Bailey's Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences
Bailey's Elementary Magnet School for the Arts and Sciences is a public elementary school in Falls Church, Virginia. It serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade and is part of Fairfax County Public Schools. The school was founded in 1952 and has about 1,400 students. Its colors are orange and black, and the mascot is the Tiger. The principal is Holly Dowling, and the school is a Title I school.
A key feature is Bailey’s magnet program, started in 1991 to bring more diversity to the school. It was the first magnet school in Fairfax County. In 1997, the One America Initiative named Bailey’s a model of diversity, noting that many students come from homes where English is not the first language.
Bailey’s operates on two campuses. The original building at 6111 Knollwood Drive houses Kindergarten through 2nd grade. A second campus for 3rd through 5th grade opened in 2014-15 at 6245 Leesburg Pike, about 1.4 miles away, to relieve overcrowding.
Academics and arts are central at Bailey’s. The school uses arts, science, and technology as core parts of learning. It offers partial Spanish immersion for math and science and a two-way kindergarten immersion program (half the day in English, half in Spanish). Bailey’s participates in the Kennedy Center’s Changing Education Through the Arts program, which brings arts into the curriculum with professional development for teachers. The school features murals created by local artists, a partnership with the US Forest Service for conservation education, and its own Black Box Theater. Performing arts include choir and band for 4th and 5th grades, violin for 3rd grade, and orchestra for 4th and 5th grades.
Transportation for magnet families was preserved in 2009 to help attract students from outside the local area and maintain diversity. A notable staff achievement is Lynn Riggs, Fairfax County Teacher of the Year in 2006. The PTA played a key role in starting the magnet program and supporting boundary discussions.
For more information, visit the Fairfax County Public Schools page for Bailey’s Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 02:24 (CET).