Henrico Schools is growing and becoming more diverse
Henrico, Va. Feb. 4, 2020 — Henrico County Public Schools is growing and becoming more diverse, according to enrollment statistics. As of November 2019, K-12 enrollment at the school division’s 72 schools and program centers was 50,406, up from 48,431 in 2010. The school division has also become more diverse in the past decade. The number of Hispanic students enrolled in Henrico County Public Schools grew from 3,022 to 5,370, an increase of 78%. The number of Asian students grew from 3,585 to 6,008, an increase of 68%. At least 100 languages are spoken in HCPS schools.
Henrico County Public Schools: 2010 snapshot
71 schools and program centers
– 45 elementary schools
– 12 middle schools
– Nine high schools
– Five program centers
Enrollment: 48,431
– Elementary schools: 22,144
– Middle schools: 10,882
– High schools: 14,609
– Other: 796*
Student Diversity
– African American: 37%
– Asian: 8%
– Caucasian: 46%
– Hispanic: 6%
– Other: 3%
– English Learners: 7%
– Students with disabilities: 11%
– Students eligible for free and reduced-price meals: 37%.
Pupil-Teacher Ratio
– Elementary schools: 20.6
– Middle schools: 17.5
– High schools: 17.9
Henrico County Public Schools: 2019 snapshot
72 schools and program centers
– 46 elementary schools
– 12 middle schools
– Nine high schools
– Five program centers
Enrollment: 50,406
– Elementary schools: 22,496
– Middle schools: 12,003
– High schools: 15,355
– Other: 552*
Student Diversity
– African American: 35%
– Asian: 12%
– Caucasian: 37%
– Hispanic: 11%
– Other: 5%
– English Learners: 11%
– Students with disabilities: 12%
– Students eligible for free and reduced-price meals: 46%
Pupil-Teacher Ratio
– Elementary schools: 19.5
– Middle schools: 18.9
– High schools: 19.2
* Because of program changes between 2010 and 2019, there are differences in which students are included in category “Other.”
Some HCPS schools are over capacity. In the 2019-20 school year, 958 of the 8,262 classes taught at HCPS middle and high schools — or 11.6% — contained more than 30 students. Three hundred and eighty-eight of the high-capacity classes were in core subjects such as math or English. A presentation delivered to the School Board at Thursday’s work session contains more details about class sizes.A Nov. 14 presentation to the Board also addressed school division enrollment trends.
Both presentations can be found by going to the Henrico School Board page at henricoschools.us/school-board/ and launching BoardDocs, HCPS’ web-based tool for publishing School Board documents. The enrollment presentations can be found in the Jan. 30, 2020 and Nov. 14, 2019 work session agendas under “Meetings.”
One way Henrico County Public Schools is meeting the challenge of growth is through redistricting, which involves possible changes to school attendance zones, in order to accomplish several goals. A 67-person redistricting committee is in the process of working out proposed school attendance boundaries, using public input and the help of a consultant. The School Board is expected to adopt new boundaries in May 2020. Follow the redistricting process at HCPS’ redistricting page.
Three redistricting committee meetings are set for this week, and another is scheduled for Feb. 19. The elementary and secondary committees will each meet once, and then come together twice for combined meetings. The combined meetings were added last week so that the committees could discuss items of concern to all HCPS schools:
Elementary Redistricting Committee Meeting
When: Feb. 4 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Hungary Creek Middle School, 4909 Francistown Road, Glen Allen, Va. 23060
Secondary Redistricting Committee Meeting
When: Feb. 5 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: New Bridge Auditorium, 5915 Nine Mile Road, Henrico, Va. 23223
Meeting of Combined Redistricting Committees
When: Feb. 6 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Henrico High School, 302 Azalea Ave., Henrico, Va. 23227
Meeting of Combined Redistricting Committees
When: Feb. 19 from 6-8 p.m. (This is a change from a previous announcement; 6 p.m. is the new start time.)
Where: Jackson Davis Elementary School, 8801 Nesslewood Drive, Henrico, Va. 23229
Henrico County Public Schools is addressing a multitude of changing needs by rethinking school division policies and approaches, as detailed in “Amy’s Passport” and the Henrico Learner Profile. The school division is also using increased funding to provide more opportunities and support systems for students and teachers alike; to continue to invest in safe and well-maintained learning spaces; and to keep working to restore the cuts suffered during the Great Recession. Explore Henrico County Public Schools’ 2020-21 Recommended Financial Plan at henricoschools.us/budget-finance/.
