This is Superintendent Amy Cashwell with a redistricting and new school planning update for the entire Henrico County Public Schools community. Please read carefully as this message contains significant new information.

As a reminder, “redistricting” is when a school system looks at the current school attendance zones/boundaries and, for reasons that include school overcrowding and areas of population growth, considers adjustments that may change the school(s) your student(s) attend in the future.

Fast facts

Today, for the first time, HCPS proposed a potential new elementary school in the Fairfield District and a middle school expansion project (middle school to be determined).
As a result, the redistricting process will now expand in order to populate the new elementary school and the larger middle school.
The new elementary school and middle school expansion are being proposed in order to relieve some of Henrico’s most significant current and projected school overcrowding, based on newly available preliminary data.
While the process of redistricting will still move forward, the need for changes to attendance boundaries in other areas of Henrico County may be reduced.
In order to allow for the proposed school construction, the effective date of new redistricting boundaries may be delayed or phased-in over two school years.

Full details

What happened today? At a regularly scheduled School Board work session, HCPS administration presented a bold proposal to the School Board that would call for a brand new elementary school to be built in the Fairfield District. Additionally, the proposal would include an expansion to an existing middle school in Henrico County (the middle school has not been determined yet). Both projects would be completed by the 2022-23 school year and would address current and future school overcrowding concerns. At the elementary level, this would likely relieve long-term concerns over increasing enrollment and development mostly around Greenwood and Longdale elementary schools. The projects would be funded through future capital improvement budgeting.

Why? An analysis presented to the School Board today indicates a need for a new elementary school in the Fairfield District because of larger than usual increases in student enrollment levels as well as future home construction. The analysis was based on newly available preliminary data, including future student enrollment levels. Henrico County is acquiring land in the Fairfield District, located in the “River Mill” subdivision, that is large enough for such a school. (River Mill, which is currently in development, is located in northern Henrico County, west of U.S. Route 1 and north of Interstate 295.) The analysis also indicated that HCPS enrollment projections support the need for a middle school expansion. The proposal was discussed publicly today for the first time as part of the school system’s annual “Capital Improvement” planning process.

What does this mean? This means the scope of the ongoing redistricting project is expanding to include the newly proposed elementary school and middle school addition. Redistricting committee members will now be asked to populate a new elementary school in the Fairfield District as well as a larger middle school (once the school is selected). This would relieve overcrowding in certain, smaller areas and could reduce the need to change school attendance zones in other areas. It also means that some school boundary changes could be delayed until the 2022-23 school year, or phased-in over two years, starting in 2021-22. This way, no family is “redistricted” more than once.

Will my student be going to a different school in 2021 or 2022? As always, right now the answer is “maybe.” It depends on the outcome of the redistricting process, which will not be complete until May of next year. However, today’s announcement alters the process and expands the committee’s work to include placing students in new buildings that were not previously considered. Please understand that nothing has been finalized.

If my attendance zone is affected by redistricting, would certain students be allowed to stay at their current school? Today the School Board determined that students entering grades 5, 8, 11 and 12 at the time a new boundary takes effect would be “grandfathered” and have the option to stay at their current school. Families who accept this option would have to provide their own transportation to and from school. However, no redistricting plans have been finalized at this time.

Before today’s announcement, what else took place? The elementary school committee met on Monday and the middle/high school committee met on Wednesday. Committee members worked with our redistricting consultant to continue developing a range of options. The committee’s work remains ongoing and will have to change based on today’s announcements. Redistricting committee members were informed of these new developments earlier today.

What’s next for redistricting? There will still be two public information sessions and “gallery walks” where we invite you to receive an update on the redistricting process and look at different options. Those dates are:

Nov. 7, 2019: Public information session and gallery walk. 6:30 p.m., L. Douglas Wilder Middle School, 6900 Wilkinson Road.

Nov. 13, 2019: Public information session and gallery walk. 6:30 p.m., Mills E. Godwin High School, 2102 Pump Road.

Even though the work is ongoing and nothing is final, all of the committee materials are made public on our website. To view or download this material, visit our redistricting page and scroll down to the meeting dates of Oct. 21 and Oct. 23. All map materials remain in “draft” form, which means additional changes will happen.

Until then, how do I share my thoughts with the redistricting committees? To send us your questions and comments, please use the feedback form on this page

There will be no final decisions until May 2020.

Past Community Updates: September 2019 – February 2020

Community Update: Feb. 27, 2020

Community Update: Feb. 14, 2020

Community Update: Feb. 7, 2020

Community Update: Jan. 29, 2020

Community Update: Dec. 19, 2019

Community Update: Nov. 26, 2019

Community Update: Oct. 24, 2019

Community Update: Oct. 10, 2019

Community Update: Sept. 26, 2019