Chesterfield seeks money to build school

Chesterfield County voters will get a chance this November to decide whether a school will be built in the Midlothian area to ease overcrowding at two elementary schools.

Funding for the new $30.6 million school is part of a $304 million bond package that would go toward revitalization and renovations at 10 schools as well as the new one.

The new elementary school would help alleviate overcrowding at Bettie Weaver and J.B. Watkins elementary schools.

Both schools are overcrowded and in need of relief, said Shawn M. Smith, a spokesman for Chesterfield schools.

Watkins is at 120 percent capacity. The school is using two mega-trailers that have six classrooms each. Not all of the classrooms are in use.

At Weaver, the school is at 98 percent capacity and is using five regular trailers.

The problem is only going to get worse, Smith said.

Watkins is our most overcrowded school. By 2020 it will be at 154 percent overcapacity, he said. To put that into perspective, youre talking about an additional 500 students that would need to be placed in other schools.

Watkins isnt alone. Smith said other schools in the Midlothian area are projected to be at 90 to 95 percent capacity.

Within that general area, we wont have the space to accommodate that additional projected 500 students, he said.

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Chesterfield seeks money to build school