Families across Richmond could see big changes down the line to their neighborhood schools as the city’s public school district begins developing a decade-long plan to reshape and modernize its buildings.

At last week’s School Board meeting, Richmond Public Schools leaders said a 10-year facilities master plan is long overdue as the city grows, enrollment shifts and aging facilities struggle to keep up with modern learning needs. 

At the same time, Richmond City is experiencing pockets of new housing developments that could shift where students live. One of the plan’s main goals is to align with the citywide Richmond 300 plan, which runs through 2037. 

Recent reporting has underscored why a facilities plan is more than just about planning — it’s also a health and equity issue. A 2024 VPM News investigation found widespread mold and moisture problems across at least half of RPS buildings. In addition, according to data obtained by VPM News, at least half of RPS schools do not have modern built-in fire suppression systems. 

RPS said its immediate facilities repair needs for 2025 were $36 million, including $18 million for roofing and just over $1 million for electrical needs. The district’s capital improvement budget, which funds repairs for major maintenance issues, is about $2.5 million a year — a fraction of what is needed. 

During their Nov. 10 work session, district officials laid out the framework that will guide which schools get renovated, expanded or rebuilt in the next decade. 

At the center of this plan is engaging the community for feedback — and making it aware of the district’s constraints. 

“What we have seen in other school systems across the country is these sorts of community-involved processes are most successful when you start by helping the community understand the sandbox that we have to play in,” Patrick Herrel, RPS’ chief operating officer, said to board members. 

The planning process will roll out in four phases over the next two years. Herrel said the first phase will begin this winter by expanding community knowledge about the district’s capital improvement plan budget, which funds school improvements. 

The next phases will include a full analysis of enrollment trends and building condition assessments, culminating in the creation of three long-term project options. 

“For each one of those phases, we would build in and structure opportunities to hear feedback from the facilities and vacant property committee, the board and the community at large,” Herrel said. 

He said that when RPS gets to phase three next summer — focused on the state of existing facilities — he would like to collect feedback from a group of experts. Those experts would help the district come up with a strategy to get outdated facilities to meet the new standard in the most efficient way. 

Herrel said the ultimate goal of this phase is to help folks understand two things: “What should we, as a city, have [as] a bar for the kind of school that every one of our students deserve, and given the underinvestment that we have received for our facilities, where do we stand and what is the best way for us to catch up to that bar, to the degree that we are able to do that.” 

Herrel said he expects to present the three long-term plan options to the School Board by next fall, so it can choose one for adoption. 

Once the master plan is approved, RPS will begin prioritizing projects based on need, cost, safety and long-term impact.