There are 72 total schools and program centers. There are 46 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, 9 high schools, 3 Advanced Career Education Centers, 3 alternative program centers, and a virtual academy. Additional schools are being planned to be built as of March 2023.[4] At the elementary level, the pupil/teacher ratio is 19.1, while at the high school level, the ratio is 18.3.[4] There are 2,893 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in the district. The district had a budget of 762.9 million dollars in 2022–2023.[5]
Students
There are 21,483 students at the elementary school level, 11,108 at the middle school level, and 15,798 at the high school level. 588 students are classified as attending other programs, leading to a total of 48,977.[4] Of these students, 35.2% are African American, 33.5% are Caucasian, 13.2% are Asian, 12.5% are Hispanic, 5.2% are members of multiple races, and 0.4% are in the "other" category. In 2022, 90% of the students graduated on-time, and there were 3,716 graduates. 73% planned to continue their education, and 21.9 million dollars were awarded in scholarships.[4] 44.9% of students were eligible for free and reduced-cost school meals.[6]
Leadership
The Henrico County School Board for 2022 consists of: Kristi B. Kinsella, chair from the Brookland District; Alicia S. Atkins, vice chair from the Varina District; Roscoe Cooper III of the Fairfield District; Marcie F. Shea, vice chair from the Tuckahoe District; and Michelle F. "Micky" Ogburn from the Three Chopt District.[3]
Superintendent Dr. Amy E. Cashwell, former chief academic officer of the Virginia Beach City Public Schools, took office July 1, 2018, succeeding the retiring Dr. Patrick C. Kinlaw.[7]
Pupil transportation
As one room school houses gradually evolved into graded elementary schools with multiple classrooms (an educational development in Henrico as in many other places), children often lived too far away from the closest of these schools to walk as they had previously to the smaller schools.
Henrico began transportation of some children via farm wagons, and the program quickly grew. In 1933, Henrico County Public Schools began operating school buses. By 1960, the county was operating 118 buses expanding to 158 by 1964. In the early 1970s, fleet maintenance for all county and school board vehicles – which had been located at Dabb's House[8] on Nine Mile Road and at a West End depot formerly located on the site now occupied by Regency Mall on Parham Road at Quioccasin Road – was consolidated at a new large and modern facility on Woodman Road in the northern section of the county.[9]
The Henrico school division is one of the larger school bus programs in Virginia as well as in the United States. As of the 2021–22 school year, Henrico County Public Schools used a fleet of 627 school buses. Henrico County Public School buses make two to four runs into and out of schools every school day, transporting more than 28,000 students to school and bringing them home daily.[10] Most buses are Type C "conventional style" school, and Type D, or Transit buses[10] Bus models include the International FE, International RE, Thomas Saf-T-Liner HDX.[11]
Technology
Laptop program
Henrico County Public Schools was one of the first school divisions in the U.S. to distribute laptop computers to students, during the 2001 school year.[12] Initially, the four-year, $18.6 million project was for high school students alone. However, the middle school program was also phased in 2002.[13] Up until the 2005–06 school year, Apple computers were used exclusively. In 2005, Dell was awarded a contract with HCPS for high school students.[14][15] Middle school students received Dell units at the beginning of the 2010–11 school year. In 2018, the school division partnered with Microsoft and Dell to bring Windows 10 and Dell Chromebooks to students.[15]
Response to the laptop program has been mainly positive.[16]
Notable persons and accomplishments
Virginia Randolph
Two local educators associated with Henrico County Public Schools became notable for contributions to the development of educational programs for African-American students in the late 19th and early to mid-20th Century.
Virginia Randolph (1874–1958) became notable for her many years and contributions to the development of educational programs for African-American students during the days of segregated schools in Virginia. Educated at Richmond's Armstrong High School, in 1892, Randolph opened the Mountain Road School in the north-central part of the county. As a teacher there, she taught her students woodworking, sewing, cooking and gardening, as well as academics.[17] In 1908, Henrico County Superintendent of Schools Jackson Davis named her to become the United States' first "Jeanes Supervising Industrial Teacher".
As the supervisor of 20 three elementary schools in Henrico County, Virginia Randolph developed the first in-service training program for African American teachers and worked on improving the curriculum of the schools. With the freedom to design her own agenda, she shaped industrial work and community self-help programs to meet specific needs of schools.[18] During her 57-year career, although she remained at work in Henrico County, she became recognized worldwide as a pioneering educator, humanitarian and leader, especially in the field of vocational education. She retired in 1949.[19]
In Glen Allen, the Virginia Randolph Home Economics Cottage was made into a museum in memory of Randolph in 1970. The Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission designated the museum a State Historic Landmark. In 1976 the museum was named a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of Interior, National Park Service.[20][21] Randolph reportedly had an office in the building. Her grave site is on the grounds. Randolph is interred on the museum grounds. In modern times, the Academy at Virginia Randolph in Glen Allen, Virginia and a special education center are each named in her honor.[22] The Virginia Randolph Foundation, formed in 1954, annually awards scholarships to Henrico County high school students who will be attending a four-year college or university.[23]
Jackson T. Davis (1882–1947), a Richmonder, was graduate of the College of William and Mary and Columbia University. He headed school divisions in Williamsburg and Marion before coming to Henrico as division superintendent in 1905. After his tenure at HCPS, Davis became state agent for African American rural schools for the Virginia State Department of Education from 1910 to 1915. He went on to also become an internationally known leader in his field.[24] Henrico County's Jackson Davis Elementary School, dedicated in 1964, was named for him.[24] His collection of photographs of Virginia's negro school facilities of the era is notable among many items of his career which were donated to the University of Virginia and are among the special collections there.[25]
In 2022, Henrico County Public Schools was named one of the "Best Communities for Music Education in America," earning this designation for the 22nd year in a row.[26]
Newsweek recognized Deep Run, Douglas Freeman, Mills Godwin and Henrico high schools as four of America's Best High Schools in 2010.
Deep Run High School's robotics team, known as Blue Cheese, took home the state title at the FIRST Tech Challenge competition held at the University of Virginia in 2009.
Twelve Henrico Schools have received the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award. Shady Grove Elementary School was selected in fall of 2007.
Henrico schools received eight National Association of Counties (NACo) awards for implementing groundbreaking programs in 2009.
Ten schools earned the 2011 Governor's Award for Educational Excellence and 21 schools earned the 2011 Board of Education's VIP awards.
Mills Godwin and Deep Run high schools won a silver medal ranking by U.S. News & World Report's "Best High Schools in America" for 2009.
Byrd Middle School was selected as Virginia Educational Media Association Library of the Year for 2010.
Henrico County Public Schools named National School Library Program of the Year for 2011.(AASL)[27]
The culinary arts program at the Advanced Career Education Center at Hermitage obtained certification by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission's Secondary Certification Committee.
Glen Allen High School earned the gold and Holman Middle School earned the silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification as verified by the Green Building Certification Institute.
HCPS was named the 2011 Virginia Healthy Business of the Year by Prevention Connections.
Virginia Commonwealth University – Autism Center for Excellence selected HCPS to serve as an exemplary site in the delivery of educational services to students with autism spectrum disorders.
Crestview Elementary School was selected as the Children's Engineering Program of the year for 2011 by the Virginia Technology Education and Engineering Association.
Fairfield Middle School received the Recognized ASCA Model Program designation from the American School Counselor Association.
HCPS School Nutrition Services was given a "District of Excellence" distinction by the School Nutrition Association during the 2010–11 school year.
Twin Hickory Elementary was given a National Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Magisterial districts
Henrico County is divided into five magisterial districts, each represented by a member of the Henrico School Board. The list of magisterial districts:[28]
^"Apple to Supply 23,000 iBooks to Henrico County Public Schools". Public Relations Library. Apple Computer. May 1, 2001. Archived from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2011. Apple today announced an agreement with Henrico County Public Schools to supply 23,000 iBooks to the division. This initiative will give every middle and high school student and teacher access to their own laptop computer with plans to eventually provide every teacher and student throughout the division with an iBook.
^"Henrico retools its laptop program". Heller Report on Educational Technology Markets. AllBusiness.com. February 1, 2002. Retrieved January 14, 2011. The four-year $18.6 million contract called for Henrico County schools to lease 23,000 iBooks from Apple Computer. In fall 2001, every one of the county's 10,8000 high school students received a laptop computer. Plans called for 7,700 computers to be distributed to seventh and eighth-graders in 2002 and 3,100 computers to sixth-graders in 2003.
^"Virginia's Henrico County Public Schools Selects Dell for $17.9 Million Student Computing..."Business Wire. AllBusiness.com. June 23, 2005. Retrieved January 14, 2011. Henrico County (Va.) Public Schools ... has selected Dell ... as the exclusive provider of computers for a four-year program valued at $17.9 million. The program will equip every division high school student and teacher with a notebook computer. Dell will provide the division 15,800 Dell notebook systems, professional development and training for teachers, administrators and students, and a variety of additional value-added services.
^ ab"Notebook Initiative Mobilizes Student Imaginations"(PDF). Case Studies. Dell. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 9, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2011. ... the division wanted students to become familiar with the more widely used Microsoft Windows operating system that [that, at that time, made] up 90 percent of the industry. "We recognize that giving our students experience in both platforms makes them more competitive in the job market," Lloyd Brown, director of technology, says.
^"Study: Laptop Learning Improving". Entertainment. Richmond.com. July 10, 2008. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2011. Two years into a comprehensive three-year study of the laptop initiative in Henrico County Public Schools, findings show that students are engaging in more technology-based problem-solving, research, teamwork and communication-based projects that reflect 21st century learning skills, according to the study's chief researcher.
^"Virginia Randolph Cottage". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
