Henrico County Public Schools is deciding whether to adjust the boundaries for several schools in its division. The school system is hosting several public sessions for parents to offer feedback on the proposed changes.
Seven redistricting options across high, middle and elementary schools could impact up to 16 schools.
The proposed boundary adjustments could move students from Jackson Davis Elementary, Ruby F. Carver Elementary, Quioccasin Middle, Hungary Creek Middle, Douglas Freeman High, Henrico High and J.R. Tucker High.
Students from those schools could be zoned into schools like Ridge Elementary, Three Chopt Elementary, Maybeury Elementary, Tuckahoe Middle, Pocahontas Middle, Holman Middle, Mills Godwin, Hermitage High and Highland Springs High.
Specifics of all the scenarios are available on the Henrico County Public Schools website.
HCPS has scheduled three town halls for parents to respond to the proposals. The first is Thursday from 7-9 p.m. at J.R. Tucker High School. The others are at Highland Springs High on Sept. 30 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and the ACE Center at Hermitage on Oct. 7 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
“We recognize there are nuances and challenges with each scenario and that these proposals involve significant change for some schools and students,” Superintendent Amy Cashwell said. “I want to note that should any board action result in changes, the division would prioritize in assisting in smooth transitions for any impacted students and families.”
HCPS estimates that its student population of 50,394 will grow by about 1.9% between 2024 and 2028. New boundaries are meant to accommodate that growth while shifting students from overcrowded schools to emptier ones and schools that are being built or renovated.
Freeman High School is at 104% of its functional capacity for the 2024-25 school year. One proposed boundary adjustment would send around 129 students from that high school to Mills Godwin, bringing Freeman’s capacity down to 97% of its maximum.
Alicia Atkins, the school board representative for Varina, said boundary adjustments are not only about class sizes, but allocating resources to students in an equitable way.
“It’s about staffing, programs, environment, and all of those things that make these schools unique,” Atkins said. “It’s about measuring outcomes. The ones that are invisible, the ones that are tangible, while navigating state and federal mandates that, in my opinion, too often disrupt progress and undermine trust and reduce our children to test scores.”
All decisions are preliminary, and no final decision has yet been made. Students in grades 5, 8, 11 and 12 have traditionally been given the option to remain at their current schools once redistricting takes effect.
In addition to overall enrollment, specialty programs at each school could impact the space that’s available.
A new cybersecurity specialty center will open at Henrico High next year, with 150 seats by fall 2027. New ACE programming is projected to grow to 1,230 seats by fall 2027. Quioccasin Middle will open its new Center for Innovation in fall 2026. A dual-language program will come to Moody in fall 2027, open only to students zoned for Elizabeth Holladay Elementary.
HCPS is also rebalancing its IB middle years program as seats shift from Moody to Tuckahoe Elementary.
A campus rebuild for Jackson Davis Elementary is expected to add nearly 250 seats by the 2026-27 school year, balancing capacity with the nearby Ridge Elementary. R.C. Longan Elementary is also adding 250 seats that same year, while adding pre-Kindergarten classes.
Quioccasin is in the process of rebuilding, with approximately 100 more seats, 150 of which will be at the Center for Innovation.
The school board expects to review community input from the upcoming town halls in late October and discuss any adjustments in November. The board is expected to make a final decision on December 18.