Each greater Richmond locality operates its own school system, with more than 151,000 students enrolled in the five regional systems. Each system offers magnet and specialty programs, while gifted students may apply to attend Richmond’s Governor’s School for Government and International Studies or Petersburg’s Governor’s School for Arts and Technology.

Virginia participates in the Standards of Learning (SOL) program that measures students’ performance against high academic standards. All students take SOL tests in English, math, science and history four times during their K-12 experience.

City of Richmond Public Schools
In the City of Richmond, nearly 24,300 students are part of a school system that includes 29 elementary schools, nine middle schools and eight high schools. The city provides a richly diverse learning experience meeting the needs of children at all levels of learning, from special needs to gifted and talented.

At the high school level, members of the class of 2005 received approximately $9.7 million in college scholarships, grants and financial aid. More than 60 percent of the class will attend college.

In 1998, Richmond Public Schools launched the ANSWER (All New Students Will Become Readers) program. ANSWER strives to ensure that every child in the system will read at or above his or her grade level by third grade.

Learn more about Richmond Public Schools at http://www.richmond.k12.va.us/.

Chesterfield County Public Schools
In Chesterfield County, more than 58,400 students attend 64 public schools (38 elementary, 14 middle, 11 high schools and one technical center). All 64 schools are fully accredited.

The county is well-known for its extraordinary schools that focus on the needs of the individual child. Many Chesterfield schools have earned national accolades and maintain environments where students achieve high marks in standardized testing.

Ten Chesterfield schools are recipients of the National PTA Parent Involvement Schools of Excellence Certification, and the system offers extensive resources for gifted and special needs children. The annual school system budget is approximately $594.5 million, with a cost per student of $9,903.

In Chesterfield, the school system proclaims “successes add up … one student, one employee and one school at a time.”

Learn more about Chesterfield County Public Schools at www.chesterfield.k12.va.us.

Goochland County Public Schools
Goochland County has five schools serving approximately 2,300 students across the county. Goochland also offers a public preschool program that serves approximately 65 students annually. All Goochland schools are fully accredited by the state.

The school system continually proves its commitment to innovation and communication. It recently launched a comprehensive weblog and podcast program to keep parents informed about activities at the schools.

Goochland also demonstrates a commitment to technology. The system operates more than 1,500 computers for its 2,300 students, integrating technology into each classroom. Goochland Middle and Goochland High Schools both are certified by the state for electronically administering SOL tests.

Learn more about Goochland Public Schools at http://www.glnd.k12.va.us.

Hanover County Public Schools
Hanover County operates 21 public schools serving approximately 19,800 pre-K-12 students. All 21 of the county’s schools are fully accredited, and 10 schools have earned the acclaimed National Blue Ribbon certification.

Additionally, Hanover was America’s first school district to earn the U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award for Continuing Excellence.

The school system's mission statement is: "Hanover County Public Schools, a student-centered and community-driven school district, assures a quality education for a changing society while utilizing resources effectively.”

Learn more about Hanover County Public Schools at http://hanover.k12.va.us/.

Henrico County Public Schools
In the county of Henrico, more than 47,000 students attend 70 fully accredited schools (45 elementary, 13 middle, 9 high schools and 3 technical centers). Across all schools, the average student to teacher ratio is 1:20.9.

Henrico County schools are known for quality and are especially known for a strong commitment to technology. In an effort to provide computer and Internet access to all students, Henrico partnered with Apple and Dell, becoming one of the first school systems in America to offer free computers to all students.

Through this program, Henrico deployed 24,000 laptops to all students in grades 6-12, along with more than 3,300 to every teacher and administrative staff.

Like Chesterfield, Henrico also operates specialty centers in each of its high schools. Many of the individual schools have earned national accolades as the system consistently delivers quality education to Henrico citizens.

Learn more about Henrico County Public Schools at http://www.henrico.k12.va.us/.

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Central Virginia is a haven for those families seeking private or independent education, with 81 schools to choose from across the region. Families may choose from a wide variety of traditional and nontraditional curricula.

The Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE) is the organization that oversees private school accreditation in our state. To learn more about VCPE, visit www.vcpe.org.

Private schools in the Richmond area fall into the following categories:

• K-12, with 26 independent schools offering a 13-year program. A number of faith-based programs are offered among these schools. Collegiate School, St. Catherine’s School (for girls), Benedictine High School (for boys), The Steward School, Landmark Christian School, and St. Christopher’s School (for boys) are among the K-12 choices for parents.
• K-8, with a number of area schools offering education for younger students. St. Michael’s, Millwood School, St. Edward-Epiphany, St. Benedict and St. Bridget’s are among the choices.
• 9-12, where an independent high school education, Richmond offers: Trinity Episcopal School and St. Gertrude High School (for girls), Fork Union Military Academy (for boys) and Blue Ridge School (for boys).

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The Richmond area is home to a number of public and private, four-year and two-year higher education institutions.

Four-year schools include:

• Virginia Commonwealth University with approximately 32,000 enrolled (www.vcu.edu).
• Virginia State University with approximately 5,000 enrolled (www.vsu.edu).
• University of Richmond with approximately 4,325 enrolled (www.richmond.edu).
• Virginia Union University with approximately 1,500 enrolled (www.vuu.edu).
• Randolph-Macon College with approximately 1,175 enrolled (www.rmc.edu).

Two-year schools:

• J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College with approximately 20,000 enrolled (www.jsr.cc.va.us).
• John Tyler Community College with approximately 12,000 enrolled (www.jt.cc.va.us).
• Richard Bland College with approximately 1,500 enrolled (www.rbc.edu).
• Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education with approximately 500 enrolled (www.union-psce.edu).
• Baptist Theological Seminary with approximately 300 enrolled (www.btsr.edu).