Ashland Elementary School ribbon-cutting celebrating 2 schools coming together

HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — To commemorate Hanover County’s first new school since 2008, teachers, students, parents and county officials piled into the gym for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

While the bus loop and car line at the new Ashland Elementary School (AES) are almost ready, teachers have already begun moving into their classrooms and are ready for the kids to start school on Monday.

After three years of construction, the school will welcome students from Henry Clay Elementary School, which currently served students between pre-K and second grade, and John M. Gandy Elementary School, which had students between third grade and fifth grade.

The new school’s features include two art rooms, student and teacher collaboration centers and an indoor slide. Students will be rewarded with trips down the slide for their achievements.

“As our students entered this morning, just seeing the joy on their faces made it all worth it,” AES principal Kristin Haas said. “One student said to me this morning, ‘I’m so thankful for this school building,’ and that made it magic.”

Hanover County Public Schools officials don’t want to forget the history of the two old schools that came before Ashland Elementary. Bricks from the old buildings, as well as their original blueprints, are on display.

“We’re just so thankful for our partners in building this building,” Haas said. “They brought our vision to life, and I think it truly represents our school and our students.”

Another Hanover school will begin its rebuild in the next six months, and two other schools are in the beginning stages or their own remodel.

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