RICHMOND, Va. – With the start of the new school year just five days away, officials announced a surprise change to the start times of most high schools in Richmond on Thursday.
The change grew out of the recent revelation that Richmond Public Schools (RPS) has not provided the appropriate amount of instructional time to students in past year, according to the Virginia Department of Education.
Kenita Bowers, a spokesperson for RPS, said the administration has been working with high school principals to "achieve consistency in high school bell scheduling and to ensure that all students receive the requisite number of hours for their courses."
As a result, Bowers said some high schools have made "slight" changes to the start of the school day for this 2018-2019 school year.
“Huguenot High School will start at 7:45 a.m. to accommodate for transition times between classes due to the size of their building and student body,” Bowers said. “Open [High School has made no adjustments. All other high schools will start at 7:50 a.m. This information is being shared with parents by principals this week and will be updated on the RPS website.”
- Armstrong High School -- 7:50 a.m.
- George Wythe High School -- 7:50 a.m.
- Huguenot High School -- 7:45 a.m.
- John Marshall High School -- 7:50 a.m.
- Open High School -- No Change (8 a.m.)
- Richmond Community High School -- 7:50 a.m.
- Thomas Jefferson High School -- 7:50 a.m.
Some parents and students had not yet been notified about the change as of Thursday. If you have any questions or concerns, contact your child's school.
