1 of 2
A rendering shows conceptual plans for J.R. Tucker High School. (Image courtesy Henrico County Public Schools)
2 of 2
A rendering shows conceptual plans for Highland Springs High School. (Image courtesy Henrico County Public Schools)
Students attending J.R. Tucker and Highland Springs high schools this year will have a chance to watch new buildings take shape.
The Henrico County Board of Supervisors approved plans on June 25 for the two schools on opposite ends of the county, clearing the way for construction to start in September. Both of the schools will be constructed near the existing buildings, and both will be similar in appearance to Glen Allen High School, which opened in 2010. The cost for each of the 265,101-square-foot buildings is estimated at $95 million, with most of the funds coming from the 2016 bond referendum and Henrico’s meals tax. Plans also include new field houses, concession stands and athletic fields with synthetic turf.
After the projected opening of the new schools in the fall of 2021, the 1962 Tucker building will be demolished, while the 1952 Highland Springs building, renovated in 2008, will be repurposed.
“We are very much in need of attention, and I think the decision to build a new school is a good one,” Cari DuVal, president of the Tucker Parent Teacher Student Organization for the 2018-19 academic year, says via email, noting that parents were able to offer input on the plans.
“It is exciting times for J.R. Tucker High School.”