Mayor Bowser Celebrates Expansion of Newly Renamed John R. Thompson Jr. High School on the First Day of School

(Washington, DC) - Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser joined DC Public Schools (DCPS), the DC Department of General Services (DGS), District leaders and community members to celebrate the first day of school and cut the ribbon on the newly expanded and newly renamed John R. Thompson Jr. High School, formerly known as MacArthur High School. With a $91 million expansion, the school can now serve up to 800 students in grades 9 through 12. The school is named in honor of John R. Thompson Jr., the legendary Washingtonian, educator, and Georgetown basketball coach whose impact extended far beyond the basketball court.

"I want to thank all the educators, administrators, school staff, station managers and bus drivers, crossing guards-all the people who are working together to welcome our students to school and make the first day of school a great one," said Mayor Bowser. "John R. Thompson Jr. High School is a beautiful space for our students and teachers, it represents the billions of dollars we have poured into our school facilities over the past two decades, and we are so proud to honor Coach Thompson here."

Across DCPS, over 50,000 K-12 students return to school today to continue the academic and social-emotional growth leading to the district's designation as the fastest-improving urban school system in the country. On Thursday, DCPS will celebrate the first day of school for pre-K students.

"Today's ribbon cutting marks a historic day for DC Public Schools," said DCPS Interim Chancellor Dr. Kim Jackson. "The John Thompson Jr. High School community represents the first new comprehensive DCPS high school in generations, expanding opportunities for students and strengthening our citywide network of schools. We are proud to honor the legacy of Coach Thompson, who made supporting DC's young people central to his life's work beyond the basketball court."

John R. Thompson Jr. High School has been transformed into a larger and more modern school. Over the course of several construction phases, this project expanded the school's capacity from 200 to 800 students and in this most recent phase, added a new 33,000-square-foot building. The expansion includes an entire floor of new science classrooms, two new art rooms, two music classrooms, an administrative space, technology-equipped learning spaces and an outdoor classroom. The school also features an indoor courtyard and views of the Potomac River.

"John R. Thompson Jr. High School has been five years in the making, and today we are proud to see another major milestone completed," said DGS Director Delano Hunter. "Keeping a school open during a major construction project was no small task. DGS worked closely with the school community to limit disruptions and keep the project moving forward. I'm proud of what we delivered today and grateful to the teams that made it happen."

The work at John R. Thompson Jr. High School will continue with a future expansion that includes a new auditorium and expanded cafeteria space, scheduled for completion in August 2028.

Since 2015, the District has invested nearly $5 billion in DCPS facilities, including major renovations, modernizations and new construction across all eight wards. In Ward 3, the District has invested more than $360 million across major school modernization projects, including $44 million for Hearst Elementary School (2015), $78 million for Ben Murch Elementary School (2018), $65 million for Eaton Elementary School (2021), and $26 million for Stoddert Elementary School (2026).

Students are returning to school today on the heels of last week's announcement that for the fourth consecutive year, DC students made academic gains in both math and reading on the statewide assessment. Additionally, in the spring, the 2026 Education Scorecard-produced by education experts from Harvard University, Stanford University and Dartmouth College-found that DC ranked first in the nation in post-pandemic academic recovery in both English language arts and math between 2022 and 2025.

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