Alexandria (Va.) district will convert office building to school campus

The Alexandria City (Va.) school district has bought a former office building and will convert it to a school.

Repurposing the four-story office building instead of constructing a new campus will reduce project costs by more than $39 million, reports Alexandria Living Magazine.

The property will be used at first to relocate some central office operations, such as the district's technology help desk. It is temporarily housed at Alexandria City High School.

The facility also will be used as swing space for students displaced by construction and renovations at George Mason Elementary and Cora Kelly School.

Once those projects are completed, the building will be used as a permanent site for a 600-student school. The district has not yet determined if it will be an elementary or a secondary school.