The School Board on Tuesday approved a capital improvement priority list that includes replacing Drew Middle School and Hartwood Elementary School.
With yesterday’s groundbreaking on elementary school #19, the Stafford County school division has three school construction projects underway—but the Board hopes to open two more in 2028 and another two in 2030 to continue addressing overcrowding and aging infrastructure.
The Board on Tuesday approved a capital improvement priority list for fiscal years 2026 through 2035 that prioritizes replacements for Drew Middle and Hartwood Elementary, both to be completed in 2028.
The Drew School replacement is estimated to cost $113 million and will add 450 middle school seats, while the Hartwood replacement is estimated to cost $72.8 million and will add 421 elementary seats, according to the approved list.
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The Hartwood replacement will be built in Westlake, according to the list, while the site for the Drew replacement is yet to be determined.
Following these two projects on the priority list is the replacement of the Rising Star early childhood education center, which is estimated to cost $90.9 million and which the Board plans to put on the site of the current Drew Middle School.
The Board hopes to open the new Rising Star along with elementary school #20—which will be built in Embrey Mill and will cost $80 million—in 2030.
In addition to the capital improvement priority list, the School Board approved a list of “3R”—or repair, replacement, and renovation—projects for fiscal years 2026 to 2035.
The projects slated for next fiscal year include replacing mechanical systems at Stafford Middle School, replacing the roof at Mountain View High School, replacing the fire alarm at Brooke Point High School, and repairing the pavement at North Stafford High School.
In total, the 3R projects identified for 2026 total $17 million. Projects identified for the following fiscal year are estimated to cost $19.2 million and those the year after that $21.2 million.
“This is a small list of what we need to fund over the next few years,” Hartwood district representative Alyssa Halstead said. “This is where it starts. This is how you begin to understand why the budget requests get more each year.”
The capital improvement priority list and the 3R list will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors, and Halstead said “nobody should look surprised” when the School Board requests funding for these projects during the upcoming budget season.
Members of both boards attended Tuesday’s groundbreaking for elementary school #19, which is being built on the campus of Brooke Point High School, according to a press release from the school division. Students, community members, representatives from the Sheriff’s Office, and from the design and construction firms were also present.
The new school is set to open in August 2026 along with elementary school #18 and high school #6.
“This new school represents our commitment to meeting the urgent needs of our growing community, providing a space where our youngest learners will thrive and grow,” said Maya Guy, Aquia representative and vice-chair of the School Board, in the press release. “I look forward to the day when its halls are filled with students ready to embark on their educational journey.”
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