2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26106472D

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 103

Offered February 16, 2026

Commending Groveton Elementary School.

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Patrons—Surovell; Delegate: Krizek

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WHEREAS, Groveton Elementary School, an outstanding public primary school in Fairfax County, has provided generations of young people with a strong foundation for lifelong learning by cultivating a supportive and nurturing environment that promotes physical, behavioral, and academic growth; and

WHEREAS, Groveton Elementary School traces its deepest roots to 1876, when the School Trustees of Mount Vernon District—Eben E. Mason, Richard L. Nevitt, and Frank F. Triplett—sought to acquire property for a school site by eminent domain, and the Fairfax County Circuit Court appointed commissioners to survey a tract of land belonging to John Collard; and

WHEREAS, the project led to the establishment of a one-room schoolhouse known as the Kirby School on Old Mount Vernon Road, now Route 1, in the Groveton community; and

WHEREAS, by the 1890s, the Kirby School had become known as the Groveton School; at the time, teachers were responsible for the daily maintenance and upkeep of the schoolhouse, and lessons were staggered by grade and subject matter, with one grade of students giving recitations while others worked quietly on long, wooden benches; and

WHEREAS, when the Groveton School became overcrowded in the 1920s, parents petitioned the newly created Fairfax County School Board for a two-room schoolhouse, which was completed in 1925, but the community quickly outgrew the building again, necessitating the construction of Groveton Elementary School, which featured six classrooms and an auditorium; and

WHEREAS, located on Memorial Street, Groveton Elementary School opened in 1933, but from the 1940s until the 1970s, students occasionally attended classes in the old two-room schoolhouse nearby to relieve overcrowding; and

WHEREAS, in 1971, the Fairfax County School Board authorized construction of a 990-student capacity building on Harrison Lane, which utilized the open classroom model, where classrooms were clustered around pods that could be divided with moveable partitions into separate learning areas; and

WHEREAS, the newly-constructed Groveton Elementary School opened on September 5, 1972, with Bill Zepka as principal and an initial enrollment of approximately 640 students in kindergarten through sixth grade; in its early years, the school became not only a beacon of community spirit, but a visionary leader in academic excellence; and

WHEREAS, Groveton Elementary School was one of the first public schools in the eastern United States to offer special education programs for children with autism and established the first co-op preschool program and the first before-and-after-school day care program in Fairfax County; and

WHEREAS, after Fairfax County Public Schools created an English as a second language (ESL) program in 1975, Groveton Elementary School became an ESL cluster site in October 1977, and has continued to offer a wide range of language supports for its diverse student body; in the 1990s, parents and teachers at the school developed an English education resource book, which was distributed to other schools in Fairfax County; and

WHEREAS, throughout its history, Groveton Elementary School has provided a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment where students thrive academically, emotionally, and socially; the school offers a wide range of co-curricular activities to give young people opportunities to develop new skills, make lifelong friendships, and become more involved in the community; and

WHEREAS, Groveton Elementary School empowers teachers to inspire and innovate and cultivates strong partnerships between faculty, staff, and family members to ensure every child feels seen, heard, and valued; and

WHEREAS, Groveton Elementary School has helped young people develop critical thinking skills, compassion, and a sense of responsibility, preparing them to succeed in higher education and become engaged community leaders; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Groveton Elementary School on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the foundation of its predecessor, the Kirby School; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Groveton Elementary School as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for its storied history and legacy of excellence in early education.