Best Public HS in RVA?

[Anonymous]

What are the best public high schools in the Richmond area? I understand Godwin, Freeman, and the governor's school are all pretty good. How do they all compare academically/socially/athletically/money? Considering moving to RVA soon. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I would say Cosby or Deep Run are above any of those, except maybe governor's school. Godwin and Freeman were good a generation ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are the best public high schools in the Richmond area? I understand Godwin, Freeman, and the governor's school are all pretty good. How do they all compare academically/socially/athletically/money? Considering moving to RVA soon. Thanks.

I'll take a shot at it, but it'd really help, OP, if you could divulge a bit more of what ages/grades yours might be and if they have any special interests or issues.

There are four school systems of note in RVA: Chesterfield Co, Hanover Co, Henrico Co, and the City of Richmond. I cannot, would not recommend RPS. They are even more dysfunctional than the City Council. The three counties, however, all run decent programs but together don't have as many students as Fairfax County alone so the logistics are all much less complex. The vast majority of families send their kids to a public school.

The two schools you named, Godwin and Freeman, are in the southwestern portion of Henrico while the Governor's School, Maggie Walker, is physically housed in the City of Richmond but includes students from all of the surrounding counties as well. Henrico pays for ~45 seats each class/year and it's very competitive to get in.

In fact, much of the wrangling about high schools in Henrico happens in a student's 8th grade year when they can apply for any "Specialty Center" and Maggie Walker. Each of the 9 traditional HSs has at least one "center" and most have fairly stiff competition to get in. Every HS offers AP classes and two each offer full IB and Dual Enrollment Academies. There are also two, very new Technical/Trade Centers that any 11/12 can apply for. There are no pupil/principal placements except for JROTC and, like Fairfax, only if your zoned school has no program at all and the one you seek has room. Transportation in that case is all on you. Otherwise, they have a clunky but servicable Hub Bus system that can get a HSer where they need to be.

There's not AAP -- just a full-blown IB Middle Year MS (Moody) and a separate "Gifted" MS (GYSA@Wilder).

Fair warning, HS are the last to start their day (~9am) and MS is GR6-8. I happen to like that set up (with the ES going first) but recognize that's quite different from Fairfax.

Sadly, there's a bit of racial self-segregation (that doesn't always align with economics either). South Asians are particularly concentrated at Deep Run and if your child would feel uncomfortable walking down the hall where up to half of their classmates are ELL, then Tucker isn't for you.

Athletically, it's kind of all over the board, depending on the sport. Freeman and Glen Allen tend to have strong programs all around and Highland Springs recently pulled in state championships in both football and basketball. The folks around here like to think their soccer is strong....but it's not, certainly not compared to NOVA.

Socially, it's, well, high school. The higher the SES, the more social groups and standing seem to matter but there are enough MC (by RVA stds) kids at almost every school that kids can find their way. There are some altercations and the inevitable calls to 911 despite full weapons-detectors at ALL levels (ES, MS, and HS). Every school has at least one SRO with more to come on board next year.

I'll put in a special plug for the musically and artistically inclined. Henrico continues to rank as one of the top communities for music education. We might not win all the awards at big band comps but the level of instruction and division commitment to the programs is consistent and persistent from ES all the way to HS.

As for the School Board, they're moderate. There's only five of them, including a current and just recent teacher, and if you weren't paying real attention, you wouldn't even know which "party" they were. The Superintendent is polished and professional. School Board work sessions and monthly meetings are informative, orderly, and generally productive.

All that said -- live on the same side of the River that you work on. So if your job will be on Southside, look hard at the Chesterfield schools and maybe another RVAer can chime in on them.

Hope this has been helpful and I'll try to answer any specific questions you have. It's been a good run for us but we'll be retiring elsewhere as it's gotten just a bit too hectic for us -- even though it's way, way slower paced than anything north of here.

[Anonymous]

I believe Freeman is still generally regarded as the best of the suburban public high schools or near the top? It serves some of the older, affluent, attractive suburbs northwest of the city. Proximity to Carytown is a plus.

For the City of Richmond, Richmond Community High School is the magnet high school for the academically gifted. It’s always had a stellar reputation.

Maggie Walker, located in the city, is the regional governors school and is among the top public high schools in the state.

[Anonymous]

Freeman is actually ranked even in Henrico AFTER Deep Run, Godwin, and Glen Allen. The older, closer in suburbs are not as popular as they were a generation ago and the wealthier families (who don't use the privates) are moving further out.

In the Richmond metro/suburban area it goes from the top: Deep Run, Godwin, Glen Allen, then Cosby and Midlothian (both Chesterfield County) THEN Freeman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Freeman is actually ranked even in Henrico AFTER Deep Run, Godwin, and Glen Allen. The older, closer in suburbs are not as popular as they were a generation ago and the wealthier families (who don't use the privates) are moving further out.

In the Richmond metro/suburban area it goes from the top: Deep Run, Godwin, Glen Allen, then Cosby and Midlothian (both Chesterfield County) THEN Freeman.

This is the most accurate list, but I would add the Maggie Walker Governor's School at or near the top if your child can get in.
I grew up in Henrico's East End and, sadly, schools in that area have deteriorated rapidly in the last 15-20 years. Were we to move back to the Richmond region, we would not consider them an option now and would instead look at the West End or Midlothian.
Back in the day, Godwin and Freeman were considered the best in the area. But times have changed, and the region has several newer and more competitive schools now.