Henrico School Board to vote on timeline for new school buildings, replacement building for Quioccasin Middle

The Henrico County School Board will vote on a timeline for constructing new school buildings throughout the county and on a $6 million contract to redesign Quioccasin Middle School at its meeting this Thursday.

At Thursday’s 1 p.m. work session, the school board will review the timeline for the construction projects of new school buildings laid out by the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Capital Improvement Plan. The board will vote on the plan, along with a construction contract for Quioccasin Middle, at its 6:30 p.m. monthly meeting later that evening.

The FY 2024-2025 Capital Improvement Plan designates five schools to be rebuilt or renovated and two new schools to be built from 2023 to 2029, using funding from the county’s 2022 bond referendum:

2023-2024 completion:

• Rebuild of Longan Elementary School
• Rebuild of Davis Elementary School
• Construction of a new environmental building at Wilton Farm

2024-2025 completion:

• Rebuild of Quioccasin Middle School

2025-2026 completion:

• Renovation of Johnson Elementary School

2026-2027 completion:

• Construction of a new elementary school in Fairfield area

2027-2028 completion:

• Rebuild of Highland Springs Elementary School

2028-2029 completion:

• Construction of a new elementary school in West End area

Three Chopt District school board member Micky Ogburn, however, said at the board’s Oct. 26 meeting that she had concerns about the construction of a new West End elementary school being pushed back until the 2028-2029 school year, noting that elementary schools in the West End already are overcrowded.

The Capital Improvement Plan also includes a timeline for more long-term projects, designating 17 schools to be renovated or rebuilt from 2029 to 2034. Henrico Schools has not yet identified a funding source for these projects.

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The school board will also review data related to HCPS’ Destination 2025 Strategic Plan. The data shows a steady increase in student enrollment in Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment classes since 2018. Enrollment in advanced coursework has also increased since 2018 for underrepresented student groups including Black and Latino students, students with disabilities, English learners, and economically disadvantaged students.

The board will review changes to the 2024-2025 HCPS Planning Guide at the work session, and vote on these changes at the monthly meeting. These changes include adding new accommodations to the Advanced Studies Diploma to provide alternatives to students with disabilities, approved by the Virginia Board of Education, and adding new courses for a number of HCPS’ specialty centers:

Advanced Career Education Centers:

• Baking and Pastry Specialization
• Teacher Apprenticeship I
• Teacher Apprenticeship II
• Physical/Occupational Therapy I
• Firefighting I
• Firefighting II

Center for Allied Health & Human Services:

• Medical Terminology Honors

Center for the Arts:

• Dance Ensemble Honors

Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainability:

• Environmental Physics Honors

The planning guide will also add new courses for middle school and high school students:

Middle School

English/Language Arts:

• Literacy Foundations

High School

Science:

• Earth Science II: Astronomy

Social Studies:

• AP African American Studies

Career & Technical Education:

• Geospatial Technology II Honors
• Unmanned Aircraft Systems

World Language:

• American Sign Language II

General Electives:

• Foundations of Thinking Like a Lawyer

The board also will review annual student membership data at the work session, which has shown a slight decrease from 48,977 students in 2022 to 48,949 students in 2023. From 2014 to 2023, the Asian and Latino student populations grew by 44% and 60% respectively, and the English learner population grew by 84%. Henrico Schools has also decreased its pupil teacher ratio from 21.4 in 2014 to 18.4 in 2023.

In addition, school board members will review budget updates for FY 2024, including an additional $25.6 million in state funding – $17.49 million of which must go towards the ALL In VA initiative – and an additional $5.68 million from the Henrico Board of Supervisors, most of which will go towards safety and security measures. HCPS will request an additional $17 million from the Board of Supervisors as a part of their December budget amendments.

At the monthly meeting, the board will vote on the Capital Improvement Plan, the HCPS Planning Guide, and Quioccasin Middle’s new construction contract. The board will also hold a public forum to hear from members of the public.

The school board will next convene on Dec. 14 for a 1 p.m. work session, a 5:30 p.m. public input session on the 2024-2025 Annual Financial Plan, and a 6:30 p.m. monthly meeting.

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Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s Report for America Corps member and education reporter. Her position is dependent upon reader support; make a tax-deductible contribution to the Citizen through RFA here.