Temporarily housed at Marguerite Christian Elementary School, Becky Liggitt’s fifth-grade class returned to the site of their former school Friday to participate in a groundbreaking ceremony on the future replacement for Enon Elementary School. They performed their school song before attending members of the Chesterfield
County School Board, members of the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, school and county government officials, and Enon residents.
The students were excited and honored to be attending, and they were amazed to overlook the construction project that now includes nearly 15 acres.
“I have been attending Enon since kindergarten,” said fifth-grade student Madeline Boyce. “It is sad to see it go but at least we get a new school. My granddaddy attended Enon.”
Fifth-grade student Nicolas Gochnour said, “It is an honor and a special privilege to be here.”
Bermuda School Board Representative Carrie Coyner attended Enon Elementary in the 1980s. “Located right here in the middle of the tight-knit community of Enon, this school is the consummate neighborhood school. As we heard back in 2013, generation after generation of families has attended Enon Elementary, and we’re excited that we could rebuild the school on this site to continue the tradition,” said Coyner, whose Bermuda District includes Enon Elementary. “It was important to me, as a former Enon Elementary School student, that we address the needs of this community and our teachers, but especially our students.
Everything we are doing with this project is about them: creating a safe, supportive, and nurturing learning environment and giving our students access to 21st-century educational building with all of the necessary academic components.”
She praised Superintendent James Lane for working with the community to keep the school in its vicinity.
The first school in Enon was a one-room building. It was located behind the present Enon Baptist Church. One teacher taught all six grade levels. It closed in 1926, and the students of Enon attended school in Chester. In 1938, Enon Elementary School, what would be for almost 80 years, was built. The original building housed four classrooms, two bathrooms, an office and a small room, and these classrooms and bathrooms continued to be used until the school closed in June 2016..
After five renovations and additions, a facilities assessment was performed on Enon Elementary School. The assessment found that Enon Elementary was in need of numerous repairs, and it was decided that a new replacement school would be constructed as a result of the 2013 bond referendum.
The 90,000 square-foot school will sit on two of the acres. According to Jack Clark, of RRMM Architects, the school construction is on schedule and the building will be ready to house students in January 2019.
