Chesterfield County (Virginia) district breaks ground on its 13th middle school

The Chesterfield County (Virginia) district has broken ground on what will be its 13th middle school.

The district says the three-story school, which has not yet been named, will be built in the Matoaca section of the county. It will accommodate 1,800 students in grades six, seven and eight and is projected to open in 2025.

Each grade will be housed on separate floors of the 254,084-square-foot facility.

Each “grade house” will have 19 regular classrooms and five science labs, as well as dispersed conference rooms, teacher workrooms and offices. In addition to the grade houses, an exploratory wing offers electives in such courses as art, world language, technology/fabrication, business and family and consumer science.

The school’s main entrance will have a security vestibule flanked by administrative offices and the counseling department.

The school also will have a 1,000-seat auditorium, 650-student capacity cafeteria, 1,200-seat gym with adjacent locker rooms and an auxiliary gym. A music suite next to the auditorium includes spaces for band, chorus, orchestra and drama.

Athletic facilities will include an eight-lane running track around a soccer field, two play fields, two softball fields and tennis and basketball courts. The site will also include parking, drop-off areas and roadwork.

Virginia Public School Authority bonds are the main source of funds for the school, which is expected to cost almost $100 million. The remainder of construction dollars are coming from other local sources.