Richmond Public Schools

Richmond Public Schools is a public school district located in the independent city of Richmond, Virginia. It is occasionally described locally as Richmond City Public Schools to emphasize its connection to the independent city rather than the Richmond-Petersburg region at large or the rural Richmond County, Virginia.

For the California school district formerly called the "Richmond School District", see West Contra Costa Unified School District. For the Canadian school district, see Richmond School District.
Not to be confused with Richmond County Public Schools.

Richmond Public Schools
Address
301 North Ninth Street
Richmond
, Virginia, 23219
United States
District information
TypePublic
GradesPreK–12[1]
SuperintendentJason Kamras
School boardDistrict 1 - Elizabeth Doerr

District 2 - Mariah White

District 3 - Kenya Gibson

District 4 - Jonathan Young

District 5 - Stephanie Rizzi, Chair

District 6 - Dr. Shonda Harris-Muhammed

District 7 - Cheryl Burke, Vice Chair

District 8 - Dawn Page

District 9 - Nicole Jones
NCES District ID5103240 [1]
Students and staff
Students28,225 (2020–2021)[1]
Teachers1,525.26 (on an FTE basis)[1]
Staff1,489.33 (on an FTE basis)[1]
Student–teacher ratio18.51:1[1]
Other information
Websitewww.rvaschools.net

Administration

Superintendent

The superintendent is Jason Kamras, who was also the 2005 United States National Teacher of the Year.[2]

School board members

The school district is governed by an elected school board, with one member from each of nine districts.[3][4] The current Members (2023) are:

1 Elizabeth Doerr
2 Mariah White
3 Kenya Gibson
4 Jonathan Young
5 Stephanie Rizzi, Chair
6 Dr. Shonda Harris-Muhammed
7 Cheryl Burke, Vice Chair
8 Dawn Page
9 Nicole Jones

Schools

High schools

Armstrong High School

George Wythe High School

  • Bon Air
  • Principal:
  • Mascot: Bulldogs

Huguenot High School

  • Bon Air
  • Principal: Robert Gilstrap[6]
  • Mascot: Falcons

Thomas Jefferson High School

John Marshall High School

Richmond Career Education and Employment Academy

Middle schools

Albert Hill Middle School

  • Principal: Tashina Ivy[9]
  • Mascot: Tigers

Binford Middle School

  • Principal: Melissa Rickey[10]
  • Mascot: Lions

Lucille M. Brown Middle School

  • Principal: Dr. Stacy Gaines[11]
  • Mascot: Panthers

Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School

  • Principal: Inett Dabney[12]
  • Mascot: Titans

River City Middle School

  • Principal: Jacquelyn Murphy-Braxton[13]
  • Mascot: Red Trails

Thomas C. Boushall Middle School

  • Principal: LaTonya Waller[14]
  • Mascot: Eagles

Thomas H. Henderson Middle School

  • Principal: Antoine London[15]
  • Mascot: Warriors

Elementary schools

Barack Obama Elementary School (formerly J. E. B. Stuart Elementary School)[16]

Bellevue Elementary School

  • Principal: V. Tanaia Hines[18]
  • Mascot: Dragons

Broad Rock Elementary School

  • Principal: Teya Green[19]
  • Mascot: Rams

Cardinal Elementary School

  • Principal: Dr. Juvenal E. Abrego-Meneses[20]
  • Mascot: Cardinals
  • Previously E.S.H. Greene Elementary School

Chimborazo Elementary School

  • Principal: Cordell Watkins[21]
  • Mascot: Mighty Jaguars

Elizabeth D. Redd Elementary School

  • Principal: Dr. Sherry Wharton-Carey[22]
  • Mascot: Redd Lions
  • Named after teacher Elizabeth D. Redd [23]

Fairfield Court Elementary School

  • Principal: Angela Wright[24]
  • Mascot: Eagles

G. H. Reid Elementary School

  • Principal: Angela Delaney[25]
  • Mascot: Ravens
  • Named after Principal Gurney Holland Reid[26]

George Washington Carver Elementary School

Ginter Park Elementary School

  • Principal: Michelle Jones[28]
  • Mascot: Venal Gators

Henry L. Marsh, III Elementary School

  • Principal: Kimberly Cook[29]
  • Mascot: Monarchs
  • Previously George Mason Elementary School

J.B. Fisher Elementary School

  • Principal: Mark Davis, II[30]
  • Mascot: Flamingos

James H. Blackwell Elementary School

  • Principal: Ebony Davis[31]
  • Mascot: Bears
  • Named after James H. Blackwell[32]

J. L. Francis Elementary School

  • Principal: Kecia Ryan[33]
  • Mascot: Eagles
  • Named after Principal Joseph Langhorne Francis [34]

John B. Cary Elementary School

  • Principal: Michael Powell[35]
  • Mascot: Cougars

Linwood Holton Elementary School

Mary Munford Elementary School (formerly PBS Kids Mary Munford until 2013).

  • Principal: Greg Muzik[38]
  • Mascot: Monarchs
  • Named after First woman to serve on the Richmond School Board Mary Munford [39]

Miles Jones Elementary School

  • Principal: Sonya Shaw[40]
  • Mascot: Jaguars
  • Named after first African-American to chair the RPS School Board Dr. Miles Jerome Jones [41]

Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School

  • Principal: Fatima Smith[42]
  • Mascot: Teddy Bears

Overby-Sheppard Elementary School

Southampton Elementary School

  • Principal: Sheleta Crews[45]
  • Mascot: Tigers

Swansboro Elementary School

  • Principal: Theron Sampson[46]
  • Mascot: Dolphins

Westover Hills Elementary School

  • Principal: Alison El Koubi[47]
  • Mascot: Beavers

William Fox Elementary School

  • Principal: Daniela S. Jacobs[48]
  • Mascot: Foxes

Woodville Elementary School

  • Principal: Shannon M. Washington[49]
  • Mascot: Bears

Alternative high schools

History

Richmond did not have public schools during much of the 19th century, only private institutions funded by user fees or charities. From 1906 until 1962, the city of Richmond segregated its public schools by race, and schools serving African American Virginians received less funding and poorer facilities, which led in part to the U.S. Supreme Court's two decisions in Brown v. Board of Education in beginning in 1954. Defiance of those decisions by the Commonwealth of Virginia led to the Massive Resistance crisis in the state which lasted more than a decade. One of the people involved in eventual peaceful desegregation of Richmond's public schools was Eleanor P. Sheppard, who began her public involvement with the Parent-Teacher Association of her children's school in the Ginter Park neighborhood. In 1954, "Mrs. Sheppard" became the first woman elected to the Richmond City Council, and she became the city's first female mayor in 1962, and served in the Virginia General Assembly for a decade. The Richmond School Board acknowledged the crisis in part by naming an elementary school to honor her and one of the school district's first principals of African American descent, Overby-Sheppard Elementary School.

The Richmond School district partly resolved the Massive Resistance crisis in its jurisdiction by eliminating racial terminology from this school district's official reports in 1962.[50] Another important person in resolving the crisis was Virginia native and Richmond lawyer Lewis F. Powell Jr., who served as Chairman of the Richmond School Board from 1952 until 1961. Powell did not take any part in his law firm's representation of Prince Edward County, Virginia in Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, which became one of the five cases decided under the caption Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. The Richmond School Board also lacked authority at the time to force integration, since beginning in 1958, the state government assumed control over attendance policies. Powell later became president of the American Bar Association and an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Academic struggles and improvements

In October 2009, the Richmond Times Dispatch printed an editorial entitled "Dropping In," briefly outlining a program meant to reduce the number of high school dropouts in Richmond's public school system.[51] In this article it was revealed that Richmond's dropout rate was "hovering around 15 percent".[51] It was also stated on the Richmond Public Schools' website that the four-year-cohort dropout rate was 14.8 percent for the 2005-2009 cohort, declined from its 16.2 percent rate for 2004–2008.[52]

While the percentage is declining, dropout and late graduation rates are still an issue. In October 2009 in a News Release about Richmond Public Schools, it is stated that "the latest data for students in the 2005-2009 cohort indicate that nearly 69 percent (68.7) of Richmond's students graduated on time." This is an increase from the 2004-2008 cohort rate of 65.8 percent and it is well below the state average of 83.2 percent.[53]

Dropout Prevention Initiative

While high dropout rates in the school system are a problem, positive action is being taken, as of 2009. On October 21, 2009, the superintendent of Richmond City Public Schools, Yvonne W. Brandon, unveiled a plan called "Dropout Prevention Initiative" (DPI). The objective of this program is to continue to decrease the school system's dropout rate.[54]

There are a few objectives to the DPI. The first is to find high school dropouts and convince them to return to high school to graduate through mentoring programs, Individual Learning Plans (ILP), and partnerships with others in the community. These "others" include higher education institutions, elected officials, as well faith-based and community-based organizations. One of the most appealing aspects of the DPI is that it requires no additional funding and is solely a redistribution of resources.[54]

There is a district-wide mentoring program as a part of DPI that encourages Richmond Public Schools employees and students to serve as mentors once the recovered students return to school. There are also mentors provided by the higher educational institutions and the faith- and community-based organizations with which the DPI has partnerships.[55]

A unique aspect of this program is that recovery specialists within the DPI literally walk door-to-door to the homes of students who have dropped out to talk with them about and encourage the possibility of returning to school. Students returning to school are assisted by the DPI Intake Counselors, who work with recovered students to help the student re-adjust to being in school and receive an ILP. The ILP is, as stated by the Richmond Public Schools website, "an online educational plan for students that helps pair students' career goals with academic and career and technical courses needed to accomplish their future interests".[55]

The program also recognizes at-risk students and works on preventing student dropouts, rather than only trying to reverse it. Richmond Public Schools have implemented "Extensive Mandatory Professional Development" for staff on how to effectively identify and help at-risk students. There is also a new "Get In – Stay in" media campaign on the radio and television to help encourage attendance among students.[55]

Trivia
  • Two of Richmond's public school facilities are physically located slightly outside the corporate limits of the independent city in the East End. They are Armstrong High School, located in the former Kennedy High School complex, and Fairfield Court Elementary School. Both are located in a small portion of Henrico County adjacent to Interstate 64 which became isolated geographically from the rest of the county when the Interstate highway was built in the 1960s.

References
  1. "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for RICHMOND CITY PBLC SCHS". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  2. "Superintendent - Richmond Public Schools". www.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  3. "Tom Nash (Budget) • MuckRock". www.muckrock.com. p. 2. Retrieved September 5, 2020. School Board Members (group photo on page 2- bottom right)
  4. "School Board Members - Richmond Public Schools". www.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  5. "Principal - Armstrong High School". ahs.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  6. "Leadership - Huguenot High School". hhs.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  7. "Principals Message - Thomas Jefferson High School". tjhs.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  8. "Leadership - John Marshall High School". jmhs.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  9. "Leadership - Albert Hill Middle School". ahms.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  10. "Leadership - Binford Middle School". bms.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  11. "Leadership - Lucille M. Brown Middle School". lbms.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  12. "Leadership - Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School". mlkms.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  13. "Leadership - River City Middle School". rcms.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  14. "Leadership - Thomas C. Boushall Middle School". tcbms.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  15. "Leadership - Thomas H. Henderson Middle School". hms.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  16. "Virginia School Drops Confederate General's Name in Favor of Obama's". Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  17. "Leadership - Barack Obama Elementary School". boes.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  18. "Leadership - Bellevue Elementary School". bes.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  19. "Leadership - Broad Rock Elementary School". bres.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  20. "Leadership - Cardinal Elementary School". cardinales.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  21. "Meet the Administration - Chimborazo Elementary School". ces.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  22. "Leadership - Elizabeth D. Redd Elementary School". edres.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  23. "About Us - Elizabeth D. Redd Elementary School". edres.rvaschools.net. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  24. "Leadership - Fairfield Court Elementary School". fces.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  25. "Leadership - G.H. Reid Elementary School". gres.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  26. "G. H. Reid History - G.H. Reid Elementary School". gres.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  27. "Leadership - George W. Carver Elementary School". gwces.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  28. "Leadership - Ginter Park Elementary School". gpes.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  29. "Leadership - Henry L. Marsh, III Elementary School". hmes.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  30. "Leadership - J.B. Fisher Elementary School". jbfes.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  31. "Leadership - J.H. Blackwell Elementary School". blackwelles.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  32. "About Blackwell / History". http. Retrieved July 3, 2020. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  33. "Leadership - J.L. Francis Elementary School". jlfes.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  34. "About Francis / History". http. Retrieved July 3, 2020. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  35. "Leadership - John B. Cary Elementary School". jces.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  36. "Leadership - Linwood Holton Elementary School". lhes.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  37. "About Holton / History". http. Retrieved July 3, 2020. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  38. "Leadership - Mary Munford Elementary School". mmes.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  39. "About Munford / Who was Mary Munford?". http. Retrieved July 3, 2020. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  40. "Leadership - Miles J. Jones Elementary School". mjes.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  41. "About Miles Jones / History". http. Retrieved July 3, 2020. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  42. "Leadership - Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School". ogbes.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  43. "Overby-Sheppard Elementary". Virginia School Quality Profiles. August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  44. "About Overby-Sheppard / About Overby-Sheppard". http. Retrieved July 3, 2020. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  45. "Leadership - Southampton Elementary School". shes.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  46. "Leadership - Swansboro Elementary School". ses.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  47. "Leadership - Westover Hills Elementary School". whes.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  48. "Leadership - William Fox Elementary School". wfes.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  49. "Leadership - Woodville Elementary School". wes.rvaschools.net. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  50. "RPS History / Annexation of Schools". http. Retrieved July 3, 2021. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  51. Dropping In. (2009, October 23). Richmond Times Dispatch , pp. A-10.
  52. Richmond Public Schools. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://richmond.k12.va.us: http://www.richmond.k12.va.us/indexnew/sub/DPI/fastFacts.cfm
  53. Brandon, D. Y. (2009, October 20). NR26_OnTimeGraduation_10202009.pdf. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://www.richmond.k12.va.us: http://www.richmond.k12.va.us/pdfs/NR/NR26_OnTimeGraduation_10202009.pdf
  54. Slayton, J. (2009, October 22). Richmond targets school dropouts; Superintendent unveils plan to get students back into their classes. Richmond Times Dispatch , pp. B-02.
  55. Richmond Public Schools. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://richmond.k12.va.us: http://www.richmond.k12.va.us/indexnew/sub/DPI/index.cfm

Further reading
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