2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26108514D

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 261

Offered March 6, 2026

Commending Albert Hill Middle School.

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Patrons—Carr, Cousins, McQuinn, Schmidt and Willett; Senators: Bagby, Jones and VanValkenburg

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WHEREAS, Albert Hill Middle School, which has made numerous contributions to the Richmond community as an educational institution throughout its history, celebrates the 100th anniversary of the school building's construction in 2026; and

WHEREAS, Albert Hill Middle School opened in 1926 as the Richmond Normal School, a training school that prepared educators to serve students in kindergarten through seventh grade; and

WHEREAS, the Richmond Normal School's three-story yellow brick structure was designed in the Italianate style by Richmond-based architect Charles M. Robinson, who was well known for his work on public schools and campus buildings at several institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, during the Great Depression, the Richmond Normal School was repurposed as an elementary school in the early 1930s; the school reopened in 1934 as Albert Hill Junior High School, which was named for Albert H. Hill, the superintendent of Richmond Public Schools from 1919 to 1933; and

WHEREAS, in 1934, Albert Hill Junior High School served approximately 743 students in kindergarten through sixth grade and 372 students in seventh and eighth grades; and

WHEREAS, in the 1940s, Albert Hill Junior High School was known for its successful starting lineup on the boys' basketball team, known as the Albert Hill Five, and for the achievements of Frances Bagnell, who contributed greatly to the success of both the boys' and girls' basketball teams; and

WHEREAS, in 1952, Albert Hill Junior High School became the first school in Richmond to teach languages in elementary grades when it launched a French program; and

WHEREAS, from 1956 to 1957, elementary-level students at Albert Hill Junior High School were transferred to other local schools to alleviate overcrowding, and the school was renamed as Albert Hill Middle School; and

WHEREAS, in 1966, six Black students integrated Albert Hill Middle School, the beginning of the diverse student body the school enjoys today; and

WHEREAS, in 2022, Albert Hill Middle School further enhanced its academic programs through a grant from the American Theatre Wing under the Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative; and

WHEREAS, Albert Hill Middle School has had many outstanding faculty members and administrators over the years, including Roy A. West, who was elected to the Richmond City Council while serving as principal of the school, and Tashiana Ivy, an award-winning principal who helped the school achieve full accreditation; and

WHEREAS, Albert Hill Middle School has helped generations of Richmond students achieve their fullest potential, and the school's well-maintained building and landscaping are an asset to the historic character of Richmond's Museum District; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Albert Hill Middle School on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the construction of its historic building; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Albert Hill Middle School as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the school's storied history and service to the Richmond community.