CodeRVA to serve as model for other lab schools – if GA approves Youngkin’s $150M budget request

During a Thursday visit to CodeRVA Regional High School in Richmond, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said he wants the school to serve as a model and hub for seven more schools like it in a statewide network of computer science lab schools. Youngkin applauded CodeRVA, a public magnet school, for its “innovation and excellence.”

The plan for seven new computer science lab schools is part of Youngkin’s overarching plan to create 20 lab schools, which are K-12 schools partnered with a higher education institution to focus on innovative curriculum outside the traditional public education system.

But the plan for new lab schools is contingent upon the General Assembly’s approval – both in funding and in legislation.

Youngkin requested a one-time $150-million fund in his budget proposal to jump start the Lab School Fund, which would fund the initial investments needed to create the new schools.

The fate of that budget proposal lies with the General Assembly, which failed to reach a budget deal during the regular session that ended March 12. A special session convened April 4, and the budget is still in limbo with a Republican-controlled House of Delegates and Democrat-run Senate, whose members have expressed reservations about investing money in schools that are not traditional public schools.

“When the General Assembly sends the governor a bill and budget supporting lab schools, we will be able to expand computer science opportunities modeled on this wildly successful high school across the commonwealth,” said Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera on Thursday. “School divisions, higher education partners, and CodeVA are ready to go.”

A model school

CodeRVA, which is housed in the Michael & Son building at 2601 Durham Street in Richmond, serves about 340 students from 15 school divisions. The majority of the students come from Richmond, Henrico and Chesterfield.

The idea of CodeRVA is to equip students to be able to go straight into the workforce from high school for computer-science based jobs, or to attend a university.

Any rising ninth-grader who is a resident in a partner in division is eligible to apply. Students are admitted based purely upon a lottery system – there are no essays, interviews, tests, or minimum academic requirements to enter. The lottery is designed to create a school that is representative of the unique socio-economic factors present in each school division. It also helps to increase the number of female students accessing computer science, a field that is dominated by men.

The instructional model for CodeRVA is very different from that of a comprehensive high school. It uses small group instruction instead of large lecture-based classes, and students complete a great deal of independent work. The school also uses hybrid learning, and has been doing so since long before the COVID-19 pandemic.

CodeRVA students scored 100% in both reading and Algebra II on last year’s Standards of Learning assessments, according to the school’s executive director. These results are striking, especially compared to state averages of 67% in reading and 78% in Algebra II for the same year.

About 29% of the school’s graduates last year earned an Associates Degree in addition to their high school diplomas.

Speaking to a group of CodeRVA students, Youngkin said that the next leaders of the world were in the room.

“There's an Elon Musk in this room. There are barrier-breakers in this room,” he said. “What happens every day in here is something that we all, including companies like Google, want to replicate across Virginia and across the country. You are all leading. You should be very, very proud.”

Last week, Google pledged to invest $300 million in Virginia, including a $250,000 grant to CodeVA, the advocacy organization started by Rebecca and Chris Dovi in 2013 that helped create CodeRVA. Google representatives said they want to help create the computer science lab school network.

Solution to a funding void

CodeRVA is a regional high school, but is unique in the fact that it doesn’t fit the typical funding model for regional schools. It doesn’t receive any state dollars.

The school is funded in part by the 15 school divisions that supply students to it and is governed by its own school board, with one representative from each division. The board is chaired by Marcie Shea of Henrico’s Tuckahoe District, who also serves as chairwoman of the elected Henrico School Board.

Each school division pays for the amount of seats it has at CodeRVA.

Henrico County Public Schools has 73 students in CodeRVA, and the school division receives free tuition for one of them in recognition of HCPS serving as the fiscal agent for CodeRVA. HCPS’ adopted budget for the fiscal year beginning in July includes a budget for 72 students at $828,000 ($11,500 per student).

The other piece of funding comes from the federal government.

In 2017, CodeRVA received a Magnet Schools Assistance program grant of about $6 million from the U.S. Department of Education to get the school up and running.

But those federal funds run out in September. The project originally was slated for four years to end in 2021, but it’s now in its fifth year due to a no-cost extension running through September, according to board minutes.

From the original grant award of about $6 million, the remaining balance was about $700,000 as of January. The remaining funds have been allocated to staff salaries, an external evaluation, and professional development services.

Members of the regional school’s governing board have been talking with state administration about the vacuum of funding.

CodeRVA Executive Director Kume Goranson, whose position is a mix between principal and superintendent, said she will apply for the school to be identified as a lab school in hopes of partnering with other regions to share the school’s innovative instructional model in the potential new network of computer science focused lab schools.

Youngkin applies pressure on GA for lab school funding

The way forward for CodeRVA and the other potential schools modeled after it will be lab school partnerships, Youngkin said.

Youngkin first announced his lab school plan at an event in January at which he gathered the leaders of more than two dozen higher education institutions in Virginia, including the presidents of all five historically Black colleges and universities in the commonwealth. Those leaders signed a “collaborative agreement” on behalf of their institutions that signifies their commitment to develop lab schools, according to the Youngkin administration. A lab school could be a completely new school, or a local school board could convert an existing facility into a lab school.

The other hurdle to get lab schools off the ground is the legislation. Current law allows only a higher education institution that operates a teacher education program to create a lab school.

But proposed legislation, which has been continued to the 2022 Special Session of the General Assembly, would essentially open up the opportunity to every higher education institution in Virginia.

The House and Senate are carrying different versions of the bill. The House bill would allow for-profit colleges to apply for lab schools partnerships. The Senate version, which has been amended in order to get Democrats on board while keep Republicans on board, restricts the partnerships to public colleges and universities or nonprofit private institutions. Other provisions in the Senate version include language that would require applicants to collaborate with local school boards.

Del. Schyuler VanValkenburg (D-Henrico), who is also a teacher at Glen Allen High School, said it’s the Senate bill or nothing.

“I actually think the legislation that got through the Senate tightened up the lab school law that's on the books and made it better,” VanValkenburg said in an interview. “I think it's good policy. I just don't think it's going to end up leading to very much practically speaking, if it does pass.”

Stafford County Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Taylor announced on Thursday his commitment to expanding CodeRVA’s model to Stafford County through a new potential lab school in partnership with the University of Mary Washington.

Other public school divisions and higher education centers across Virginia that have committed to establishing computer science lab schools (if the initiative is supported by the General Assembly) include Chesapeake Public Schools and Old Dominion University, Harrisonburg City Public Schools and James Madison University, as well as Loudoun County Public Schools, Roanoke Higher Education Center, and Southwest Higher Education Center, according to the Youngkin administration.

“We've already got all the partners ready to come around this — the universities, the colleges, the community colleges, school boards, higher ed centers, everything,” Youngkin said in an interview with the Citizen. “We will have seven of these (schools) in no time.”

If, that is, the General Assembly funds them.

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Anna Bryson is the Henrico Citizen’s education reporter and a Report for America corps member. Make a tax-deductible donation to support her work, and RFA will match it dollar for dollar. Sign up here for her free weekly education newsletter.