A Plethora of Hillsandheights School News

Here’s a roundup of local school news.  Do you have news from your school that you’d like to share? Email us, we’d love to include it here on Hills & Heights. Click through to see info on VPI classes, Patrick Henry and J.B. Fisher Elementary.

Consolidation of VPI classes?
From Fan of the Fan: RPS’s superintendent Dr. Yvonne W. Brandon is recommending that the school system’s 5 Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI’s) classes be consolidated to a single location at Mumford. This suggestion seems to be coming in absence of dialog with affected parents or teachers. Doesn’t relocating all the classes to a single building make them less accessible to the very people to whom they’re targeted? If RPS is not providing transportation to the children who fall outside of the Maymont zone, they’re cutting off a great education opportunity for many of the city’s lower income students.

Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts
RVAnews.com also had a great article that shed a little light on the opinions of the individual school board members when voting on the alternate location of the charter school. I personally was very thankful that our 45h district rep, Adria Graham Scott, voted to approve it. I appreciate her willingness to give the school a chance and I appreciate hearing her thoughts. We hear a lot from the chairperson, Kimberly Bridges, but not from our individual representatives, which I think is lamentable.

Richmond Free Press (links to a pdf) takes a swing at the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts, but they seem to have forgotten that the school IS A PUBLIC SCHOOL. It’s not taking money away from public school students, its providing them an additional public school choice.

J.B. Fisher Elementary School
And on a lighter note, J.B. Fisher is hosting its 3rd annual 5k and festival May 22. If you’re one of those crazy people who crave opportunities to pound the pavement, this race offers a beautiful Traylor Estates course. Sign up online for the race or show up for their carnival, craft fair and used book sale. The race starts at 9 and the festival begins at 10am. Come out for a little fun and support your local schools!