Three counties opened, or are about to open, brand-new elementary school buildings this year, and it’s worth knowing where they sit if a real, current-year school building matters to how you house-hunt. This isn’t a ranking of school quality – a new building doesn’t automatically mean better teaching. It’s a straightforward list of which zones just got (or are about to get) new construction, sourced directly from each school division, not from a portal’s estimate.
| School | County / Area | Status | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Creek Elementary | Chesterfield (Moseley area) | Opened Jul 30, 2026 | 1,000 students |
| Bensley Elementary | Chesterfield (Bensley) | Opened Aug 24, 2026 | 1,000 students (up from 861) |
| R.C. Longan Elementary | Henrico (far west, near Short Pump/Glen Allen) | Opened late Aug 2026 | 750 students |
| Jackson Davis Elementary | Henrico (Near West End) | Moves in November 2026 | Not yet published |
| Battlefield Park Elementary | Hanover (Mechanicsville) | Ribbon cut Aug 18, 2026 | Not yet published |
Moseley Area, Chesterfield: Deep Creek Elementary
Deep Creek Elementary is Chesterfield’s 41st elementary school, a 115,000-square-foot building that opened for the 2026-27 year as a “reliever” school, according to Chesterfield County’s own announcement and the school’s official page. Its zone pulls students out of parts of the Grange Hall, Moseley and Woolridge elementary zones rather than replacing any one of them outright, so confirm the exact zone line for any specific address before assuming it applies.
Bensley, Chesterfield
Bensley Elementary’s new two-story building, also 115,000 square feet, replaced the old school on the same site and raised capacity from 861 to 1,000 students, per the same Chesterfield news release. This is an established, mostly built-out area along Route 1 – it’s a fit for buyers who want an older, closer-in Chesterfield location and a new school, not for anyone chasing new-construction homes to go with the new school.
Far Western Henrico, Near Short Pump and Glen Allen
R.C. Longan Elementary’s new two-story replacement building opened to students in late August, per Henrico Schools’ own announcement, adding roughly 250 seats over the 1960s original on the same Mapleview Avenue site. The zone sits between the Short Pump and Glen Allen retail corridors, so buyers targeting either of those areas should ask specifically whether an address falls in the Longan zone.
Near West End, Henrico
Jackson Davis Elementary hasn’t moved into its new building yet – Henrico’s own principal’s welcome message says staff and students are “launching into a new chapter” and expect to move in this November. If a new building specifically (not just a new zone) is the draw, this one is a few months out, not a done deal.
Mechanicsville, Hanover
Battlefield Park Elementary’s replacement building had its ribbon cutting on August 18, 2026, part of a wave of Hanover school construction that also includes new Beaverdam and Washington-Henry buildings, according to Hanover County Public Schools’ own project page. This is a fit for buyers who want more land and a slower pace than the closer-in counties; it’s the wrong pick if a short commute into the city matters more than acreage.
A new building is a real, checkable fact – it is not a promise about test scores, teacher quality or how a specific classroom will run. Always verify the zone for an exact address with the school division directly, since attendance boundaries shift almost every year as these projects come online.
This list overlaps with two things we’ve already covered: several of these zones fall inside the newer subdivisions in our roundup of the region’s newest housing stock, and a new school building is exactly the kind of thing families ask us about when we write about the best neighborhoods for families with toddlers. You can browse what’s actually for sale in any of these five zones on our new construction listings page.
House-hunting around one of these five zones? Tell us the school building that matters to you and we’ll set up a saved search covering the right streets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What actually counts as a “new school building” here?
Only schools with a genuinely new or fully rebuilt building opening in 2026, confirmed directly on each school division’s own website – not a renovation, not a redistricting, and not a school that simply has a new principal or program.
Which neighborhoods are zoned for Chesterfield’s two newest elementary schools?
Deep Creek Elementary’s zone pulls from parts of the Grange Hall, Moseley and Woolridge elementary zones. Bensley Elementary’s zone is largely unchanged from the old Bensley school, just with more capacity.
Is Jackson Davis Elementary’s new building open yet?
Not as of this post. Henrico’s own principal’s message says staff and students plan to move into the new building in November 2026; until then, classes continue in the existing building.
Does a brand-new school building raise nearby home values?
We haven’t seen published, Richmond-specific data isolating that effect, and a new building alone doesn’t guarantee better outcomes for students. Treat it as one factor among several, not a reason by itself to pay more for a house.
How do I confirm which school a specific address is zoned for?
Contact the school division directly – Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover each maintain their own boundary lookup tools, and boundaries are actively shifting this year as these new buildings open.
Are more new schools coming to the Richmond area soon?
Yes. Hanover has two more replacement buildings underway (Beaverdam and Washington-Henry elementary schools), and Chesterfield and Henrico both have additional capital projects in earlier stages. We’ll update this list as more open.
