For the first time in Richmond County Schools history, all traditional high school students will begin and end their journey on the same campus.
This fall, ninth-grade students along with staff from the former Ninth Grade Academy will relocate to Richmond Senior High School, uniting all four grades on one campus.
This transition follows a long process that began years ago. Until 2010, junior high schools in the district housed grades seven through nine before students moved on to Richmond Senior for grades 10 through 12. When the district adopted its current structure of K–5 elementary, 6–8 middle, and a separate ninth grade academy, there was always a long-term goal for ninth graders to join the high school campus.
Principal Joyce McRae said that making the move took careful preparation.
“The district’s plan was never to keep ninth grade separate forever,” she said. “We just had to wait until we had the right spaces and the right setup to do it well.”
New health classroom at Richmond Senior.
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Preparing the campus to welcome an entire new grade level took months of planning and hands-on work. Richmond Senior High School’s footprint looks the same on the outside, but inside, nearly every corner was examined for its potential as a learning space.
Principal Joyce McRae said the process was guided by a full transition team that included representatives from every area of the district, along with school leadership.
“We looked at every part of the school,” she said. “That team considered what spaces could be put to better use and where we needed to add new ones.”
Altogether, there will be 19 new classrooms across the school. Construction has been completed on the more than 27,000-square-foot auxiliary gym, which houses six classrooms and a full-size basketball court. The gym will be used by PE classes and will also give athletic teams greater flexibility for indoor practice. Two new health and PE classrooms were also constructed just outside the football locker rooms along with a brand new, updated weight room.
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In addition to new construction, several existing spaces across the campus were repurposed to create classrooms and offices. One classroom was added upstairs in the current gym, and an office was built in the guidance suite to support student services. A storage area and nearby office in E Building were combined to create a new art classroom. Three more classrooms were added inside the media center, repurposing underused space while keeping the area accessible for student use.
Richmond Senior High School will serve nearly 1,800 students at the start of the 2025-2026 school year. While this is an increase, it’s not quite as significant as it might seem. More than 200 ninth-grade students had one or two classes at the high school last year. In addition, nearly 400 students spend part of their day off-site for dual enrollment, internships, and work-based learning.
“That’s part of why this plan works,” McRae said. “The high school experience looks different now than it did decades ago.”
Part of the planning included reviewing every aspect of the school day and considering what changes would be needed to fit the additional students comfortably into the schedule. This included moving from three lunch periods to four to ease congestion in the cafeteria. While some updates are already in place, school leaders are still finalizing a few key pieces, including adjustments to traffic flow.
“We’ve consulted with DOT and even met with traffic engineers to make sure we’re determining the best course of action for pick up and drop off,” McRae said. “There are still a few pieces we’re working through, but our goal is to make the start of the year run as smoothly as possible.”
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Assistant Principal Spencer Shaw, who has helped coordinate much of the physical move, said the transition has been a major team effort behind the scenes.
“Preparing for the move has involved a lot of logistics, but the staff at both schools did a great job getting things packed, labeled, and ready,” Shaw said. “We’ve also had a ton of support from departments across the district helping us get everything where it needs to be. We’re close to the finish line now, and we’re excited to see the students fill the halls.”
With those preparations in motion and the move well on the way, the focus has been helping students and families feel ready for the first day. One of the first events was a freshman athletic night for parents of ninth graders interested in sports — an early opportunity to help families feel more connected as they plan for the year.
Open house will be held Thursday, Aug. 21, with two separate sessions: the Raider Freshman Experience for ninth graders from 1 to 4 p,m., and a combined open house for students in grades 10 through 12 from 5 to 8 p.m. Principal McRae said the smaller gathering will give ninth-grade students time to tour the halls, find their classrooms, and get settled before their first full day at the high school.
“Having all four grades together is a big moment for our school,” McRae said. “There may be some speed bumps as we settle in, but we’re ready to work through them and make this a strong year for everyone.”
For parents and students preparing for next year, the school has posted transition updates, drop-off routes and other back-to school information on its website at rshs.richmond.k12.nc.us/EveryRaiderOneCampus. McRae encouraged families to visit the site often for updates.
