elementary School on Taney Avenue in Alexandria's West End will be used as a "swing space" while Douglas MacArthur is rebuilt. Students should be able to move into the new Douglas MacArthur on Janneys Lane in January 2023.
The construction company Sanska is hosting a live camera feed of the site here.
More information about the project is available at www.acps.k12.va.us/Page/2651.
