School Applications

What is Open Enrollment?
Open enrollment allows K-12 students to apply to schools outside their zone based on home address. Families can apply to up to three schools, plus Patrick Henry School of Science & Arts for grades K-5.

Applications open Monday, October 14, 2024, and the deadline to apply for open enrollment is Friday, January 31, 2025 at 4:30 pm.

Who Can Apply?
Any Richmond City resident, including non-RPS students, may apply. Please note that the preschool program is not part of open enrollment

How Does It Work?
Families apply via Enroll RPS, select schools, and submit basic information. A randomized lottery determines placement. Selected families have 7 calendar days to accept. The remaining students are waitlisted. Once enrolled, students don’t need to reapply while attending the same school.

My child attends a school through a previous open enrollment lottery. Do they need to reapply?
No. Students who are already enrolled at an RPS school through a previous year's open enrollment lottery do not need to reapply to continue attending that school in the next school year or for any subsequent years within the school's grade range (e.g., K-5, 6-8, 9-12).

What school zone do I live in?
Each residence in the City of Richmond is assigned a zone school for elementary (K-5), middle (6-8), and high school (9-12) levels. Your zone school is determined by the physical address where you live. Use our School Locator to identify your current zone schools based on your address.

Information about RPS's residency policy is available on our Board Docs website. 

Can I apply to comprehensive high schools via open enrollment?
Yes. Students who will be in high school in school year 2024-2025 can apply to attend a comprehensive high school other than their zone school via open enrollment.

How are siblings prioritized in the open enrollment lottery?
When applying to the lottery, siblings must be submitted as separate lottery entries. There may be instances where one sibling is admitted to an out-of-zone school and the other sibling is not. However, twins or multiple births are prioritized together in their lottery entries (separate applications must be submitted) such that if one twin receives a seat, the other will also.

Students whose sibling(s) attend an out-of-zone school via open enrollment from a previous year are prioritized in the lottery. Admission for the sibling who is new to the out-of-zone school will be contingent on available space at the requested school at the requested grade level. Additionally, the already enrolled student must remain enrolled for the application year. For example, a rising kindergarten student whose sibling is a 5th grader attending an out-of-zone elementary school will not be prioritized in the lottery, as their older sibling will move to middle school the following year.

When does the open enrollment application window close?
Open enrollment applications for school year 2025-26 must be submitted in Enroll RPS (enrollrps.schoolmint.com) by Friday, January 31, 2025 at 4:30 pm.

I am an RPS employee and want my child to attend an out-of-zone school. What are my next steps?
Richmond School Board Policy 8-2.6 states that parents or guardians of dependent children who are full-time employees of RPS and do not live in Richmond City may enroll their child in an RPS school after RPS has met all local, state, and federal requirements regarding the enrollment of resident children, including exhausting all open enrollment options first.

Parents or guardians of dependent children who are full-time employees of RPS and do live in Richmond City must enter the open enrollment process as any other Richmond resident student.

The full text of this policy is below:

"Subject to the approval of the division superintendent or his/her designee, parents or guardians of dependent children who are full-time employees of Richmond Public Schools and who are not residents of the City of Richmond may enroll their children in Richmond Public Schools on a tuition waived basis, subject to the availability of space, as determined after Richmond Public Schools has met all local, state and federal requirements regarding the enrollment of resident children, including fully exhausting all open enrollment options. This shall not be deemed to include alternative public school programs for which Richmond Public Schools is assessed per pupil tuition. Any children of an employee attending a Richmond Public Schools facility through placement made prior to January 4, 2010, may continue in that placement through the terminal grade offered at that school.

Parents or guardians of dependent children who are full-time employees of Richmond Public Schools seeking enrollment in an out-of-zone school with limited space availability and who are residents of the City of Richmond will be entered into the open enrollment process as any other student who parents are residents of the city would do, or, in the case of specialty or alternative programs, enter the prescribed admissions process for that placement."

How do I accept a seat offer? 
If your child was offered a seat for a particular school, the status row will read "Offered Placement". Additionally, you will see "Accept Seat" or "Decline Seat" buttons that will allow you to indicate your decision. To accept a seat, simply click "Accept Seat".

My child received multiple seat offers. Can I accept more than one?
No. Students can only accept one seat offer; however, students may elect to remain on the waitlist at multiple schools. The decision to accept an initial seat offer will not remove a student from other waitlists, or decline any pending offers, but will automatically decline any previously accepted seats. 

What if my child is not offered a seat at any school for which they applied?
If a student is not offered a seat at any school for which they applied (either via the open enrollment lottery or through the specialty school application process), the student must attend their zone school.

If I receive an offer from the waitlist, what are my next steps?
If you were originally on a waitlist but later receive a seat offer, you may accept that seat offer by logging into the Enroll RPS portal and selecting "Accept Placement". Doing so will decline any previously accepted offer, if applicable.

I was waitlisted last year at the school of my choice. Do I need to reapply?
Yes. If you would like for your child to attend an out-of-zone school, and you did not accept a seat offer for the current school year, you must reapply for school year 2025-26. Waitlists do not carry over year to year.

Is transportation provided if my child accepts an open enrollment seat?
Transportation is not provided for students attending a school through open enrollment. Transportation for students admitted to RPS specialty schools or regional governor's schools receive transportation through a hub system.

What RPS schools are considered specialty schools and have an application process for admission?

Applications must be completed to the following schools:

• Franklin Military Academy (rising 6th and 9th grade students may apply)
• Open High School (rising 9th and 10th grade students may apply)
• Richmond Community High School (rising 9th and 10th grade students may apply)
• The IB Diploma Programme at Thomas Jefferson HS (rising 11th grade students may apply)

Who can submit specialty school applications?
Any Richmond City resident, including students who do not currently attend Richmond Public Schools, may apply to schools via the specialty school application process.

What are the components of the specialty school application?
RPS now has a common application, which includes grade point average (calculated internally), writing (completed in person), an in-person interview, and two teacher recommendations.

My child attends a specialty school through a prior year application. Do they need to reapply?
No. Students who are already enrolled at an RPS specialty school via a previous year's application process do not need to reapply to attend that school next year. However, Franklin Military Academy 8th graders wishing to continue at Franklin Military Academy must apply to 9th grade to remain there.

How many schools can I apply to?
There is no limit to the number of specialty schools to which a student may apply, though students may only apply to specialty schools for which they are eligible.

When will results be available for applications submitted for SY2025-26?
Results will be posted on Enroll RPS during the afternoon of Friday March 7, 2025. 

How do I accept a seat offer? 
If your child was offered a seat for a particular school, the status row will read "Offered Placement". Additionally, you will see "Accept Seat" or "Decline Seat" buttons that will allow you to indicate your decision. To accept a seat, simply click "Accept Seat".

My child received multiple seat offers. Can I accept more than one?
No. Students can only accept one seat offer; however, students may elect to remain on the waitlist at multiple schools. The decision to accept an initial seat offer will not remove a student from other waitlists.

Is transportation provided if my child accepts a specialty school seat?
Yes. Transportation is provided for specialty and governor's schools via a hub system.

What if my child is not offered a seat at any school for which they applied?
If a student is not offered a seat at any school, they may be placed on a waitlist. Their movement on the waitlist will depend on their current school and their ED status. If no seat is offered by the last day of the first week of school (for RPS specialty schools) or by the end of the first semester (for regional governor’s schools), the student will only be eligible to attend their zoned school for the 2025-26 school year.

How does the waitlist work for specialty schools?
Waitlist movement is based on each school's selection rules. Vacant seats are filled as they become available

If I receive an offer from the waitlist, what are my next steps?
If a student was originally on a waitlist but later receives a seat offer, they may accept that seat by logging into the Enroll RPS portal and selecting "Accept Placement." Doing so will decline any previously accepted offers, if applicable. Families will receive an email notifying them of any changes to their student's waitlist status and will have 7 calendar days to make an acceptance decision from the date of receiving the email.

Can I appeal a selective admissions school decision?
Yes. If you wish to file an appeal to a selective admissions school application decision, you may do so by first contacting the principal of the specific school. Appeal requests must be shared with the appropriate school team in writing (via email or otherwise) no later than 4:30 pm on Friday, March 21, 2025. Appeals may be made only on application process-related grounds.

Who determines the total number of ARGS seats allocated to Richmond City?
The RPS School Board allocates funding in its annual budget for seats at ARGS. The Regional School Board confirms seat allocations.

What does “alternate status” mean?
Alternate status is the ARGS term for the waitlist. Students on the waitlist are ranked according to the student’s composite score in their focus area (dance, instrumental music, literary arts, musical theater, technology, theater, visual arts, and vocal music).

Is the ranking on the waitlist for Richmond City students released to parents and schools?
The ranking on the waitlist will not be available to parents/guardians on Enroll RPS. If they receive an offer, students will be notified by email, application portal, or telephone. A student’s waitlist status is based on their focus area (dance, instrumental music, literary arts, musical theater, technology, theater, visual arts, and vocal music).

What should the student do if a student on the waitlist receives an offer from another school (e.g., MLWGS or Richmond Community High School)?
If the student is interested in enrolling at another school, the student is advised to accept the offer. If the student is offered admission to ARGS at a later date, the student may withdraw from the program initially selected and accept the offer to attend ARGS.

What criteria are used in determining student selection?
Grades (core classes from the 1st semester of 7th grade and the 1st semester of 8th grade), rigor (assessment of the student’s participation in a rigorous program of studies at the middle school level), a writing sample, an interview, two recommendations, and an audition/portfolio review are used to determine the student’s composite score.

How are applications evaluated?
The Coordinator of Admissions and members of the Regional Core Committee, composed of gifted education program administrators, educators representing the participating school divisions, and content-area experts, oversee the evaluation process as the Regional Selection Committee.

What are the maximum points a student can receive in each category?
The table below breaks down each component of the ARGS composite score. 

How do I accept a seat offer?
If your student was offered a seat for a particular school, the status row on your Enroll RPS dashboard will read “Offered Placement.” Additionally, you will see “Accept Seat” or “Decline Seat” buttons that will allow you to indicate your decision. To accept a seat, simply click “Accept Seat.” Please decline other offers at this time.

How long do students remain on the waitlist?
Students will remain on the waitlist until the 2025 winter break.

When is the due date for students offered admission?
Students must indicate in the Enroll RPS portal whether they accept or decline their offers to attend ARGS by ten (10) business days after receiving the offer. Initial response is due Friday, March 21, 2025. Appeals must be in writing and emailed to Lynn Pleveich. Coordinator, Programs for Gifted and Talented at lpleveic@rvaschools.net.

Where may I obtain information on bus transportation to the Governor’s School?
Students attending ARGS will have bus routes posted at their high schools and on the RPS transportation page. ARGS classes begin at 8:30 am and end at 3:30 pm.

If a student who is offered admission declines the offer, can the student enter the Governor’s School later?
No. A student on the waitlist will fill the available position.

May students reapply for admission?
No. Applications are only accepted from students during their 8th-grade year according to the timeline stated in the ARGS Admissions packet online.

If I am not an RPS student and have accepted admission to ARGS as a Richmond resident, do I have to register as an RPS student?
Yes, all city residents who are not RPS students must register on the Enroll RPS portal after accepting a seat at ARGS. Proof of residency is required. Please direct enrollment questions to enrollrps@rvaschools.net. 

Who can apply to MLWGS?
All 8th grade students who are enrolled in Algebra I or a higher math, and who are current residents of Richmond, may apply.

Who determines the number of Governor’s School slots allocated to Richmond City?
The RPS School Board allocates funding in their annual budget for seats at regional governor’s schools, including MLWGS. The Regional School Board confirms seat allocations.

What does “alternate status” mean?
Alternate status is the MLWGS term for the waitlist.

Is the ranking on the waitlist for Richmond City students released to parents and schools?
The ranking on the waitlist will not be available to parents/guardians, students will be notified by email, portal notification, or telephone if they are selected to attend MLWGS.

What should the student do if a student on the waitlist is offered to another school (e.g., Appomattox Governor’s School, Open High, Community High, or Franklin Military Academy)?
If the student is interested in enrolling at another school, the student is advised to accept the offer. If the student is offered admission to the MLWGS later, the student may withdraw from the program initially selected and accept the offer to attend.

What criteria are used to determine student selection?
Grades (core classes from the 1st semester of 7th grade and the 1st semester of 8th grade), rigor (assessment of the student’s participation in a rigorous program of studies offered at the middle school level), a standardized ability test, an in-person writing sample, and two recommendations are used to determine the student’s total composite score.

How are applications evaluated?
The Coordinator of Admissions and members of the Regional Planning Committee, composed of gifted education program administrators and educators representing the participating school divisions, oversee the evaluation process as the Regional Selection Committee.

What are the components of the application rubric and the maximum points a student can receive for each?
You can review the section of our website labeled "Rubrics" at rvaschools.net/schoolapplications to find the components and corresponding points for admission to MLWGS.

When is the due date for students offered admission?
Students must indicate in the Enroll RPS portal whether they accept or decline their offers to MLWGS by ten (10) business days after receiving them. Initial offers require a response by March 21, 2025, by 11:59 PM. Appeals must be in writing and emailed to Lynn Pleveich. Coordinator, Programs for Gifted and Talented  at lpleveic@rvaschools.net. 

How long do students remain on the waitlist?
Students will remain on the waitlist (alternate status) until the end of the first semester of their 9th grade year.

How does the waitlist work for Maggie L. Walker Governor's School?
Initial seat offers were filled following the three selection phases approved by the Richmond Public Schools School Board on September 18, 2023. Any vacant seats that open due to declined seat offers will be filled following the same selection process of phases 1, 2, and 3, to maintain the integrity of the new selection rules for the entirety of the application year.

Where may I obtain information on bus transportation to the Governor’s School?
MLWGS students will have bus routes posted at their high schools and on the RPS transportation page.

If a student offered admission declines the offer, can the student enter the Governor’s School later?
No. A student on the waitlist will fill the available position.

May students reapply for admission?
No. Applications are only accepted from 8th graders according to the 2024 MLWGS Admissions Handbook timeline.

If I am not an RPS student and have accepted admission to MLWGS as a Richmond resident, do I have to register as an RPS student?
Yes. All city residents who are not RPS students must register on the Enroll RPS portal at Enroll RPS after accepting a seat at MLWGS. Proof of residency is required. Please direct enrollment questions to enrollrps@rvaschools.net.

What are the MLWGS hours?
Classes begin at 8:40 am and end at 3:15 pm.

Where may I obtain further information about MLWGS?
The MLWGS website provides additional information about the school.