Chesterfield leaders break ground on new middle school

CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WWBT) - On Wednesday morning, Chesterfield school and county leaders broke ground on a new middle school.

The three-story building, which will be located on 105 acres of land next to Westerleigh Parkway, will be built for 1,800 middle school students.

The school division said the building will position sixth, seventh and eighth graders on separate floors. School leaders said in each “grade house,” there will be 19 classrooms, five science labs, conference rooms, teacher workrooms, and offices.

Kevin Carroll, who represents the Matoaca District as part of the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors, said the new school will have the capacity for 1,800 students, which he said will help with overcrowding.

“This school, as spoken to, will expand our capacity in this area by 1,800 students, which will provide a tremendously needed relief for the Tomahawk Creek Middle School, which is at or above capacity,” said Carroll during the groundbreaking ceremony.

“The growth is enormous in our county and this is going to help us with overcrowding in our schools, which will help us to have a stronger learning environment for all of our middle schools across the district,” said Chesterfield County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Merv Daugherty.

This will mark the 13th middle school for Chesterfield County Public Schools. While the school has been referred to as West Area Middle School, the permanent name will be chosen before the school opens for students in August 2025.

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