Exploring school boundary adjustments to support student learning

December 18: At its Dec.18 meeting, the School Board approved five boundary adjustment scenarios to manage enrollment. The decision follows months of reviewing data and gathering community input. 

Approved scenarios include:
• Ruby F. Carver ES (impacts Maybeury ES)
• Quioccasin MS (impacts Tuckahoe MS)
• Freeman HS (impacts Godwin HS)
• Henrico HS (impacts Hermitage HS and Highland Springs HS)
• J.R. Tucker HS (impacts Hermitage HS)

The Quioccasin MS change is effective for the 2027-28 school year. All other adjustments begin in the 2026-27 school year. Impacted students who will be in grades 5, 8, 10, 11, and 12 at the time of implementation will have the option to remain at their currently zoned school. 

Families living in neighborhoods affected by a change in school assignment will receive a separate communication with next steps, including opportunities to learn more about their new school assignment and eligibility to remain at their current school.

HCPS School Locator

The HCPS school locator search tool is now available for boundary adjustments. Enter your family's address to see if or how you are affected by proposed scenarios.

This fall, the School Board is reviewing possible adjustments to school boundaries to ensure that every student learns in a safe, welcoming and optimal school environment. With new schools scheduled to be built, capital improvements (including school expansions and rebuilding projects) underway, new academic programs planned and enrollment shifts across the county, the Board is considering changes to help HCPS prepare.

According to policy P10-08-002, “The Henrico County School Board has the authority to consolidate schools, establish attendance zones for new schools and adjust school boundaries. School consolidation, new school attendance zones, and boundary adjustments may not be changed without the Board’s approval.” 

The School Board may decide to change the attendance zone of specific neighborhoods to:

  • Make the best use of new and renovated school spaces.

  • Balance student enrollment at schools across the division.

  • Align feeder patterns from elementary to middle and high schools.

  • Reduce transportation challenges.

  • Plan for future growth in the community.

The Board wants families to understand the boundary adjustments under consideration and their effects on student enrollment at individual schools. Each scenario includes an overview, maps and charts detailing the potential changes for specific neighborhoods. 

All scenarios are preliminary and are subject to modification. Should the Board approve a scenario that significantly increases or decreases student enrollment at individual schools, school leaders will carefully review the allocation of resources and staffing to ensure that students have the necessary tools and support to be successful.

Student Enrollment 

Henrico County Public Schools serves approximately 51,000 students across 74 schools and centers. Based on assumptions about birth rates, planned residential developments, movement patterns within Virginia and trend shifts within schools, staff projections show a conservative increase of 1.9% in enrollment between 2024 and 2028.

Timeline

Sept. 11: Scenarios presented to the school board

September and October: Town hall meetings and surveys.

Oct. 9: School Board to evaluate proposals with new 2025-26 school year student enrollment counts

Oct. 23: Public hearing following monthly School Board meeting. School Board reviews community input to date. Click here to sign up to speak at the Oct. 23rd public hearing.

Nov. 13: School Board’s discussion of any planned adjustments.

Dec. 18: School Board’s final decision on redistricting scenarios.

Community Input

Your input is essential in shaping the school board’s decision. Families, staff and community members are invited to:

Enrollment and Capacity

Each year, HCPS conducts a thorough evaluation of school buildings and the ways in which spaces are used. HCPS follows the recommendations of the Virginia Department of Education, and the functional capacity of each building is determined through an analysis of each room used for educational purposes.

Additionally, official membership counts at each school are taken on Sept. 30 of each year, also in accordance with state reporting procedures. 

This chart reflects the capacity and enrollment of each HCPS school for the 2025-26 school year. 

The Virginia School Quality Profiles provide demographic information for each HCPS school. The Virginia School Quality Profile page for each school includes demographic information about the student body, accessible under the “Enrollment” tab.

Feeder Patterns

Academic Program and Specialty Center Considerations

In addition to overall enrollment numbers and neighborhood school zones, the programs offered at different schools also affect how much space is available in each building. HCPS is home to 17 specialty centers, International Baccalaureate programs and dual-language immersion programs, with more exciting offerings on the horizon:

Notes on Maps:

The affected neighborhoods listed for each scenario on this webpage and presentation slides are not comprehensive lists of subdivisions impacted. A complete list of all subdivisions affected by each scenario is available here. 

Additionally, families may now enter their address in the HCPS school locator search tool to determine if or how they are affected by proposed scenarios.

Elementary School Scenario

Middle School Scenario

High School Scenarios