Consolidated John M. Gandy and Henry Clay Elementary School

Hanover County Public Schools is proud to be constructing an elementary school — a consolidation of Henry Clay and John M. Gandy elementary schools — that is set to open for the 2024-25 school year!

The school building, located on the current John M. Gandy site in Ashland, will be the first constructed in Hanover County since Laurel Meadow Elementary School opened in 2008.

Bringing Two Schools Together

Henry Clay Elementary (HCES) currently serves students in pre-K through second grade, with students then attending John M. Gandy Elementary (JGES) for third through fifth grades. The two schools have a longstanding partnership and are bonded together through a “house” system that instills important character traits such as innovation, empathy, and respect in students.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to build a new, student-centered facility that will unite two schools while honoring the storied histories of both and embracing the bright future that it will create for generations to come,” said Dr. Michael Gill, Superintendent of Schools. “The new school will be one the entire community can be proud of. We will involve our students, families, staff, and the broader community throughout this process as we chart the school’s promising path forward together.”

Timeline To Date

• February 2018: As part of its annual budget process, the Hanover County School Board approved its Capital Improvement Plan, which included funding for the replacement of a to-be-determined elementary school.
• May 2018: At a School Board work session, board members learned through the results of a study requested by the board that Henry Clay Elementary is one of three schools in the county that is in need of replacing.
• September 2018: After touring the three schools identified in the independent study, the School Board announced its desire to consolidate HCES and JGES as a first step in the long-term capital planning process.
• November 2018: The School Board held a community information session on the consolidation.
• May 2021: HCPS announces that Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, a Charlottesville-based architectural firm, will lead the design of the new school.
• June 2021: HCPS and Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates host eight interactive meetings for students, faculty, staff, and the broader community to provide input on the design of the consolidated school.
• September 2021: At its fall retreat, the School Board receives an architectural update from Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates.
• December 2021: The School Board receives an update during its monthly meeting on the design of the new school, including preliminary renderings.
• February 2022: The Ashland Planning Commission unanimously approves the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the new school after receiving an update from Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates.
• March 2022: The Ashland Town Council unanimously approves the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the new school following a public hearing and a presentation from Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates.
• March 2022: Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates presents an update to the School Board during a work session.
• May 2022: Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates presents an update to the Board of Supervisors.
• July 2022: The School Board receives an update on the design of the school, including the finalized renderings of both the inside and outside of the new school. 
• December 2022: Southwood Builders, an Ashland-based construction company, awarded contract as the general contractor for the project.
• December 2022: Groundbreaking ceremony held on the school site.
• January 2023: Construction begins as all permits finalized, site cleared, and fencing installed around the perimeter of the construction site.
• February 2023: Preliminary design work begins for underground power installation, site work continues, and all debris is removed from the construction site.
• March 2023: The School Board appoints the 2023 Elementary School Naming Committee in accordance with School Board Policy 4-3.8 and welcomes public input on the name of the school.

Design

At the July 12, 2022 School Board meeting, Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates updated the Board on the design of the school, including the finalized renderings of both the inside and outside of the new school as well as the site plan. This document contains the renderings and site plan.

Contact

If you have any questions about the construction of the new school, please contact [email protected].