Richmond Public Schools announced at Monday evening’s School Board meeting that it is leading the state in the number of accredited schools.

RPS Director of Data Analytics John Grove and Chief Academic Officer for Elementary Schools Leslie Wiggins, both presented to the School Board the accreditation update for the 2023-2024 school year. While Superintendent Jason Kamras announced five newly accredited schools – Bellevue Elementary, Overby-Sheppard Elementary, G.H. Reid Elementary, Dogwood Middle and Thomas Jefferson High – during back-to-school season, Grove shared newer data that RPS has the highest number of accredited schools statewide in over the past 10 years.

“What we see here is something that I’m extremely proud of,” Grove said to the board. “Richmond city has the highest number of accredited schools with a total of 24, which is a huge accomplishment.” 

Grove explained that a chart ranking the number of accredited schools state-wide shows that other school divisions have experienced declines in accreditation over the past two years. In contrast, RPS has added eight accredited schools during that same period. Prince William County, the next highest, has five newly accredited schools.

“As the state is decreasing, RPS is increasing at a very fast rate,” Grove said.

In addition to the data, Grove shared that John Marshall High School has maintained its accreditation status, despite chronic absenteeism that occurred the previous academic year. RPS Chief Engagement Officer Danielle Greene-Bell explained to the board that the engagement team is working alongside RPS’ academic leadership team to combat chronic absenteeism.

“We’re also conducting chronic absentee-ism ... audits and assessments, where we are walking through our schools and working with our school leaders, especially at some of our locations where there is a particularly high chronic absenteeism rate,” Greene-Bell said. “There are attendance meetings that are being held once a week where we are identifying students by name so that it’s not just a number and a percentage.”

Most of the School Board – except 3rd District board member Kenya Gibson, who abstained, also ratified Dreams4RPS, a long-term plan consisting of the three top goals to target for the next five years. The three goals – requiring a new baseline from the new VDOE’s accountability system for school accreditation, obtain a 78% “on-time” graduation rate and become proficient in subjects such as reading by 50%, writing by 49%, social studies by 43%, math by 47% and science by 45% – have been in the works since early August and went through four rounds of feedback from the board.

“I just wanted to give kudos on the homework that our staff has been doing, as far as facilitating this entire process because it’s been a labor of love,” said Dawn Page, School Board chairwoman, thanking RPS administrators for their work on the multiple revisions to Dreams4RPS.

Kamras also announced a series of recognized observances for October during the meeting, including Hispanic Heritage Month, National Custodial Workers’ Day, School Security Staff Day, National Bullying Prevention Month, National Farm to School Month and Virginia Farm to School Week.