Richmond's (awful?) public schools (Tuckahoe, Chester: neighborhoods, buying, school district)

[Ivyreb]

We are very excited about the prospect of moving to Richmond (in a little over a year). We loved Church Hill, or even the Fan district as potential neighborhoods to live in: we loved the urban feel, and the walkability to playgrounds, coffee shops, etc. But we will have 3 small kids by then and clearly have to consider their futures. If Richmond's public schools are so awful, can we actually live in the city of Richmond? Or is it completely impossible? Everyone suggests moving to the outer counties or going the private school route. For us, living 20 minutes down the highway in a completely separate suburb defeats the purpose of moving to Richmond, and private school is in no way a financial possibility for us.

It sounds like Chesterfield has great schools. We were considering the Forest Hill Park neighborhood, but it seems (after online research) that although it is Chesterfield county, the schools are not good.

Are there any alternatives to the private schools and awful public high schools, such as charter schools, specialized schools, etc.? I just read about Open high school which utilizes a lottery system (which is a lot of trust to put into for a move when considering 3 kids' education!)... I guess I just feel like it must be crazy that there are no alternatives other than pricey private schools.

Any light that can be shed is much appreciated.

[Charlesaf3]

Do a search and you'll find this pretty well covered - check Mumford, fox, Holton, Maggie walker, Patrick Henry charter

[Ivyreb]

Thank you!

[richmondpics]

Forest Hill Park area is still in the city. As Charlesaf3 indicates, Mary Mumford (west end), Fox (Fan), and Holton (Bellevue/Northside) are the three best elementary schools in the city. They won't be as strong as an affluent, suburban school, but we live in a diverse world. There is also Patrick Henry Charter School. If you look at the Elementary School serving Church Hill (Bellevue Elementary), it gets an 8/10 rating on great schools dot org. How old are your kids? There are a lot of people working hard to find solutions to improve city schools, so there may be better middle and high school options by the time your kids are that age.

[novanwbie]

Most of the counties have application-based high schools specialty centers in addition to your districted, so your children may well be able to opt in to a different school by then. That whole arena is changing -- I would not pick your destination based on high school district. You can also apply to send them to Henrico or Chesterfield for middle school and pay tuition, it's usually pretty reasonable. You might look for a compromise with near-in Henrico and Chesterfield Counties. For Henrico, look at Tuckahoe and Crestview, and in Chesterfield look at the Bon Air area. You may decide this is still too suburban, but both areas are an easy drive downtown. If you really want to do the city, look at the VAIS Web site -- VA Association of Independent Schools. There's a huge range of private schools in our area, and some have pretty reasonable tuition rates. There are also quite a few Catholic schools, if those appeal to you. The reality is, Henrico and Chesterfield have really great schools, and many families do choose to move out of the city for that reason. Richmond City does not have a great reputation as a district, and everyone I know who lives in the city does send their children to private school, but that is not a huge sample! Virginia puts report cards for every school on the VDOE Web site; here's the one for Bellevue, for example: https://p1pe.doe.virginia.gov/report...schoolName=238

I'm not a big fan of GreatSchools b/c it's a ranking based on test scores (we take SOLs here from 3rd grade on, although there is testing in every grade). I'd encourage you to look at some of the school Web sites, so you can see what they emphasize, if it's a title I school, if they're teaching things that are important to you as a parent. It's also a good way to get a feel for schools down here, which may be very different from what you're used to.

[snatale1]

Look into Henrico, you could move just over the city line so it would be closer to the city but have access to great public schools.

[Ivyreb]

I really appreciate your thoughtful responses - thank you to you all!
Oh, and to answer your question, Richmondpics, my kids are 3.5, 2 and one on the way. So, plenty of time for them to get through elementary and for us to see what's happening then with middle and high school.

[VA Yankee]

Consider Henrico, even with the schools others mentioned they have a lottery to get selected for them. If selected you the parent gets to transport them to and from school, if not selected the "regular" schools would not be one of your choices. As you continue to research you will notice that Richmond City Schools are not considered a good choice especially at the secondary level.

[Octa]

This was just published today and it's a pretty interesting read:

Helping parents reconsider Richmond Public Schools - RVANews

[VA Yankee]

No one usually argues about Fox or Mumford; Holman I hear mixed reports. But what about the average person who is considering buying in the city, their options are limited and if a secondary school is needed where should they go? This is why most people with school age children look outside the city. Yes their are private options but the average family can not afford them.