School History

In 1933, construction of the new Fairfax High School building started on what was originally the Fairfax County Fairgrounds.

Fairfax High School opened on February 22, 1935 with 468 students and 14 faculty.

On January 3, 1972, 1,800 students moved into a newly constructed Fairfax High School building on Old Lee Highway in eastern Fairfax City.

The Fairfax High School building was purchased by George Mason University and was used as the university’s North Campus for ten years.

The North Campus was sold to the Catholic Diocese of Arlington to become Paul VI High School in 1983.

Paul VI High School (nickname PVI) was established in 1983 by former Arlington Bishop Thomas J. Welsh. The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales were asked to administer and staff the school. Rev. Donald J. Heet, OSFS, was appointed founding principal and the Oblates administered and staffed the school until 2000. 

Paul VI opened with 350 freshmen and sophomores and 21 employees. Students choose the Panther as the mascot at an assembly. George Mason University continued to use the West Wing for its mail room during PVI’s first year. The next year an adult daycare unit for Alzheimer's patients used some of the classrooms in the West Wing. In 1985, Paul VI took over the entire building. 

Bishop John Keating presided at the Dedication of Paul VI High School on September 27, 1985 in the auditorium.

The first Rally in the Alley took place at the Fairfax campus. Rally in the Alley was a social event for all students to gather before certain home football games.

Upon moving to the new campus in 2020, the event was renamed Rally in the Valley. Sponsored by the Student Government, this event provides free food, games, and time for students to socialize before heading over to the football game.

In August 1998, six students entered the first PVI Options class. The Options program provides a Catholic education to students with intellectual disabilities. In 1998, Paul VI was only the second Catholic high school in the U.S. to offer such a program. PVI Options has since expanded to 16 students and has been used as a model for many other high school programs.

The original school colors were gold and white with brown as an accent color until the 1999–2000 school year. The school moved away from brown in favor of black, which was considered more stylish by the student body.

The first Athletic Hall of Fame event was held. The Paul VI Athletic Hall of Fame honors student-athletes, coaches, athletic staff members, and community stars.

The two-story addition was completed for the 2003–04 school year. This included a new gymnasium, locker rooms, a computer lab, coaches' offices, and a wrestling room. In great contrast to the old gym, which held approximately 400 people, the new center held 1,600. The new Paul VI Activity Center dedication took place on October 12, 2003.

Over time, the space was referred to as “The PAC” (Panther Activity Center).

Click here to see the original Dedication Ceremony page.

In 2014, at the National Pastoral Musicians convention, Vice Principal and Academic Dean Tom Opfer '96 (current principal) commissioned Marty Haugen, an American composer of liturgical music, to write a song for PVI based on the teachings of St. Francis de Sales. A song that could be used at the beginning or end of Mass was desired. Marty researched St. Francis de Sales and noted that the saint was known for reconciliation, peacemaking, and spiritual direction and adapted the Live Jesus song from the writings of the saint.

The Diocese of Arlington announced that Paul VI will relocate from its original 15-acre campus in Fairfax to a 68-acre campus in Chantilly.

The groundbreaking ceremony for Paul VI's new campus was held on February 16, 2018. Bishop Michael F. Burbidge blessed the site. He opened the groundbreaking ceremony with a prayer and sprinkled holy water on the site.

On May 11, students and faculty celebrated a Beam Bash to sign a 14 foot beam that was used on the third floor of the academic building in the new campus. In June, the beam was placed and construction of the new building continued.

Pope Paul VI, our school's namesake, was canonized on October 14, 2018. Members of the Paul VI community were blessed to make a pilgrimage to Rome for the canonization. Eighteen students, four staff, eight parents, and friends accompanied Father Stephen Schultz, PVI Chaplain, and Joyce Krolicki, Coordinator of Campus Ministry, for a week in Italy.

Link to Catholic Herald article.

In 2018, the school seal was updated to reflect the canonization of St. Pope Paul VI and "Est. 1983" replaced "Fairfax, Virginia" to reflect PVI's relocation to Chantilly in the summer of 2020.

Ginny Colwell retired after nearly 29 years at Paul VI, including sixteen years in leadership. Laura Swenson was hired as the new Head of School in July 2022.

PVI celebrated its 40th anniversary. Mass was concelebrated by Fr. Stephen Schultz, Fr. Donald Heet, OSFS, and Fr. Robert Mulligan, OSFS, to celebrate 40 years of growing in grace and wisdom.