Education

There is no Department of Defense Dependents Schools at Defense Supply Center Richmond. Personnel reside in a number of cities and counties in the area and their school-age children attend institutions in Chesterfield County, the City of Richmond, Colonial Heights, Petersburg and Prince George Counties. For more information, contact the specific school district.

Since 1995, Virginia has been committed to the Standards of Learning program emphasizing the need for improving public education in four core subjects: English, mathematics, science, and history and social science.

The achievements resulting from the SOL program are also reflected in other important ways. Results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the latest SAT tests and the number of students taking Advanced Placement courses show substantial progress in students' achievement in public schools.

Virginia ranks first in the South and 10th in the nation in the percentage of students taking the SAT-1 that measures the verbal and math abilities for successful performance in college. Gains also have been recorded in the average score in math.

The steady improvement on the SAT-1 reflects very favorably on the quality of teachers in our public schools. The percentage of students taking the SAT is well above the national average. Gains made by Virginia students on the 2000 NAEP mathematics tests are among the highest in the nation. The average score of fourth-graders taking the NAEP reading test and the average score of Virginia students taking the eighth-grade writing test exceed the national average.

Virginia is one of three states recognized by the National Education Goals Panel for leading the nation in a key measure of student achievement, the increase in the number of students qualifying for college credit on Advanced Placement examinations. While Defense Supply Center Richmond's employees live in a number cities and counties in the commonwealth, the majority of its employees live in Chesterfield County, Richmond, Colonial Heights, Petersburg and Prince George County.

Chesterfield County Schools

Chesterfield is one of the 100 largest school districts in the nation and is consistently named by SchoolMatch, an educational research firm, as one of the top school districts in the nation that have what parents want. More than 53,000 students attend 59 schools in kindergarten through 12^th grade. There is a preschool program for children with disabilities who must be two years old by Sept. 30 to enroll.

High school students may attend the comprehensive high school in their neighborhood or apply to attend one of the specialty centers catering to students with special interests or talents and operating within the comprehensive high schools. Two regional Governor's Schools, an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program and a Mathematics and Science High School are among the other options.

The Chesterfield Technical Center serves all high schools and offers more than 25 career courses, including computer information systems, electronics, auto mechanics, horticulture and landscaping, culinary arts and licensed practical nursing. Chesterfield Community High School is the first county charter school and offers alternative education options. Perrymont Middle School is another alternative option.

The growing diversity in the school system is reflected in the growth of the English as a Second Language program. The school division serves about 750 students representing more than 25 native languages in 12 school ESL centers. About 9,000 students are eligible for a full range of special education services. There are a variety of options for students identified as gifted, based on aptitude and performance, including elementary and middle school center-based programs. For more information on gifted programs, call 804-560-2770; for special education, call 804-560-2732.

Richmond City Schools

Richmond has a student population of approximately 27,000 in its 31 elementary schools, 10 middle schools and nine high schools. It has comprehensive and alternative secondary programs, and has one of the state’s premier facilities, the Richmond Technical Center. The Regional Governor’s Schools for Government and International Studies and the Regional Mathematics and Science Center are located there. Richmond seniors earn nearly $16 million in scholarships, grants and aid annually.

Petersburg City Schools

Petersburg City Schools is a K-12 Public School District with seven elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school with an approximate enrollment of 6,000.

Dozens of businesses and community members have signed up to volunteer in Petersburg schools this year as part of Gov. Mark R. Warner’s Partnership for Achieving Successful Schools initiative, including 45 Virginia State University students, several area churches, the Petersburg Breakfast and Lunch Rotary Clubs, the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, St. Stephen’s, Poplar Springs and New Millennium Studios. Several city council members have also signed up to volunteer.

Each school in Petersburg has a PASS coordinator who reports directly to the division’s PASS coordinator. More than 42 businesses and individuals have signed up to be PASS partners and are actively participating in the program.

Petersburg Public Schools is committed to providing a quality, differentiated curriculum and instruction that meets the needs of gifted learners. Gifted students are provided with opportunities to develop their potential fully through appropriately differentiated curricula that is enriched, accelerated and extended. Teachers of the gifted are afforded professional development opportunities in identification, theory, research, instructional strategies, techniques and best practices unique to gifted education.

Colonial Heights Public Schools

Colonial Heights Public Schools provides outstanding educational programs for about 2,700 students. The system is composed of three elementary schools (K-5^th grade), a middle school (6^th-8^th grades), a high school and technical center (9^th-12^th grades). All of the schools are accredited by the Virginia Board of Education and by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Prince George County Schools

Prince George County's public school system consists of 10 schools: five primary, two middle, two junior highs and one senior high school. The county provides a full range of programs such as the Parents Active in Cooperative Education program for gifted and talented students, special education programs for students with special needs and advanced curriculum classes for students that excel in certain areas.

Prince George also provides computer education all the way through school, from kindergarten through 12^th grade, to prepare students for the challenges and technology that lie ahead. Prince George also provides summer school from 8^th-12^th grade each year in accordance with the State Board of Education. A variety of traditional and nontraditional curriculum choices, as well as alternative approaches to education, are available at area private schools.