The new west area middle school needs a name! Chesterfield County Public Schools broke ground in August 2023 on the district’s 13th middle school. The Chesterfield County School Board is seeking the community’s input in naming the new school. Chesterfield County residents are invited to suggest names via bit.ly/WAMSname no later than Feb. 28.
Residents are asked to keep these things in mind:
- Under School Board Policy 6160, the board has the authority to name schools and school facilities.
- The names of most schools that have opened in the past 20 years have geographic connections but not specific neighborhood names. This helps ensure all students feel connected to their school.
- Absent extraordinary circumstances, School Board Policy 6160 states that schools cannot be named after living individuals and any person for whom a school is named must have been dead at least 10 years.
At the conclusion of the submission period, the school division will work with PTA leaders at Tomahawk Creek Middle School to narrow suggestions to three names. The top choices will be announced in April, then additional public comment will be sought on these possible names. The School Board is expected to vote May 14 on the school name.
The new middle school is being built on Westerleigh Parkway in the Matoaca District. Construction is well underway, and the school is scheduled to open in August 2025. It will primarily help relieve overcrowding at Tomahawk Creek Middle. School attendance zones will be discussed in the coming months.