Selection Process Updates

When did the School Board adopt a new admissions process?
On September 18, 2023, the School Board voted to adopt “Option 3” from the proposed changes to the admissions process for RPS specialty schools and Governor’s Schools. 

What is the new selection process for specialty schools and Governor’s Schools?
Selection for Open High School, Richmond Community High School, and Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School will occur in three phases after students complete all steps of the application process. The following is an example of these phases for a school with 60 rising 9th grade  seats.

• Phase 1: The top three scoring applicants from each of the eight RPS middle schools and the top three scoring private/homeschool students would automatically receive an offer. This would total 27 initial offers.
• Phase 2: The next set of offers would go to the next highest scoring economically disadvantaged (ED) students (regardless of school) until the total number of ED offers equals 50% of the seats (which would be 30 seats in this example).
  • NOTE: Any of the initial offers in Phase 1 that went to ED students would count towards the 50% target.
• Phase 3: Any remaining seats would go to the next highest scoring applicants – regardless of middle school or ED status – with a cap of five additional seats for private school/homeschool students.

Why did the School Board adopt these changes?
Our goal is to ensure that our selective schools better represent all middle schools and better reflect the percentage of students in RPS who are categorized as economically disadvantaged (roughly 70%). The adopted process achieves both a 50% ED percentage AND broad representation from all RPS middle schools. Furthermore, of the proposed options, the adopted process best reflects the feedback received from stakeholders during our town halls.

Does the newly adopted process apply to all RPS specialty and governor’s schools? 
No. The adopted process only applies to Open High School, Richmond Community High School, and Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School. The selection process for Franklin Military Academy will remain the same, as it is already reflective of the overall RPS student population. The selection process for Appomattox Regional Governor’s School – which is driven in large part by auditions and portfolios – remains the same given the school’s arts focus. That said, we will continue to explore how best to address the fact that economic circumstances can impact a student’s access to artistic and musical training. 

How does RPS identify a student as economically disadvantaged?
Per the Virginia Department of Education, a student is considered “economically disadvantaged” if the student meets any of the qualifications below:

• Is eligible for Free/Reduced Price Meals
• Receives Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Is eligible for Medicaid

If a student is identified as experiencing homelessness or becomes identified as migrant at any point during the school year, the student is automatically identified as economically disadvantaged.

For additional information on how VDOE identifies students as economically disadvantaged, please review VDOE’s Superintendent's Memo #104-14 and Superintendent’s Memo #022-23.

What date does RPS use to consider students economically disadvantaged?
We will use economically disadvantage (ED) data as of December 2025. RPS will contact families if their eligibility status has changed since our most recent update.

How will I know if RPS has designated my student as economically disadvantaged?
Families of current RPS students will be able to access their student’s designation (economically disadvantaged or not) in the online application system. Non-RPS students will be asked to upload documentation of income if they believe they qualify as economically disadvantaged.

If RPS has designated my student as not economically disadvantaged, but I believe my student qualifies, will I be able to submit documentation to substantiate my income?
Yes. Within the application system, families will be able to provide additional information about their income to help determine their student’s economic disadvantaged status.

If a student is attending a private school or is homeschooled and is considered economically disadvantaged, would they count towards the cap of private/homeschool students?
Yes.

What is the total number of private/homeschool students who can be accepted to one of the schools using this new selection process?
The total is eight (three from Phase 1 and a maximum of 5 from Phases 2 and 3).

Why are private/homeschool students limited to eight seats?
The 2022 American Community Survey – an annual survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau –  estimates that 12.5% of the 5th-8th grade population in the City of Richmond is enrolled in private school; 12.5% of 60 seats is 7.5, which we rounded to 8. 

Do the schools using this new selection process have a minimum score that a student must receive to be considered?
Yes. Students must receive a composite score of at least 70 to be considered for admission. In addition, they must meet all eligibility requirements (e.g., required courses) and must complete all parts of the application process.

If one or more of the top three scoring students from a given middle school does not accept a seat, who will receive that seat?
Seat offers will continue to go to students from that school until three seats have been filled or until there are no remaining students in the applicant pool who meet the eligibility requirements and cutoff score. If a school fills its three guaranteed seats, remaining applicants from that school will be considered for a seat offer either within the ED pool (Phase 2) or overall pool (Phase 3).

What happens if a middle school is not able to fill its three guaranteed seats?
If a middle school cannot fill its three guaranteed seats and no longer has eligible applicants on the waitlist, the remaining seats will go to the highest ranked applicants, either from the ED pool to meet the 50% threshold (Phase 2), or, if that is already filled, from the overall applicant pool (Phase 3). 

What happens if there are not enough economically disadvantaged students who meet the eligibility requirements and cutoff score to fill the 50% seat allocation?
The remaining seats will go to the highest ranking applicants based on their composite score. 

What happens to the students who are waitlisted?
Depending on a student’s individual details (score, school of enrollment, and/or ED status), they may move on the waitlist differently than their peers. Therefore, waitlist numbers will not display for applications to Maggie L. Walker Governor's School, Open High School, Richmond Community High School.

How does the waitlist work for this new selection process?
For students on the waitlist at Maggie L. Walker Governor's School, Open High School, and Richmond Community High School, initial seat offers were filled following the three selection phases approved by the Richmond Public Schools School Board on September 18, 2023. Any vacant seats that open due to declined seat offers will be filled following the same selection process of phases 1, 2, and 3, to maintain the integrity of the new selection rules for the entirety of the application year.

My student transferred mid-way through the school year from an RPS school to a private school. Which group are they included in for the purposes of the selection process?
For the upcoming application cycle (for 8th graders who will be in 9th grade during the 2025-26 school year), we will use the student’s school of enrollment as of September 30, 2024. 

If my student transfers into RPS before September 30, will they be considered an RPS student for the purposes of the application process.
Yes. But they must remain enrolled in RPS for the remainder of the year. If they do not, any acceptances to specialty or Governor’s Schools will be rescinded.

My student was enrolled in RPS in a previous school year but is now enrolled in private school/homeschool. Do I receive additional points for that previous enrollment?
No. The current school of enrollment will be used to categorize students. Prior enrollment will not be considered.

Are there any other changes to the selective school process this year?
Yes. We are also updating the writing and interview elements of the applications, and adding new supports for students interested in applying. In previous application cycles, students were required to submit two separate writing samples via the online application: a short answer and essay. In an effort to streamline the application process and address growing concerns about the potential use of AI for essays, we will be moving to an in-person writing assignment that will take place at each school. The assignments will be de-identified and go through double-blind scoring by trained staff.

To support applicants this year, each middle school will have a School Application Support Team to provide information and technical support to interested students. Additionally, each middle school will host an in-person information event for all 8th graders with visiting representatives from RPS specialty schools and the Governor’s Schools.

How will RPS monitor and report on the school application process?
School application support teams will document their outreach to students at their school to ensure every student receives information about the school selection process. The RPS Administration will report on these efforts midway through the school application process and will provide complete application data following the release of results in the spring.

How will RPS support students with the logistical elements of the application process (e.g., transportation to interview days)?
As in previous years, RPS will provide transportation to Governor’s School admission days for those who need it. This year, RPS will also provide transportation to our own specialty school interview and writing days. Additionally, students will receive technical support from their school counselor and from members of their School Application Support Team.