Memphis private school plans $4M renovation

By Wendy Guzmán – Memphis Business Journal

September 11, 2026

An all-girls Memphis private school is preparing for a $4 million expansion.

A permit was recently filed with the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development to renovate Hutchison School, which has a 52-acre campus at 1740 Ridgeway Road in East Memphis.

Filed by Memphis-based general contractor Grinder, Taber & Grinder, the permit lists an interior renovation of an existing school building and the construction of a new second story that is structurally detached from the exterior, as well as minor site improvements. The building permit is valued at $4.04 million. 

Hutchison told MBJ they do not have a timeline on the project yet, as the school must begin fundraising for the project. They expect to have more details later this fall on the renovation plans.

“We are excited about the prospect of enhancing our campus and modernizing original buildings,” Hutchison head of school Kristen Ring said in a statement to MBJ. “We filed the building permit early knowing the process can take a long time.”

The building area is listed as nearly 23,700 square feet, and the building height is 33 feet.

Other Memphis private schools are working on major renovations as well. Evangelical Christian School is building a $3 million athletic center, expecting completion in the spring. Woodland Presbyterian School announced a $2.2 million expansion to renovate its courtyard, build a new guard house, and expand fencing and security.

And last August, Memphis University School broke ground on its new arts and sciences building, part of the school's $200 million capital improvement and endowment investment plan.

Founded in 1902, Hutchison is a private and independent K-12 school. It has an enrollment of 790 for the 2026–2027 school year, according to its website. That was the same as its enrollment for the prior school year, according to MBJ research.