2026 Facilities Master Plan FAQ

Q: Why is the district closing or moving schools now? 

 
A: To provide high-quality programs, we must be efficient. Some schools, like Jenkins-White ES, are currently at less than 48% capacity. Operating half-empty buildings pulls money away from classrooms. By consolidating, we can ensure every school has full-time art, music, and PE teachers, as well as modern technology.  

Q: When will a final decision on school closures and consolidations be made? 

A: The Richmond County Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the Long-Range Facilities Master Plan on Monday, February 23, 2026, following multiple public hearings and community feedback opportunities. This vote was rescheduled from the original Feb. 10 deadline due to inclement weather. 

Q: When would these changes take effect if approved? 

A: If approved, changes would be effective starting at the beginning of the 2026–27 school year in August 2026. 

Q: How is the district paying for these multi-million dollar projects? 

A: The $90.5 million investment for the new Barton Chapel site ES and the Josey/Murphey site College & Career Academy is fully funded by ESPLOST VI and VII (voter-approved sales tax). This means we can build modern, safe facilities without increasing the district's debt or requiring new school construction to house moved students. 

Q: What will happen to the teachers and staff at these schools? 

A: Our staff is our greatest asset. There are no layoffs planned as part of this process. Every effort will be made to place staff members from closing or moving buildings into other positions within the Richmond County School System. Our Human Resources Department will meet with each affected employee individually to provide a smooth transition to the new assignment. 

Q: How can the community continue to provide feedback? 

A: Community members are encouraged to attend public hearings and review materials at rcboe.org/masterplan. You can also contact us directly on that website. 

Q: If Jenkins-White closes, where will my child go to school? 

A: If approved, students would attend a new school based on their home address (NPU): 

• Some students would move to A. Dorothy Hains Elementary 

• Some would move to W.S. Hornsby Elementary 

• Some would move to Lamar-Milledge Elementary 

• Some would move to Wilkinson Gardens Elementary 

Find Your School Zone Under the 2026 Proposed Master Plan

Families will be notified directly of their child’s assigned school. Students would be invited to attend an open house at their new attendance zone school in the spring of 2026. 

 

Q: Will my child’s middle or high school change, too? 

A: For some students, yes. 

• Students living in the NPU 41 neighborhood would attend: 

• A. Dorothy Hains Elementary --> Richmond Hill Middle School --> Butler High School. 

• Students in NPUs 43, 48, 87, 88, 94, and 407 would attend: 

• Wilkinson Gardens Elementary --> W.S. Hornsby Middle School --> Lucy C. Laney Comprehensive High School. 

If your child’s feeder pattern changes, the district will clearly communicate: 

• Their new middle school 

• Their new high school 

Find Your School Zone Under the 2026 Proposed Master Plan

Q: Is T.W. Josey High School closing permanently? 

A: Under the proposed plan, T.W. Josey Comprehensive High School would close as a zoned comprehensive high school at the end of the 2028–29 school year. During the 2026-27, 2027-28, and 2028-29 school years, T. W. Josey students will attend school in the current Murphey Middle building while the districtwide College & Career Academy is being built. Students and staff will remain together in the Murphey transition space for those three years. 

The Josey–Murphey campus would be repurposed into a districtwide College & Career Academy, serving students in grades 9–12 as a choice program.  

 

Q: When would the Josey/Murphey site College and Career Academy open? 

A: If the Facilities Master Plan is approved, the new College & Career Academy is anticipated to open after construction is completed, which is currently projected to take approximately three years. 

Based on current planning assumptions, the academy is expected to open for the 2029–30 school year. Final timing will depend on factors such as Board approval, design completion, permitting, and construction progress.  

Q: Will T.W. Josey students be split amongst multiple schools? 

A: If the proposed plan is approved, beginning with the 2029-30 school year, students previously zoned for the T. W. Josey attendance zone would be reassigned to the Academy of Richmond County, George P. Butler, Lucy C. Laney high school attendance zones.  

Find Your School Zone Under the 2026 Proposed Master Plan

 

Q: Will the new Josey/Murphey site College & Career Academy be named after T.W. Josey? 

A: No final naming decision has been made. 

If the plan is approved, the district will immediately form a Naming Committee made up of alumni, students, staff, and community stakeholders. This committee will lead a formal process to recommend naming options, including the potential use of the T.W. Josey name. 

The Board has stated its clear intent to honor the legacy of Dr. Thomas Walter Josey through a respectful and inclusive process. 

 

Q: Will T.W. Josey students be split amongst different schools during construction? 

A: The Board has stated its intent to prevent this. 

If the Master Plan is approved on February 23, the Board intends to introduce a formal motion that would allow the entire Josey student body and staff to remain together as one unit during the construction of the new College & Career Academy. 

This would involve a collective transition to the Murphey campus, rather than splitting students among multiple schools. 

Final implementation would be subject to Board approval. 

Q: Why is Murphey being considered as the transition site? 

A: Murphey provides the capacity compatibility needed to temporarily house the Josey students and staff while construction occurs. This option was selected after extensive analysis of: 

• Student safety and supervision 

• Transportation efficiency 

• Facility readiness 

• Academic and extracurricular continuity 

• Construction timelines and fiscal responsibility 

While this approach extends construction from two years to three years, the Board has emphasized that preserving student cohesion and stability is the priority. 

 

Q: Will class rank or valedictorian/salutatorian eligibility be affected? 

A: During the transition period, valedictorian/salutatorian eligibility would not be affected. At the completion of construction and the end of the 2028-29 school year, the T.W. Josey attendance zone would dissolve, and students would follow the same eligibility requirements for their new zoned school. 

Q: Will the Josey/Murphey site College and Career Academy include athletics?  

A: Yes. Athletics are included in the proposed College & Career Academy model. 

Specific sports offerings will be finalized closer to the academy’s opening and will depend on student interest and participation. 

 

Q: What about Josey athletics and team continuity? 

A: Athletics have been a key consideration in planning. 

The school system has evaluated: 

• Existing Josey athletic facilities, including the stadium turf, baseball facility, and competition gym 

• Georgia High School Association (GHSA) eligibility, classification, and region alignment 

• Competitive fairness for all district schools 

The intent is to allow Josey student-athletes to continue competing together during the transition period, while maintaining GHSA compliance and safety standards. 

Q: If Murphey Middle School closes, where will my child go to school? 

A: If approved, students would attend a new middle school based on their home address (Neighborhood Planning Units or NPUs): 

• Some students would move to W. S. Hornsby Middle 

• Some would move to Langford-Tutt 

• Some would move to Richmond Hill Middle 

Find Your School Zone Under the 2026 Proposed Master Plan

Families will be notified directly of their child’s assigned school. 

Q: If Murphey Middle School closes, when will students be reassigned? 

A: If approved, the current attendance zone for Murphey Middle would be dissolved at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. The new attendance zones would be effective beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. Students would be invited to attend an open house at their new attendance zone school in the spring of 2026. 

Q: What is the proposed plan for Barton Chapel Elementary School? 

A: Barton Chapel Elementary would temporarily close at the end of the 2025–26 school year. 

The existing building would be demolished, and construction of a new elementary school would begin. 

Q: If Barton Chapel Elementary closes temporarily, where will my child go to school? 

A: If approved, Barton Chapel Elementary would temporarily close at the end of the 2025–26 school year to allow for the construction of a new elementary school on the Barton Chapel site. Most Barton Chapel Elementary School students will consolidate with Glenn Hills Elementary School at the Glenn Hills Elementary School site for 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years. The consolidated Barton Chapel and Glenn Hills Elementary students and staff are projected to move into the new school in the fall of 2028, when construction is complete. 

During construction: 

• Most Barton Chapel students would attend Glenn Hills Elementary School 

• Additional classrooms (portables) would be added to support students 

• Two Pre-K classrooms would attend nearby elementary schools 

Families will be notified directly of their child’s temporary school placement.  

Find Your School Zone Under the 2026 Proposed Master Plan

Q: When will the new elementary school open? 

A: A new elementary school on the Barton-Chapel site would open in Fall 2028. 

If approved, the consolidated Barton Chapel and Glenn Hills Elementary school will move into the new elementary school on the Barton-Chapel site in Fall 2028. If the plan is approved, the district will immediately form a Naming Committee comprising alumni, students, staff, and community stakeholders. This committee will lead a formal process to recommend naming options for the new elementary school on the Barton Chapel site. 

Q: Will my child’s middle or high school change too? 

A: For most students, no. Middle and high school assignments would remain the same. 

For a small number of students, yes. Students living in the Belfair Lakes subdivision would attend: 

• Belair Elementary School --> Belair Middle School --> Westside High School 

If your child’s feeder pattern changes, the district will clearly communicate: 

• Their new middle school 

• Their new high school 

Find Your School Zone Under the 2026 Proposed Master Plan

Q: Is this change permanent? 

A: Yes. 

The closure of the current Barton Chapel Elementary School building would be permanent. A new elementary school will be built on the Barton Chapel site and will open as a replacement school housing Barton Chapel and Glenn Hills Elementary students. The new school will undergo a formal naming committee process in accordance with district policy. 

The boundary adjustment for the Belfair Lakes subdivision would be permanent. 

Q: Will Glenn Hills Elementary School close? 

A: For two years, most Barton Chapel and Glenn Hills Elementary students will consolidate on the Glenn Hills Elementary site. Once construction is complete, the consolidated student body and staff will relocate to the new elementary school on the Barton Chapel site. Once students move into the new elementary school in the fall of 2028, Glenn Hills Elementary will close.