Superintendent Camrys, Richmond Public Schools, told the Education and Human Services Standing Committee that the Class of 2025 achieved an 80% graduation rate, the district’s first time above that threshold in nearly a decade.

The superintendent said the district’s economically disadvantaged students reached an 84% graduation rate — the highest on record in state data going back to February 2008 — and Black students recorded an 88% graduation rate, also the highest on record in that dataset.

The superintendent framed those improvements as part of a sustained upward trend and noted gains on Standards of Learning exams (SOLs) across subjects: “My math has gone up 5 points. Rising reading has gone up 6 points. Heart history has gone up 7 points. Sing science has gone up 13 points,” she said, using a mnemonic she shared with the committee to summarize math, reading, history and science gains.

The presentation emphasized persistent gaps. Superintendent Camrys identified multilingual learners (students learning English as an additional language) as a subgroup experiencing setbacks tied to lower attendance, which she said is in part “due to the threat of ICE raids in the area.” She asked the city and Richmond Police Department for continued partnership to address that attendance and safety concern.

Camrys also told the committee the school board is continuing discussions about proposed edits to the district’s collective bargaining resolution; the board decided to take additional time and will revisit the changes in November after more conversations with union partners.

Council members responded with congratulations and encouragement. Council member Jones called the improvement “astonishing,” and other members praised collaboration between the school board and district staff. The superintendent invited questions and said she would return for future joint planning, including a legislative roundtable the committee noted is scheduled for Oct. 29 at noon.

The committee did not take any formal action on the school report during the meeting.