Construction of New Outdoor Classroom Continues at John Marshall High School

GLEN DALE - Work on John Marshall High School's new outdoor classroom is getting closer to being finished.

The $200,000 project by Savage Construction is anticipated to be finished in the spring, said Facilities Director Mike Price.

The concrete work is done with the classroom encompassing about 8,000 square feet of space. It is located in a former grassy courtyard-like area at the rear of the building.

Once completed, it will offer an area for musical and stage performances along with plenty of space for teachers to hold outdoor classroom sessions. The students will also be permitted to eat lunch in the space.

The furniture will be moveable and there will be sunshades to give students a break from the sun and heat during warm weather months.

"In the next couple weeks the pillars will be set for the sunshades," he said. "It's about 70% complete. ... We're still working on some infrastructure including electric and lighting."

Price said a secure, heavy duty fence will also be installed around the classroom to keep the classroom safe and secure. It likely will have slates installed in the fencing to give students privacy. The fence will likely be 8-10 feet tall.

Price said federal American Rescue Plan Act money was used to create the space. The federal government encouraged schools to create such spaces because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He noted a smaller version of the JM classroom was already completed and is in use at Central Elementary School. More schools in the district may get outdoor classrooms in the future as well.