Katherine Johnson Middle School
Summary
Katherine Johnson Middle School is a public middle school in Fairfax City, renamed in 2021 in honor of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson. The school appears in the municipal record primarily in two capacities: (1) as the subject of a capital improvement project, and (2) as an active civic participant. On the capital side, the FY2027–FY2031 Capital Improvement Program — adopted by the Planning Commission 5:0 on February 9, 2026 via Resolution PC-26-01 and recommended to City Council — explicitly names the Katherine Johnson school project, which includes proposed new turf fields. The turf field project is framed as addressing environmental challenges on the site (significant grade drop, stormwater accumulation, subsurface debris/fill issues) while improving access, supporting middle school athletics, and integrating with Kuttner Park, Camp Washington Activity Center, and the Germantown Road improvement project. On the civic engagement side, students from the school presented urban planning proposals for the Northfax and Courthouse Plaza areas to the Planning Commission on March 9, 2026, and subsequently to City Council on June 2, 2026. The school has also been involved in community CPR training through the Fairfax City Fire Department and the Gwyneth's Gift Foundation, reaching over 1,450 students at Katherine Johnson and St. Leo's.
Open questions & options on the table
- City Council has not yet taken final action on the FY2027–FY2031 CIP (including the Katherine Johnson turf field project); the Planning Commission's February 9, 2026 vote was a recommendation only.
- The Planning Commission discussed but did not resolve how explicitly to address remaining school projects (beyond Katherine Johnson) in the CIP resolution language.
- At least one speaker (February 10, 2026 transcript) raised the possibility of modifications to the Katherine Johnson project to achieve goals more cost-effectively; it is unresolved whether any such review or redesign process has been initiated.
What members have said
At the February 9, 2026 Planning Commission meeting, Lockhart expressed comfort with the resolution naming Katherine Johnson specifically while leaving other school projects at a higher level of generality, noting the smaller projects did not rise to the level of the major capital items. Lockhart suggested the commission could address remaining school projects under a broader 'keeping schools safe' framing tied to quality-of-life goals rather than naming each explicitly.
Voted yes on Resolution PC-26-01 recommending City Council approve the FY2027–FY2031 CIP on February 9, 2026.
Voted yes on Resolution PC-26-01 recommending City Council approve the FY2027–FY2031 CIP on February 9, 2026.
Voted yes on Resolution PC-26-01 recommending City Council approve the FY2027–FY2031 CIP on February 9, 2026.
Voted yes on Resolution PC-26-01 recommending City Council approve the FY2027–FY2031 CIP on February 9, 2026.
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Discussion time
Minutes of named discussion per transcribed meeting.
Full history
[6a] Katherine Johnson school project was specifically named in the CIP resolution language; commissioners discussed the level of explicitness needed for remaining school projects in the resolution.
passedMotion to adopt Resolution PC-26-01 as shown in Attachment 1, recommending City Council approve the Capital Improvement Program FY2027–FY2031 as proposed, subject to the considerations discussed.✓ Feather✓ Cunningham✓ Lockhart✓ McCarthy✓ Rice[4a] Students from Katherine Johnson Middle School presented urban planning proposals for Northfax and Courthouse Plaza to the Planning Commission.
[10] Students from Katherine Johnson Middle School presented proposed designs for Northfax and Courthouse Square to City Council on June 2, 2026.
Discussed alongside
Topics that come up in the same meetings.