Delays to New Elementary Schools Mean More Trailers, Overcrowding for Students at Covington-Harper

Two new elementary schools that could help ease overcrowding in Prince William County won’t open until at least 2026 and 2027, respectively, school officials say.

The Woodbridge Area Elementary School, located across from Marumsco Plaza along Route 1, is now slated to open for the 2026-27 school year, following a series of delays. The civil plan approval process with Prince William County took six extra months due to floodplain considerations.

Additionally, crews discovered an underground sanitary line beneath the building site, which required careful re-routing 20 feet underground. The delay also forced engineers to revise the shared entrance with neighboring Fred Lynn Middle School, adding more work that must now be completed over the summer.

Further south near Dumfries, a second elementary school inside Potomac Shores, originally expected to open in 2021-22, is now delayed until 2027-28, according to Prince William County Public Schools. Land acquisition issues and site suitability concerns delayed permitting and construction for the school, which was first identified in the school division’s capital plan nearly a decade ago. The school’s planned capacity has increased from 721 to 1,050 students, making it the largest elementary school in the county when it opens.

Covington-Harper: Crowded Now, With More Growth Coming

Until then, families in the Potomac District must contend with overcrowded classrooms at Covington-Harper Elementary School, located near Dumfries. School Board representative Justin Wilk, who represents the area, says the school is well over its intended capacity — a situation he’s been warning about for years.

According to 2024 figures, Covington-Harper has a program capacity of 796 students, but is currently serving 988 students. With an average of 25 students per class, that’s the equivalent of nearly 40 classrooms — far more than the school was designed to handle.

To keep up, the school is relying heavily on trailers — known officially as modular or portable classrooms — and may need as many as 15 trailers by the 2026–27 school year if enrollment continues to rise and the new school remains unopened.

“We’re looking at a point of being over 130+% capacity… that essentially means there will be 15 trailers at Covington-Harper,” said Wilk in a recent interview with Potomac Local News.

While the school maintains strong test scores and a dedicated staff, the lack of available indoor space has already forced staff to convert resource rooms, computer labs, and other spaces into standard classrooms. “They even had a TED Talk room when it opened,” said Wilk. “Now, everything is filled.”

Boundary Change Blocked

Wilk attempted to propose a temporary boundary change in late 2024 to provide relief, but the School Board voted it down in a 5-3 vote, citing concerns that similar changes might be demanded across the county. Wilk said he needed only five votes to move forward with a directive that would instruct staff to present redistricting options for discussion.

“Unless people are pushing hard and really advocating for this, it’s going to be tough,” Wilk said. “I need the support… and I need to galvanize the community.”

School officials estimate that if the School Board acted now, boundary changes could take effect in the 2026–27 school year. However, the division warns that any temporary change might be reversed again in 2027–28, when the Potomac Shores school finally opens, resulting in back-to-back school changes for students.

In the meantime, Wilk says he’s requested a full briefing from PWCS staff on safety and logistics: how the school system plans to manage food service, security, and encore classes like art and music for a second school population housed in trailers.

“It’s almost like you’re going to have another school or a campus,” Wilk said. “How is this going to impact lunch? Are we going to have to hire another set of teachers just for the trailer community?”

PWCS spokeswoman Megan Silas confirmed that while boundary changes are still possible, any process would take a minimum of four months and depend on how many students are affected.

As Covington-Harper’s enrollment continues to grow and trailer counts rise, Wilk said he hopes more parents will show up to School Board meetings and speak out.

“It takes more than just liking a Facebook post to get people out,” Wilk said. “Time is running out.”