Back to School Guide for Hanover County Public Schools

HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- 8News is your Back to School headquarters this 2025-26 school year! Here’s what students and families kicking off a new academic year at Hanover County Public Schools (HCPS) need to know.

For students in kindergarten, first grade, sixth grade and ninth grade, their first day is Monday, Aug. 18, and all students will attend school on Tuesday, Aug. 19.

Things to know and what to bring to school

The school division emphasized its commitment to academic success in the Greater Richmond Region, as well as the Commonwealth.

A spokesperson with Hanover County Public Schools said the schools share supply lists for the upcoming school year with their respective families, which can vary.

Even though the school district does not have a large-scale supply drive, an individual or group who is interested in donating supplies may contact Melissa Miller Haley, Executive Director of the Hanover Education Foundation, at mmillerhaley@hcps.us. 

According to the school district, payments toward a student's meal account and menus can be accessed via the LINQ system, and more information about school meals can be found here.

Policies, changes for students and families to know about

According to the school district, they have "substantive measures in place at every school both seen and unseen," and cannot provide detailed descriptions of their safety and security practices.

However, the schools have invested in multiple safety measures over the last several years, which include installing a new visitor management system at every school, installing vestibules to control entry into their schools and upgrading their locking systems.

Hanover County Public Schools is also advising parents and families on student device and cell phone policies.

According to a spokesperson with the school district, for the last two school years -- 2023-24 and 2024-25 -- middle and high school student devices were not collected at the end of the school year, and will continue to use their assigned device for the 2025-26 school year.

However, they said the exception applied to graduating seniors who were required to turn in their devices.

The school district also highlighted that students are prohibited from using cell phones, smart watches and headphones after the first bell at the start of the day, until the dismissal bell.

Hanover County Public Schools also has multiple staff vacancies. The school division has two classroom teacher positions, which they hope to fill by the start of the 2025-26 school year, as well as six bus driver vacancies with two candidates in training.

Four instructional aide vacancies with candidates being interviewed. There are four custodial vacancies and two school nutrition vacancies with candidates for all positions, per the school district.

The school is also undergoing some construction in various buildings after opening Ashland Elementary School for the 2024-25 school year, and in March, broke ground on two additional replacement elementary schools: Battlefield Park Elementary School on March 18 and Beaverdam Elementary School on March 24.

Both schools are set to open for the 2026-27 school year.

Meanwhile, Washington-Henry Elementary School will be replaced with a new school building, scheduled to open for the 2027-26 school year, per the school district.

Additional changes are also coming to the trade program offerings at The Hanover Center for Trades and Technology, including carpentry, electricity and HVAC. The fiscal year 2026 budget also includes an expansion of the center building -- a priority for the Hanover County Board of Supervisors.

The school division will open a veterinary science program at the Health Sciences Specialty Center, which is located at Hanover High School, and intends to serve up to 60 students.

Anything on the calendar before school starts?

The school district said they will host open houses and back-to-school nights this school year, but said information about each school's event is communicated by their principals.