John Wayland Intermediate School was one of four intermediate schools in Rockingham County during the 1960's. Elementary and high schools were crowded; so, there was a need for expansion. Also there was a need to provide a different type of program for seventh and eighth graders. For these reasons the school board decided an intermediate school in each high school attendance area would be a reasonable solution.

The first of these, John C. Myers at Broadway opened in 1964. John Wayland at Bridgewater opened in the fall of 1966 with Carroll K. Jones as principal. Mr. Jones served as principal until 1969 when Jerry Wampler was named to the position. An addition to the building was constructed in 1969 and a second addition in 1985 to include the six grade.

In the 1980's, the intermediate schools were renamed "middle schools". Jerry Wampler served as principal at John Wayland until 1987 when James Gresham became principal. In 1989, a new Turner Ashby High School opened and John Wayland Middle School became the new John Wayland Elementary School, consolidating the old elementary schools at Bridgewater and Dayton. The old Turner Ashby High School was converted into the new middle school for the Bridgewater-Dayton area and renamed Wilbur S. Pence Middle School.

Edmund P. Price, who had been the principal at Bridgewater Elementary during the 1988-89 school year, became the first principal at the newly-created John Wayland Elementary School. Mr. Price served as principal from 1989-2000. Charles Wright served as assistant principal until his retirement in 1996. Johna McFarland was then appointed as assistant principal. When Mr. Price moved to Keezletown Elementary in 2000, Nancy Lantz became Wayland's principal and served from 2000-2004. With Mrs. Lantz moving to Central Office, Dr. David Burchfield became Wayland's new principal in the summer of 2004.

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