City: Richmond, VA

Category: Education

Telephone: (804) 780-7710

Description: RPS serves more than 24,000 students in 45 schools, 44 of which have achieved full accreditation under the Virginia Standards of Learning program. Every elementary school offers instruction in foreign languages. International Baccalaureate programs are in place in middle and high schools, and dual enrollment and Advanced Placement (AP) classes are offered in high schools. Besides comprehensive high schools, eighth-graders can apply to several other schools as well. Open High partners with J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and Virginia Commonwealth University to offer students accelerated learning, Community High features a college-preparatory curriculum and enrichment programs designed to ensure college success for disadvantaged students, and Franklin Military Academy was the first public military high school in the U.S. The Governor’s Career and Technical Education Academy for science, technology, engineering, and math just opened at Richmond Technical Center, offering students other career paths. Approximately one third of graduating seniors earned advanced diplomas. J. E. B. Stuart Elementary and Open High School have been named national Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, and Bellevue and Fairfield Court elementary schools received Governor’s Awards for Educational Excellence in 2010. Fourteen schools earned the state Board of Education’s Excellence Awards in 2009. Though the drop-out rate is the highest in the area, the on-time graduation rate for students is improving.