The crowd counted down as officials brought out the obligatory big scissors, and by 1:30 p.m. Aug. 1, the new Falling Creek Middle School — the largest middle school in Central Virginia — opened for the first time.
“It’s like a breath of fresh air,” said Quincy Waller, the school’s principal. “Some teachers haven’t even seen their classrooms.”
The 238,963-square-foot school is the first three-story school building in Chesterfield, a milestone that mirrors the county’s recent growth. Chesterfield’s population grew by almost 50,000 people in the past decade, and public school enrollment is up by 8% over that period. During that same time, Henrico County enrollment was flat and Richmond’s student population shrunk by more than 10%, according to state education numbers.
“We have about 1,400 students … and this building has room for 1,800,” Waller said. “So, it provides room for growth, whereas in the past, some schools were built as new construction, and the day they opened they were already at capacity.”
The school cost $103 million, financed through Virginia Public School Authority bonds.
“It’s a huge investment we made in our community,” said Dot Heffron, chairperson of the Chesterfield County School Board. ”It was no small feat, financially.”
Chesterfield officials said the school was finished on schedule and under budget.
Workers showed off features of the new building last week: a large cafeteria, a basketball gym with machine-operated retractable bleachers and classrooms set up for technology.
The construction also included a time capsule built into a wall, scheduled to be opened in 25 years, that includes parts of the old school building.
“The original Falling Creek was an all-brick building with very few windows,” said Adrienne Blanton, the principal of L.C. Bird High School and a former Falling Creek student. “It was exciting to see the large spaces and the technology.”
The old Falling Creek building will be demolished in two years. In the meantime, it will serve as the temporary home of Bensley Elementary during construction of a new Bensley building — which is set to begin in September.
Officials hope that new facilities will improve overall morale for both teachers and students.
“My hope is that we don’t run into situations where we need trailers anymore,” Waller said. “When we talk about student-to-teacher ratio, where a kid comes in and they’re not just a number, and the teacher can build a relationship … they’ll go the extra mile.”
