Dunbar Schoolyard Opens to Lynchburg Community

The first completed phase of the $1.5 million Dunbar Middle School schoolyard project opened to the public Saturday.

Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Secondary Education

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of an open wrought-iron gate in a low brick wall, with a gravel walkway leading toward soft hedges. — Dunbar Middle School opened its schoolyard gates to the Lynchburg community Saturday, the first completed phase of a $1.5 million project tied to the Diamond Hill Neighborhood Plan. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should your city spend public money on neighborhood parks and schoolyards?

Gates at Dunbar Middle School opened Saturday to the community as the first completed phase of a $1.5 million schoolyard project. The space is part of the Diamond Hill Neighborhood Plan, which began in 2024.

Why it matters

The schoolyard is designed to give nearby residents a place to gather when classes are out. New walkways connect the space to surrounding neighborhoods in Diamond Hill.

Each of the three phases costs about $500,000 within the $1.5 million total budget. The fence was reduced from twice its previous height during the first phase.

The players

Dunbar Middle School

A Lynchburg public middle school whose campus now hosts the community schoolyard project.

Robert Goins

A 1969 Dunbar graduate whose connection to the school is noted in coverage of the project.

The details

Dunbar Middle School cleared overgrown vegetation and lowered the fence, and built new walkways linking the schoolyard to nearby neighborhoods. Phase two will add an amphitheater, an overlook, and expanded tennis courts, with completion expected this winter.

2024: The Diamond Hill Neighborhood Plan began.
1969: Robert Goins graduated from Dunbar.
Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026: The first completed phase opened to the community.
Winter 2026-27: Phase two is expected to be completed.

Season Trajectory

The schoolyard opening is an early visible result of the Diamond Hill Neighborhood Plan, which began in 2024 and is now producing physical improvements in the neighborhood. Phase two and a third design phase are expected to follow in quick succession.

Lynchburg residents in Diamond Hill now have a neighborhood space to gather outdoors when school is not in session. The new walkways make the schoolyard easier to reach on foot from surrounding streets.

The takeaway

Community schoolyards can serve as neighborhood gathering places beyond the school day, and phased construction lets residents use finished sections while others are still underway.

What happens next

Phase two of the schoolyard project, which adds an amphitheater, overlook, and expanded tennis courts, is expected to be completed this winter, with a third design phase to follow shortly after.