The Richmond Public Schools Dreams4RPS plans came true as they revealed slight enrollment increases for the 2024-2025 school year at Monday night’s School Board meeting.

RPS Director of Enrollment, Placement and Planning Luke Hostetter, presented to the School Board the increase in enrollments for the school division, which is one of the top 10 goals of Dreams4RPS. The school division and the community created Dreams4RPS as a long-term plan that lists goals to reach within five years.

RPS’ current enrollment is 21,427 students, which is up from last year’s 21,259 students. In addition, the school division also enrolled 233 more students from the fall membership count, which occurs each year on Sept. 30, totaling that enrollment to 21,660 students. Hostetter reported to the board that the fall enrollment rates throughout the past three academic years have been stable, despite the pandemic.

“Our fall membership has been stable, despite what we have seen, what projections have indicated across the state of Virginia and particularly for urban areas rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Hostetter said.

He explained that one key factor in the enrollment increase is the school division’s effort to inform families of preschoolers advancing to kindergarten about the enrollment process. Families received reminders of deadlines through messages, emails and phone calls. 

“We continue to enroll every day and my department thinks a great deal about how we can best serve students and families in entering RPS,” Hostetter told the board. “Our goal is that everybody that is coming to RPS is sitting in a classroom learning on the first day and that enrollment is not a barrier to that.”

Superintendent Jason Kamras expressed his gratitude to Hostetter and the RPS Enrollment for their efforts.

“Obviously, there’s always more work to be done, but it is truly night-and-day for families to enroll in RPS and to apply for our specialty programs,” he said. “I’m so incredibly grateful for the work that you’re doing and for the feedback that we’ve received from tonight.”

The application deadline for open enrollment at RPS, the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts, and the Governor’s STEM Academy at RTC is Jan. 31, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. The deadline for specialty and regional Governor’s Schools is Dec. 2 at 4:30 p.m., while applications for CodeRVA Regional School are due by Feb. 14, 2025. All application results will be posted on Enroll RPS on the afternoon of March 7, 2025.

The School Board also unanimously approved renaming the Huguenot High School football field “Coach Richard McFee Field” in honor of McFee, who served as the school’s football coach for over 20 years. The longtime coach retired in 2007 due to health challenges. During his tenure, McFee led the Huguenot Falcons to 143 wins and 73 losses, securing three Central Region Division 5 titles along the way.