CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Everyone wants their kids to have access to the best education possible, but if a classroom has too many students and not enough space, that can be tricky.
With a total of around 64,000 students, Chesterfield County Public Schools has been battling overcrowding issues for years. On Friday, Jan. 19, the school district made a significant move towards addressing the problem with the groundbreaking of the new, larger A.M. Davis Elementary School.
Having spent the last eight years promoting the power of learning as the principal of A.M. Davis, Dr. Kenya Batts told 8News she is more than ready for the entire student body to be consolidated under one shiny new roof.
“We are in the [original] building and two additional mega trailers,” Dr. Batts said about the current state of the school. “And we have a trailer cafeteria.”
The original A.M. Davis Elementary School was built in 1964 and, according to data from Chesterfield County’s website, is currently at 139% capacity — with space for 533 students but 741 students enrolled. In addition to A.M. Davis, 14 more of Chesterfield’s 67 schools are considered over-capacity.
Taylor Moore, a third grader at the current A.M. Davis, attended the groundbreaking ceremony with her mother, Latoya Clark. To Moore, the first day of construction signifies a new beginning for her and her classmates.
“What I’m looking for at the new A.M. Davis school is not ripped up walls and a trailer cafeteria,” Moore said. “It makes me feel really happy and excited.”
Moore loves math and English and has a thirst for knowledge that her mother engrained in her young mind early on. Clark said she is just as ready as her daughter is for her and her classmates to have more space.
“Just to be able to witness and let her be one of the first in the new school is just a blessing and we’re excited,” Latoya Clark said.
Moore said she is most excited for a new playground and soccer fields, but to her it’s also about the teachers.
“My teacher wishes she can fit like a few more little tiny things in their classroom,” Moore said.
The new A.M. Davis is expected to open in August 2025 and is expected to help alleviate crowding pressure in other Chesterfield schools.
