Wednesday news from across central Virginia
Several area high schools were ranked among the top caliber in the country and around the state, according to the U.S News and World Report.
Five schools were ranked among the country’s top 1000 public high schools while eight were ranked among Virginia’s top 50.
The U.S. News rankings are based on schools’ performance on state assessments, either in absolute terms or by exceeding statistical expectations based on the school’s relative level of student poverty, achieving proficiency rates on state tests for a school’s least-advantaged student groups, graduation rates and how a school prepares students for college, based on AP exams.
The top rank in Central Virginia went to Open High School located in Richmond’s Oregon Hill neighborhood. The small alternative high school was ranked among the top 1% in the country. It had a graduation rate at 98% with 56% of its student population coming from minority backgrounds.
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Richmond Community High School also cracked the top 1% at a rank of 175 nationally, and third best in Virginia. Almost 60% of students passed at least on AP Exam at the school with a 100% graduation rate. Around 73% of the student population comes from diverse backgrounds and 99% were listed to be economically disadvantaged.
Three Henrico Schools were listed in the top 6% nationally. Those schools were Deep Run (ranked 567), Glen Allen High School (ranked 990) and Mills Godwin High School (ranked 997).
Midlothian High School was Chesterfield County’s highest ranked school at 1,443 nationally and 34 in Virginia. Cosby High School was second highest, ranked 1,586 in the nation and 38 in Virginia.
Atlee High School was Hanover County’s highest ranked school at 1,608 and 39 in Virginia.
The full rankings are available at the 2023-2024 Best High Schools in America page on U.S. News and World Report’s website.
Central Virginia Schools in Virginia top 100:
- Open High School – 2 in Virginia, 170 nationally – Richmond
- Richmond Community High School – 3 in Virginia, 175 nationally – Richmond
- Deep Run High School – 11 in Virginia, 567 nationally – Henrico
- Godwin High School – 24 in Virginia, 977 nationally – Henrico
- Glen Allen High School – 25 in Virginia, 990 nationally – Henrico
- Midlothian High School – 34 in Virginia, 1,443 nationally – Chesterfield
- Cosby High School – 38 in Virginia, 1,586 nationally – Chesterfield
- Atlee High School – 39 in Virginia, 1,608 nationally – Hanover
- Hanover High School – 70 in Virginia, 30,012 nationally – Hanover
- Freeman High School – 71 in Virginia, 3,051 nationally – Henrico
- Franklin Military Academy – 72 in Virginia, 3,071 nationally – Richmond
- Clover Hill High School – 78 in Virginia, 3,407 nationally – Chesterfield
- James River High School – 91 in Virginia, 4,084 nationally – Chesterfield
- Tucker High School – 99 in Virginia, 4,596 nationally – Henrico
Photos: Hurricane Idalia unleashes fury on Florida, Georgia
Zeke Pierce rides his paddle board down the middle of a flooded Bayshore Blvd in downtown in Tampa, Fla., Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. Hurricane Idalia steamed toward Florida’s Big Bend region Wednesday morning, threatening deadly storm surges and destructive winds in an area not accustomed to such pummeling. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Zeke Pierce rides his paddle board down the middle of a flooded Bayshore Blvd in downtown in Tampa, Fla., Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. Hurricane Idalia steamed toward Florida’s Big Bend region Wednesday morning, threatening deadly storm surges and destructive winds in an area not accustomed to such pummeling. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Members of the Tampa Fire Rescue Dept., remove a street pole after large awnings from an apartment building blew off from winds associated with Hurricane Idalia Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. Idalia made landfall earlier this morning along the Big Bend of the state. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Flood waters pushed by Hurricane Idalia pour over the sea wall along Old Tampa Bay as paddle boarder Zeke Pierce, of Tampa, rides Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
A woman walks through flooded water along Bayshore Blvd., from storm surge from Hurricane Idalia Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. Idalia made landfall earlier this morning along the Big Bend of the state. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
A man checks the water level as he drives on flooded Bayshore Blvd., after storm surge from Hurricane Idalia flooded the road Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. Idalia made landfall earlier this morning along the Big Bend of the state. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
A man runs across flooded Bayshore Blvd., from the storm surge associated with Hurricane Idalia Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. Idalia made landfall earlier this morning along the Big Bend of the state. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
A City of Tallahassee electrical worker assesses damage to power lines after a tree fell on Old St. Augustine, a canopy road, in Tallahassee, Fla., as Hurricane Idalia made landfall Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)
Janecia Wallace, 18, climbs down a ladder with the help of her brother, Julian Wallace, 13, after being rescued by St. Petersburg Fire Rescue from their Shore Acres home Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Hurricane Idalia made landfall Wednesday in Florida as a Category 3 storm and unleashed devastation along a wide stretch of the Gulf Coast, submerging homes and vehicles, turning streets into rivers, unmooring small boats and downing power lines in an area that has never before received such a pummeling. (Jennifer Glenfield/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
A man walks his motorcycle to Desoto Park after attempting to ride through an impassable South Bermuda Boulevard at Palmetto Beach in Tampa, Fla., as Hurricane Idalia makes landfall on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. (Ivy Ceballo/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
A mailbox stands on Hibiscus Avenue South stands in floodwaters as Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida’s Gulf Coast, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in Pasadena, Fla. (Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
