Richmond City Public Schools

The Richmond City Public Schools district in Virginia encompasses 44 schools, including 26 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, 10 high schools, and 1 alternative school. The district faces significant challenges, with a mix of high-performing and low-performing schools, high poverty rates, and wide disparities in student outcomes.

A few schools stand out as exceptional within the district, including Mary Munford Elementary, which ranks 67th out of 1,114 Virginia elementary schools and has 80-90% proficiency rates in core subjects. Other top-performing schools are Richmond Community High, ranked 15th out of 326 Virginia high schools, and Open High, ranked 3rd in the state. In contrast, some of the lower-performing schools include Huguenot High and Richmond High School for the Arts.

Across the district, there are significant disparities in student demographics, with some schools having predominantly White or African American populations, and high rates of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating high levels of economic disadvantage. Spending per student varies widely, from around $7,000 to over $15,000, but higher spending does not necessarily translate to better outcomes. The data suggests that addressing equity gaps, resource allocation, and poverty-related barriers will be critical for improving educational opportunities and outcomes for all students in the Richmond City Public Schools district.