Chesterfield County explores boundary options for first new high school in decades

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Inside Deep Creek Middle School on Monday evening, a group of parents, teachers and school leaders gathered to discuss the first new high school to be built in Chesterfield County in 20 years and the students who will be among the first to walk its halls.

The Chesterfield County School Board is proposing three boundary options to fill the new West Ridge High School, which is set to open in August 2027 with a capacity to accommodate 2,400 students.

The school’s construction comes on the heels of booming housing growth in the western part of the county and growing concern over overcrowding at Cosby High School and Midlothian High School. Cosby is currently operating at 125% capacity, while Midlothian is at 97% capacity.

Senior Planning Administrator, Dr. Reid Wodicka, says all three proposals seek to balance enrollment and capacity utilization, reduce reliance on mobile classrooms and account for further housing growth.

"We’ve spent a lot of time thinking through what the impact on families is going to be and making sure that we are being good stewards of the taxpayers’ dollar," said Wodicka.

On Oct. 13, the Chesterfield School Board is scheduled to vote on one of three boundary proposals:

• Option One: This plan would draw students from designated neighborhoods of Magnolia Green, Westerleigh/Summer Lake, Watermill/RounTrey peninsula, and Lynwood at FoxCreek/Foxfield to yield a five-year potential enrollment at West Ridge High School of 1,824 students. The plan would reduce capacity at Cosby to 84% and Midlothian to 82%
• Option Two: This plan would draw from designated neighborhoods of Magnolia Green, Westerleigh/Summer Lake, RounTrey peninsula, Hallsley/Newmarket, and West of Woolridge Road to bring West Ridge's five-year potential enrollment to 2,125 students, further reducing capacity at Cosby to 81% and Midlothian to 70%.
• Option Three: A hybrid of the first two proposals, would draw from designated neighborhoods of Magnolia Green, Westerleigh, Summer Lake, Watermill, RounTrey peninsula, Hallsley/Newmarket, and Wynwood at Foxcreek and Foxfield. This option targets a five-year enrollment of 2,080 students at West Ridge, bringing Cosby’s capacity to 84% and Midlothian’s down to 70%

The main concern Monday night for many Chesterfield parents centered on splitting up established communities without offering waivers to students who wished to remain at their current schools. Some parents said the RounTrey peninsula neighborhood was especially impacted, as students have had to transition to different schools in the past.

“They’ve had to reestablish friends and community and get to know teachers and principals at every integral part of their school transition and it’s not fair to the kids because this is due to overbuilding in these school zones that are already overcrowded," one community member said.

Another attendee cautioned, "There’s going to be trouble, there’s going to be anxiety and you’re going to be hounded with waivers galore once this happens—the writing is on the wall."

Chesterfield School Superintendent John Murray acknowledged that transition could be difficult at first, but assured families that students will find a new home at West Ridge. In addition to easing overcrowding at Cosby and Midlothian high schools, Murray says the new high school will ease overcrowding in the Manchester and Clover Hill districts as more students will be able to attend Cosby High School once capacity is lowered.

“You know change is tough for anybody, even those who are excited about it,” Murray said. “I think it’s going to come down to the environment, the climate, and culture that the administrative team and the staff are going to build to provide the new students at West Ridge High.”

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