Celebrating strong student outcomes

As we begin a new school year in the Fall of 2026, I’d like to highlight the great successes of our students and staff. The biggest news is that the Richmond Public Schools graduating class of 2025 achieved a graduation rate of 80.1%. This is the highest on-time graduation rate in the past 8 years!

Richmond Public Schools has achieved 84% on-time graduation rate for our Economically Disadvantaged students, the highest on-time graduation rate in the past 18 years!

Richmond Public Schools has achieved 88% on-time graduation rate for our Black students, the highest on-time graduation rate for this reporting group in the past 18 years!

This past school year (winter 2025), our students reached an ALL-TIME high of 65.8%, in early literacy. We measure our early literacy using VALLSS, a state-developed early literacy assessment, which is given at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year for all K-2 students, and select 3rd graders (who were below benchmark the prior year).This is despite VALLSS (Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System) being a much more challenging assessment than the previous one, PALS. They are on pace to exceed 70% for the first time!

RPS High Schools increased proficiency in all subject areas this past school year. Winter 2025 SOL results show 71% in reading and 65% in math. This is strong improvement from the 62% math and 50% reading scores during the 2021-2022 School year. But we’ve seen increases in ALL areas from the previous year!

We’ve seen improvements among ALL our students. 5% increase in reading scores for black RPS students, a 6% increase in reading scores for economically disadvantaged students. In math we saw a 6% increase for black students and a 7% increase for economically disadvantaged students. We saw dramatic improvements in science scores with a 16% improvement for black students and a 16% increase for economically disadvantaged students.  

Of course, improving student outcomes requires our students to show up at school. Northside schools saw reductions in chronic absenteeism this past fall. These efforts are an important part of improving overall student outcomes.

Richmond Public Schools has made great progress on reducing absenteeism this past 2025-2026 school year.

• 1,358 students that missed 10%+ last year are missing less than 10% this year.

• 5th & 6th grade have the highest average daily attendance rates (94~%) & lowest chronic absence rates (16.5% and 14.1%).

• Decrease in suspension-related absences (for both in or out of school). They were 7.6% of absences through Day 81 last year compared to 6% this year.

• There has been a decline in chronic absences rates in grades 9-12 since November 2025, as compared to September 2025.

We still have some challenges and work to do. Grades 9-12 have the biggest drop in attendance rates compared to last year. September 2025 was especially tough, with 39.8% of our students being chronically absent in those grade levels during that month (4 or more absences).

Richmond Public Schools staff works hard to engage families to reduce absenteeism. Below is a summary of the common reasons leading to student absences.