‘I think [it] would impact his academic success’: Some Henrico parents concerned about the chance of schools rezoning

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The possibility of redrawing school boundaries in Henrico County is worrying some parents.  

The county is looking into seven scenarios of rezoning to address overcrowding, transportation challenges and future growth of the community.   

  Elementary school scenarios: 

• Jackson Davis Elementary School (with potential impacts to Ridge and Three Chopt elementary schools) 
• Ruby F. Carver Elementary School (with potential impacts to Maybeury Elementary School) 

Middle school scenarios: 

• Quioccasin Middle School (with potential impacts to Tuckahoe and Pocahontas middle schools) 
• Hungary Creek Middle School (with potential impacts to Holman Middle School) 

High school scenarios: 

• J.R. Tucker High School (with potential impacts to Hermitage and Mills Godwin high schools) 
• Douglas S. Freeman high school (with potential impacts to Godwin High School) 
• Henrico High School (with potential impacts to Hermitage and Highland Springs high schools) 

Lindsay Larkin's son Liam is a freshman at Hermitage High School, but now there’s a chance he could be moved to Henrico High School.  

“When he started high school, he joined the volleyball team immediately and started to make a lot of friends," Larkin told 8News. “He’s already grown like a huge group of friends since he’s been there for only like a month.”  

Liam was accepted into the sports medicine Advanced Career Education (ACE) program at Hermitage that would begin his junior year.  

“If the plan goes through then he would transfer to Henrico High School for his sophomore year and then come his junior year, he’d be bussed back to Hermitage for his ACE Center days," Larkin said.   

Larkin and her husband were born and raised in Henrico and went to J. R. Tucker High School. They've lived in their home on Penobscot Road since 2003. It's the home Liam has lived in.

Larkin said he's a social teen and thrives in a team environment.

Third and fourth grades for Liam happened during COVID, already making his experience unstable.    

“There’s already been disruption within his school career, and I would just really prefer for him to have some stability to stay where he is," Larkin said.   

Students in grades 5, 8, 11 and 12 typically would have had the option to stay where they are but that also hasn’t been confirmed by the county yet.   

Larkin is concerned it could have a negative impact on her son and other students.  

“I think [it] would impact his academic success, also his social health, his mental health," she said.

The school system is hosting two open houses on this topic on September 30 at Highland Springs High School and October 7 at the Hermitage ACE Center.  

The school board will make a final decision on December 18.