Chesterfield school board set to vote on West Ridge High School redistricting plan

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — The Chesterfield County School Board is set to vote Tuesday night on a redistricting proposal that would move students from Cosby and Midlothian High Schools to the new West Ridge High School. The meeting begins at 6 p.m.

All three options under consideration share a common goal: easing overcrowding.

"That's really one of the drivers in how we design the options and not only recognizing where the overcrowding is now but also we know there is future development. So, the reason that Cosby and Midlothian are the two primary schools that we will take students from for the new West Ridge High School is really just driven by that reality," chief operations officer Reid Wodicka said.

Following community feedback, a slight change has been made to the options. Here is a quick overview of the three proposals:

Option 1 — Magnolia Green (449), Westerleigh/Summer Lake (293), Watermill/RounTrey peninsula (343), Wynwood at FoxCreek/Foxfield (173)

Option 2 — Magnolia Green (449), Westerleigh/Summer Lake (293), RounTrey peninsula (246), Hallsley/Newmarket (282), West of Woolridge Rd (246)

Option 3 — Magnolia Green (449), Westerleigh/Summer Lake (293), Watermill/RounTrey peninsula (343), Wynwood at FoxCreek/Foxfield (173), Hallsley/Newmarket (282)

While a decision must be made and the impact is unavoidable, parents say the toll on students goes beyond numbers and maps.

"It's not fair to the kids because this is due to over building in these school zones that are already overcrowded and you're punishing the kids for this," a parent said.

"You know we are spending a ton of time talking about logistics, looking at numbers, looking at maps, but at the end of the day there are going to be kids that are going to be moved. There are kids that are uprooted from communities, friendships, relationships," a parent said.

Parents are calling on West Ridge staff to step up and make sure there is a smooth transition for students.

"So my ask is, when that happens that you put just as much energy in creating a community for them and making sure they have the support they need, that they have the opportunities, and that you go kind of that extra mile to make sure that community exists at the very beginning for them," a parent said.

Chesterfield County is also presenting a redistricting plan for elementary schools, aimed at balancing enrollment at Curtis Elementary, which is currently at 100-percent program capacity.

To lower that number, school leaders are looking to move students from Curtis to Bellwood, Wells, and Bensley Elementary Schools. These changes will impact next school year.

The school board is scheduled to vote on these changes on Nov. 10.

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