Richmond's first charter school finally opens full building after 15 years
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Patrick Henry is on Semmes Avenue in South Richmond. Photo: Karri Peifer/Axios
Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts officially opened its third floor last week, giving the city's only charter school full use of its building for the first time in its 15-year history.
Why it matters: With more space, one of Richmond's most in-demand schools can move some students off its waiting list — currently in the hundreds.
The big picture: The top floor of the more than century-old building was in need of major repairs and updates, including accessible bathrooms, HVAC and electrical upgrades, plus floor, window and lighting fixes, principal Tarnee Hudson told Axios.
- With those renovations complete, the school now has 10 new usable classrooms, where third-, fourth- and fifth-graders have already moved in.
- The extra space also means Patrick Henry can up its enrollment from its current 310 students to potentially 340, according to Hudson.
Stunning stat: For the 2026-27 school year, 444 students applied for Patrick Henry's 65 open seats.
- So, adding even 30 kids is significant.
Context: As a public charter school, Patrick Henry is open to all elementary-age kids in the city through an application and lottery system through RPS' open enrollment process.
Zoom out: The third-floor opening coincided with the school's 15th anniversary — and local officials, charter board members past and present, teachers and former students turned out last Friday to celebrate both.
- It was a striking moment for Patrick Henry, which opened in 2012 after a small group of South Richmond parents and neighbors fought for years to create Virginia's first charter elementary school.
- Back then, the Richmond School Board pushed back on the proposal, and some members and the then-superintendent refused to attend Patrick Henry PTA meetings, per news reports.
But that was all in the past, as the school celebrated its full building last week with a firm show of support.