In Progress: Jennie Dean ES

Jennie Dean Elementary School is named after Jennie Dean, who was born into slavery in Sudley Springs, Virginia in the late 1800s. Dean started the Manassas Industrial School, a vocational school for African-American children. That school continued in operation throughout Dean’s life.

In 1977, the city of Manassas established its public school system and transformed Jennie Dean into a middle school. Thirteen years later, it emerged as an elementary school.

The elementary school currently serves preschool through fourth-grade students, and now a new two-story elementary school structure is being built by Shockey.

The aging infrastructure of the existing school ultimately led to a decision to replace the outdated structure with a new, 108,162-SF school building. Project scope includes site development, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, interior build-out, and finishes. The construction consists of a combination of steel-framing and load-bearing exterior masonry.

Construction began in late December 2024. Despite storms and heavy rains that have resulted in erosion control concerns, construction is on time and on budget. The project will be seeking LEED Silver status and is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2026.