The groundbreaking for Woolridge Elementary School was held on May 10, 1990. Because of inclement weather, this event was held in the library at Clover Hill Elementary School. Dr. John A. Cardea, School Board member, Clover Hill District, and Community Involvement Committee selected the name for the school and submitted their selection to the school Board for the final decision.

Mr. C.L. Slonaker was named Principal for the new school and Mrs. Victoria H. Brougham was selected to be the Assistant Principal. The office opened in a trailer at Clover Hill Elementary. Since the building was not ready for occupancy, the first teacher workweek was held at Clover Hill Elementary. On Aug. 31, 1990, Phase II & III were completed and with the help of many parents, PTA members, and teachers, the building was ready for orientation on Labor Day afternoon.

The school officially opened for students on Tuesday, September 4, 1990 with 378 students. On October 15, 1990, Phase I was completed (this included the kitchen, cafeteria, and gymnasium). The library opened later that year after many delays with the furniture.

The Dedication Ceremony was held on Sunday, May 5, 1991. Mrs. Nancy Gibbs (retired principal) was the main speaker for the ceremony.

The first year of school ended on June 12, 1991, with 431 students. In 1991, Woolridge Elementary School became a part of the Matoaca District.

Woolridge started the second year of school on September 3, 1991, with 612 students and ended on June 11, 1992 with 656 students.

In July 1992, Mr. Bruce C. Tetlow (formerly principal at Curtis Elementary) became the Principal at Woolridge Elementary. Woolridge opened for the third year on Sept. 8, 1992, with 791 students (and five portable classrooms) and ended on June 16, 1993, with 806 students.

Woolridge Elementary opened Sept. 7, 1993 with 671 students. This school year, the new school, Alberta Smith Elementary in the Deer Run area opened on Bailey Bridge Road. Woolridge had approximately 250 students transfer to the new school. Woolridge had three portable classrooms this year. We added an itinerant art, music, P.E. teacher, and a second guidance counselor for three days each week. A few weeks after opening, we added a fourth classroom to both fourth and fifth grades. The school year ended with 684 students.

The 1994-95 school year began on Sept. 8, 1994, with 713 students and ended June 1995 with 721 students. We only had one portable classroom this year, which was used, primarily as space for the itinerant teachers. Woolridge Elementary hosted 28 French students for three weeks in May 1995. This was the first French-American Exchange program for our school. Many of our students attended after school French classes to learn the language. This program was a big success.

The 1995-96 school year began on Sept. 5, 1995, with 755 students. As of January 19, 1996, we had an enrollment of 783 students. Woolridge is again having itinerant art, music, and P.E. teachers one day a week. We added two portable classrooms making a total of three. The Resource LD teachers used two of these classrooms. Woolridge again participated in the French-American Exchange program. Nineteen Woolridge students’ two teachers, Mr. Mick McEwen, Mrs. Sylvia Castle, and Mrs. Roni Mattera, PTA President, went to Valmondois, France, with the students in March. Woolridge families hosted 21 French students in May. Mrs. Victoria Broughman, Assistant Principal, retired in June of this year. Woolridge ended the year with 792 students.

The 1996-97 school year started on Sept. 3, 1996, with 841 students. Mrs. Patrizia Humphrey became the Assistant Principal (formerly at Alberta Smith Elementary) replacing Mrs. Broughman. We added another portable classroom this year, making a total of four. Three of our six 3rd grade classes used the portable classroom, and the itinerant teachers used the remaining one. We again participated in the French-American Exchange program and 11 of our students went to Nice, France, in March. Mrs. Barbara Schaedel and Mrs. Raye McKissick accompanied them. In May 19 French students came form Nice and were hosted by Woolridge parents for three weeks. Woolridge ended the year with 849 students. It was announced at the end of the year, that Mr. Tetlow would be transferring to Bon Air Elementary School for the 1997-98 school year, and that Mr. Bernard H. Monroe (formerly of Robious Elementary School) would become Principal at Woolridge.

In 1997-1998, Woolridge added five more portable classrooms in the bus loop, making a total of nine portable classrooms. Six of these classrooms were used by the third grade and one was used as a Resource room.

In 1998-1999, the second grade students were housed in the portable classrooms and one was used by Resource and Storage. The second graders also were in the portable classrooms during the 1999-2000 school year.

During the 2000-2001 school year, Woolridge continued its academic excellence. Our school scored tremendously well on the State mandated S.O.L.’s for the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 school years. We completed our fifth French Foreign Exchange Program and our 5th graders were acknowledged for their First Place finish in Virginia, and EIGHTH PLACE finish in the U.S. on “The knowledge Masters Open” competition. In July 2000, Mrs. Patrizia Humphrey was appointed Supervisor of Instruction K-12 in Amelia County and Mrs. Holly Richard, our Speech Therapist, became our new Assistant Principal on August 1, 2000. Dr. Billy Cannady had become our new Superintendent, replacing Dr. William Bosher who had retired and assumed new duties at Virginia Commonwealth University.

The 2001-2002 school year began with­­­­ 797 students and portable classrooms still in use. Our successes in student achievement continued to add up, as our S.O.L. scores were exemplary. We housed two highly successful summer school programs and prepared our school improvement plan. Gradually most of the portable classrooms were no longer needed. SOL scores continued to remain high between 2002-2007.

The 2006-2007 year ended with the retirement of Mr. Monroe who provided outstanding leadership for the past 10 years. Mrs. June Edwards (formally assistant principal at Grange hall Elementary) started the 2007-2008 school year as the fourth principal and first female principal of Woolridge. Mrs. Sabrina Beamon (formerly assistant principal at Enon Elementary) joined us as the new assistant principal.

2009-2010 brought Mrs. Sherri Ryan to Woolridge as the new Assistant Principal after Mrs. Beamon departed to assume a principalship in Petersburg, Virginia.

In 2012, Woolridge Elementary received the 2012 Program of the Year Award over the summer for spearheading Children’s Engineering in Chesterfield County. The school was also presented with the Program Excellence Award at ITEEA in Columbus, Ohio in March 2013.

In March of 2013, Woolridge Elementary School was presented with the Program Excellence Award at ITEEA in Columbus, Ohio. The school also received the 2013 Board of Education Excellence Award and was one of only eight Chesterfield County Schools among 151 schools statewide recognized with the 2013 Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) award for advanced learning and achievement. The VIP incentive program recognizes schools that exceed minimum state and federal accountability standards and achieve excellence goals established by the governor and the board.

Over the summer, Assistant Principal, Mrs. Sherri Ryan, departed Woolridge for central office and was replaced by Mr. James Raines, a retired CCPS principal, who served as the Interim Assistant Principal until November when we welcomed Mrs. Jacqui Mawyer from Powhatan County as our new Assistant Principal. Our school-wide theme for the 2013-2014 School year is “Full STEAM Ahead.”

During the 2014-2015 school year, Woolridge celebrated its 25th “Silver” anniversary. The school celebrated by having a family STEAM night where students children’s engineering projects were displayed, interactive workshops for family and children, food trucks and special guest speakers from those who had been a part of Woolridge in the past.

The 2016-17 school year brought us a new Principal, Mrs. Katie Matheny after the retirement of June Edwards. “Great minds” were at work throughout the year. Woolridge received the Board of Educations Excellence Award for the third year in a row.

2018-19 brought Mrs. Alicia Broughton to Woolridge as the new Assistant Principal after Mrs. Mawyer returned to Powhatan County to assume a Math Specialist position. Woolridge received the Board of Educations Excellence Award for the fifth year in a row! The teachers and staff continue to go wherever their learning could take them with the 2nd year of the theme “Oh, the Places WES Goes”.

• Fully accredited – top 3% academically

• Excellent PTA/Support/Volunteer/

• Enrichment Programs

• 2015 Governor’s Excellence Award winner

• 2016-2017 Board of Education Excellence Award

• 2014-2015 Board of Education Excellence Award

• 2015-2016 Board of Education Excellence Award

• U.S. Knowledge Masters Open winner

• 2017-2018 Board of Education Excellence Award