By Amanda Galloway
special correspondent

In 1972, Clover Hill High School first opened its doors at 13900 Hull Street Road. 

In the 38 years that followed, the green and gold Cavaliers welcomed the Chesterfield County Mathematics and Science High School to their school, became the first high school in Virginia to win three state championships in boy’s volleyball, and was named one of Newsweek’s top high schools in America. 

However, by the turn of the century, it became obvious that Clover Hill was suffering from overcrowding.  To relieve this, the new Cosby High School was opened in 2006 in western Chesterfield.

The Cavaliers now prepare for their next major milestone, as a new Clover Hill High School building will open for the 2010 – 2011 school year.

The new school, located off of Genito Road, will not only be larger, but will provide updated classrooms and better athletic fields, as well as alleviating the temperature problems associated with malfunctioning heating and cooling systems that plagued the old high school. 

“The students are excited, the faculty is excited, and I am so excited I have to check myself, because we still need to finish up this year,” Dr. Deborah Marks, Clover Hill principal said. 

The new high school will measure approximately 266,000 square feet, and is designed for 1,750 students.  The football stadium will seat 3,500, the gymnasium 2,000 and the auditorium 966.  There will be parking for 939 cars and 30 buses.

The football stadium has been dubbed the “CHiller,” and the team will enter each game through a cloud of dry ice, Marks explained.  She is optimistic that the new school will boost excitement for both athletics and academics. 

This is already evident through the number of people who have tried out for the cheerleading squad, the dance team, and to be class officers.  The number tripled from last year.  The spirit club, the Cavalier Crazies, has also seen its membership grow to over 100 members.

The school design, which differs dramatically from many of the other local high schools, will feature four different pods with a main thoroughfare, Marks explained.  This design will allow for better localization of specific subject matter.

For example, one pod will contain the career center and art classes.  Other electives such as marketing and tech classes will also be in the same region.

This way, all the photography, art classes, and supplies can be in one area, Marks said.

Other subject matter will also be isolated, as all of the humanities department will be in the second floor of the building.  The chorus, drama, and band rooms will all be ideally located near the auditorium.

The pod design will also allow Clover Hill to localize freshman from the upper classmen, in an effort to make the transition from middle school to high school easier for the younger students.  The 9th grade students will be divided into teams to assist this, Marks explained.

Although the approximately 76 million dollar project is almost completed, the school will not officially open to the public until August 1, in order to allow the complete change over to take place.

“It is also important that the new location is accessible to the community,” Marks explained.  “The community is getting a great building.” 

Although the school cannot be used during the first year by the community, at the start of the second year, Marks looks forward to welcoming use by the general public on evenings, weekends, and during the summer.