Bensley Elementary celebrates renovation with community ceremony

TL;DR: Chesterfield County celebrated the opening of its newly rebuilt Bensley Elementary School on Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the completion of a $52 million facility that replaces the original 72-year-old school and nearly doubles enrollment capacity.

The story

Chesterfield County marked the opening of its newly rebuilt Bensley Elementary School on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that drew community members and school staff to celebrate the completion of a major capital project funded through the county's 2022 bond referendum.

The $52 million facility replaces the original Bensley Elementary, which first opened in 1954 and operated for 72 years. During the 2023-24 school year, the aging building was at 101.4 percent capacity. The new two-story school nearly doubles capacity from 575 to 990 students and features more than 60 classrooms, designed to accommodate enrollment growth and provide modern facilities for 21st-century education.

Principal Patrice Wilson expressed optimism about the fresh start: "All love, all support, and just excitement for our kids." She noted that students come "from backgrounds that many kids would not even imagine" and said she looked forward to witnessing "the joy on the kids' face" in their new school.

Interim Superintendent John Murray spoke to the broader significance of the project, calling the new Bensley Elementary School "symbols of the vital role public education plays in our larger community."

The ceremony included a meaningful moment when former teacher Peggy Taylor, who taught at Bensley Elementary from 1994 to 2011, reunited with Welton Williams III, one of her former students who now works as an educator at the school. The encounter underscored the deep community ties the school has maintained over its decades of service.

The new Bensley is part of a broader school construction and renovation program supported by the November 2022 bond referendum, which allocated $375 million for constructing and rebuilding schools across the county. The new building came as the existing Bensley facility was temporarily relocated during the two-year construction period. Superintendent Murray acknowledged the resilience of staff and families, stating that "it is not easy to pack up an entire school and move to a different site for two years, but Bensley is built of determined, resilient people who continue to put students at the center of their decisions."

The ribbon-cutting for Bensley Elementary followed a similar ceremony the previous week for Deep Creek Elementary, Chesterfield's newest school. Other recent projects funded through the bond include renovations at A.M. Davis Elementary School and Deep Creek Middle School, which opened the prior year. Grange Hall Elementary is scheduled to reopen in August 2029.

Key players

• John Murray: Interim Superintendent of Chesterfield County Public Schools
• Patrice Wilson: Principal of Bensley Elementary School
• Peggy Taylor: Former teacher at Bensley Elementary (1994-2011)
• Welton Williams III: Former student and current educator at Bensley Elementary

Key dates

• 2026-08-05: Bensley Elementary School ribbon-cutting ceremony
• 2029-08-01: Grange Hall Elementary scheduled to reopen

Why it matters: The new Bensley Elementary significantly expands the county's education capacity in a growing region and represents a major investment in school infrastructure for families in the Bensley community, relieving overcrowding that had exceeded building capacity.

Places

• Bensley Elementary School
• Strathmore Road
• Deep Creek Elementary School
• A.M. Davis Elementary School
• Deep Creek Middle School
• Grange Hall Elementary

Related links

• Chesterfield County Public Schools Official Site
• Bensley Elementary School News

Read the original at WRIC 8News Local →

Sources

• Chesterfield Celebrates Second Ribbon-Cutting in One Week at Bensley Elementary School
• Chesterfield Opens New Bensley Elementary School Building
• After 70 Years, Bensley Community Excited for Construction of New, Modern Elementary School