Following the catastrophic floods of 2016, which devastated the Richwood community and rendered Richwood Middle School and Richwood High School beyond repair, Nicholas County Schools developed a comprehensive plan to rebuild. With funding support from FEMA, both schools were reconstructed in the new academic complex within Richwood.

The existing 41,207 SF Cherry River Elementary School was renovated, and a 62,000 SF addition was built to accommodate a total design enrollment of 634 K–12 students. The project was carefully phased to ensure that Cherry River Elementary could remain operational throughout construction.

The redesigned site features separate entrances for the elementary, middle, and high schools, allowing each to maintain their own identity while benefiting from spatial efficiency through shared facilities. The building’s design supports community engagement by enabling after-hours use of the dining room, auditorium, band room, and gymnasium, while maintaining secure access control to academic areas. The new home for the Little Jacks and the Lumberjacks features a thermally improved exterior envelope for the existing building, aligning its performance with that of the newly constructed, energy-efficient additions.