A High School for Enon

Anyone who has lived in Chesterfield long knows that those of us who live south of Hull Street Road - in the oldest parts of the County - are always at the end of the line for new amenities.

If there's only enough money for one new high school, it goes to build a new Clover Hill, not to take the pressure off Thomas Dale. If someone has to wait in line for adequate library facilities, it's Enon. It's an old tale, but at this juncture, it might finally be our turn.

Thomas Dale is crammed to the bursting point, and with the flood of new residents which will inevitably accompany the expansion of Fort Lee, the need for an additional high school in southeastern Chesterfield is manifest. The County has its eyes on a school located near the new Branner Station development - to open in 2015. That's about five years too late - and completely useless to Enon.

Already, Enon is becoming more and more an island - cut off from the rest of the County by both the morning and afternoon rush hours. What was once an easy drive is now a hellish commute, and this will only get worse as Enon's population grows.

What Enon needs is not a high school on the far side of Chester, six years from now. Enon needs its own high school, now.

Moreover, Enon needs a high school built to a human scale - not one of Chesterfield's super-sized monster schools. The research is overwhelming that the right size for a comprehensive high school is one which serves 1000 students. And that's exactly what Enon needs: A 1000-student school with a compact footprint - set on perhaps 30 - 35 acres of land.

And there's a way to do that quickly, while saving money for all concerned.

In coming weeks, I intend to set forth a plan for a new Enon high school which would not only be right-sized, but which could serve as a laboratory for Chesterfield in redesigning schools to serve students - rather than the administrative convenience of the Central Office and the financial interests of the big developers.

Please feel free to offer your feedback as this vision unfolds. And don't forget to pass the link to this blog along to those who miss my column in the Village News.