Early site work is ongoing at the future Richmond High School for the Arts — formerly known as George Wythe — which will rise next to the current school building on Crutchfield Street.

RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras and Chief Operating Officer Dana Fox led a construction site visit this week. In front of the massive new storm and sanitary pipes being installed under what will be the new bus loop, they expressed excitement for the upcoming building.

Dana Fox points to ongoing pipe installation where the new bus loop will be installed. | Photo by RICtoday

Construction so far has come in under budget according to Fox. Weather permitting, the first phase will be complete in January. When that's done, the district will accept bids for vertical construction to present to the school board, ideally at its second meeting that month.

Once the new building opens for students — the target is 2026 — the old school will be demolished. New athletic fields will be built on that site, set to open in 2027.

Renderings show what the future RHSA — formerly George Wythe — will look like upon completion. | Rendering via Richmond Public Schools

RPS conducted community engagement sessions to determine several facets of the new school, from design elements to curriculum and programming.

Kamras said the arts concentration could encompass not just traditional arts — think visual arts, music, drama, dance — but also programming like podcasting, digital video, and graphic design. He also indicated that the school will be open for neighborhood enrollment as well as some specialty exploration.

The new RHSA has been a long time coming, but Kamras also referenced issues faced by other schools in the district. He speculated that there are "another 30 or so buildings" that could use the same treatment.