Superintendent Jason Kamras told the City Council Education & Human Services Committee that Richmond Public Schools’ Class of 2025 had a graduation rate of 80 percent — the first time the division has crossed the 80 percent threshold in nearly a decade. He said the rate for economically disadvantaged students was 84 percent and the graduation rate for Black students was 88 percent, both the highest on record in the Virginia Department of Education dataset that dates to February 2008.

Kamras said statewide-standards of learning (SOL) results also improved year over year. He summarized the gains with a mnemonic and numbers: math up 5 points, reading up 6 points, history up 7 points and science up 13 points. “My rising heart sings,” he said, using the phrase he introduced to help the committee remember the four subject areas.

The superintendent cautioned that one persistent challenge remains multilingual learners (English learners). He said some families have reduced school attendance amid fear of immigration enforcement actions in the area and that the district is working with city partners, including Richmond Police Department outreach, to address the problem.

Kamras also told the committee that the school board is discussing proposed revisions to its collective bargaining resolution. He said the board asked for more time and will continue conversations with union partners, with a plan to return the item for consideration in November.

Council members praised the reported progress. Council Member Jones offered congratulations; Council Member Bridal and others noted improvements since 2020 and encouraged continued joint advocacy for school funding.

No formal actions were taken by the committee on the superintendent’s report.