Open house was the first time Richmond Hill High School students were acquainted with their new school. Originally promised to be delivered in 2022, the pandemic pushed the date so far that the class of 2026 stopped holding their breaths to see the new school open. Those same students—now seniors—eagerly approached the arches of white and tall walls of brick. The  gleaming glass windows so promising, you wonder if it's your future reflecting back at you.

They would be followed by juniors, sophomore, and finally freshman that day, all with wide eyes and dropped jaws as they walked into the brand new, 500,000+ square foot building, more fit for a college than a high school.

The main entrance of 500 Wildcat Blvd sets the stage for what this new chapter in Richmond Hill represents. The lobby is bright and intentional, welcoming students, staff, and visitors with a forward attitude. At the same time, touches of the past are carefully preserved. Murals, plaques, and trophies remind everyone that while the building is new, the Wildcat pride has a long history.

The West campus of the school we came from, 1 Wildcat Drive, was built in 1982. At the time, it was exactly what the town needed: a single building that could serve grades 9-12 with graduating classes of less than 200 students. As enrollment grew, what became known as the East campus was added in 1994. Then came the trailers—at first a few, then many—until the campus became an awkward puzzle assembled one piece at a time. Classrooms showed their age. Teachers made it work, but the need for something more permanent became impossible to ignore.

Designed from the ground up with the future in mind, 500 Wildcat Blvd is the largest "at-build" high school in Georgia. For those of you who haven't had the chance to see it, this tour is for you.

Academic Spaces

The Learning Commons, better known as the library, might hold a wide array of literature, but that is hardly its only purpose. Conference rooms, flexible seating, chairs, tables, and screens all provide a chance for a community to foster here. During all hours of the day, high-schoolers can be found typing (or chatting) away while nestled in a chair, or hunched over a book.

With an array of clubs for academics, community service, fine arts, and personal interests, the Lecture Hall was an important additions. More intimate than the Heartwood Theatre, but larger than a classroom, the hall is always full after school with one of the many RHHS clubs.

Core academic classes are arranged in four halls: 1300, 1400, 2300, and 2400 (where the first 1,299 classes went is a mystery for Holmes and Watson). Each classroom has a display screen and two whiteboards that provide an instructional display, while lab style classrooms add the tools students use to explore the multiple fields of science RHHS offers.

Wellness and Fitness

The new cafeteria represents another leap from the old building. Lunches are centralized in one place. The ceilings are vaulted, and the space open, round tables with roaring Wildcats fill the lunch room. Every day, seven lines run students in and out with various meal options, salads, sandwiches, personal pizzas, typical school lunches, and grill options twice a week. In the mornings, iced coffees and breakfast platters flow out for students too rushed to eat at home.

However, it's not only the cafeteria that provides for the 2,800 students of RHHS; that Herculean task is also presented to the culinary arts students. The Cafe is entirely dedicated to serving the products of the elective program, providing the students with their own space to pursue talents that could morph into a career. Or, perhaps, prevent them from taking on the college rite of passage that is consuming nothing but ramen noodles and potato chips once they graduate. Either way, there's a reason culinary is one of the most competitive classes to secure a place in, and the new facilities have only enhanced students' passion about the course.

Student athletes parade into the weight room; turf covers the center of the room, which is as large as many privately-owned gyms. Machines for a variety of muscle groups line the back wall, shining with large plates and straps. Of course, the eye is truly drawn to a rock-climbing wall the hottest topic of the school for its first week open. Members from the schools many sports teams rotate in and out of the space, enhancing, training, and bonding while they form a connection with exercise that will last a lifetime.

RHHS is known for it's progress in sports, too. In conjunction with the stadium, there are two tennis courts, a softball field, a baseball field, a track field, a lacrosse field, four practice fields for any sport with a gym, a dance studio, and the arena! Inside, each place is uniquely suited and crafted for its sport, encouraging the growth of skill and the ability to host a variety of competitions for regional and state tournaments. Every student athlete can be heard buzzing about the new facilities, including the entirely new student dance team—The Claws.

Football Stadium

Over the tunnel where the Wildcats enter the field. The Jumbotron glows, flashing the 2025 motto: "Clock In, Lock In." Some students chuckle at its cheesiness, but when the lights dim and the first whistle blows, those words transform into a rallying cry. With every beat of the surround-sound speakers, the energy in Wildcat Stadium rises, carrying a sense of unity that defines Friday nights in Richmond Hill.

When the game begins, the Wildcat football team storms the field in black and gold jerseys, greeted by chants only the RHHS faithful know by heart. On the sidelines, cheerleaders keep the crowd engaged, tossing stunts high into the air as the student section roars louder with each play. Then comes the moment everyone waits for. As the ball is kicked, arcing skyward and spinning under the lights, time seems to pause before the stadium erupts!

Before kickoff, the state-recognized RHHS Marching Band, under the direction of Mr. Hendrix, takes the field for the National Anthem. And after the game, regardless of the result, the team stops just before the tunnel for the alma mater. The band plays, and the players, cheerleaders, coaches, and parents and students still in the stands sing. It's a new tradition, and every note carries beyond the stadium walls, reminding us all that it's more than a game; it's a celebration of what it means to be a Wildcat.

Innovation and Career Ready Spaces

At Richmond Hill High School, students completing a Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) pathway get hands-on experience in labs and studios that prepare them for life after graduation.

Step into one of the Engineering Labs, and you'll find projects at every stage of creation: sketches scattered across tables, 3D printers whirring and prototypes waiting to be tested. Large open spaces, or 'flex-labs,' give students the opportunity to make mistakes, learn, and figure out skills that lead them to success.

Just down the hall comes the call "Lights, Cameras, ACTION!" In the Audio, Video, Technology, and Film Studios (AVTF), cameras swivel into place, computers move fast, editing scenes, and storyboards cover the walls. From news broadcasts to short films, students see their ideas transform into finished products, gaining skills in everything from directing to editing. Each day a refresh of the daily activities are shown Wildcat Wire, a news production led by students at RHHS.

The Healthcare Lab is quieter but no less intense. Mannequins lie on hospital beds that line the room. Students move with practiced focus. In one corner, a group takes turns recording vital signs, their voices low but serious. The steady beep of a monitor punctuates the silence. This prepares them for real job-shadowing at local hospitals where students are able to spend days as med-students do, following doctors, asking questions, and finding their niche in the healthcare industry.

The Heartwood Theater is never truly quiet. On rehearsal days, the stage fills with dialogue, music and laughter. In the tech booth, students adjust cues, balancing light and sound with the timing of the performance below. The wings are full of black-clad crew, whispering into their microphones as actors glide on and off the stage, moving audiences to howl with laughter, and sob with sorrow.

Next door, the Blackbox Theater offers something different. It's experimental, flexible, and student-driven. Here, actors take risks, trying out new interpretations or staging unconventional scenes. The two spaces complement each other: the Heartwood for large-scale productions and the Blackbox for smaller creative projects that stretch imagination. Together, they create a stage for students not just to perform, but to discover their voices.

In the JROTC wing, flags line the walls, and cadets stand in formation with uniforms neatly pressed. The sound of polished shoes striking the tiles echoes through the space with rhythmic precision. The JROTC program emphasizes service, but its lessons extend far beyond military careers. Cadets take on leadership roles, mentor younger students and learn to carry themselves with confidence.

Though each lab, studio and space has its own atmosphere, where it's the buzz of machinery, the hush of a rehearsal, or the cadence of marching, they share one purpose: preparing students for what comes next.

At 500 Wildcat BLVD, these spaces don't just prepare students for the future; they let them start living it now.

Homage

Like any community, the driving force behind one that is thriving is always closely tied to the educational value it provides. This area has grown to become known as one of the pinnacle communities in the region because on the educational value it affords each student.

"This building—the design, the functionality, the unique features—were constructed as an investment in the present for our future; Future leaders, future frontline workers, future educators, future tradesmen, future soldiers, future engineers, future artists… People don't move to Richmond Hill seeking sand gnats and humidity; they move here because of the commitment and excellence towards all things education!" says Bivens Miller, Principal at RHHS.