Henrico Schools officials seek more diversity among the county's Governor's School students

Henrico School Board members want to improve diversity and equity among the students Henrico selects to attend the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School in Richmond. The school draws from multiple localities; Henrico funds 180 seats for county students annually, at a cost of $8,400 apiece each year.

But among the county’s current group of students, only 7 are Black and just 2 are Hispanic – numbers woefully disproportionate to the county’s overall student population, several several board members implied during the board’s Dec. 10 work session.

Eighty-five of the students, or nearly 48%, are Asian or Pacific Islanders, while 65, or about 36%, are white, according to school system data. Blacks and whites each compose about 35% of the overall student population in Henrico, while Asians compose about 12% and Hispanics 11%.

Varina District board member Alicia Atkins and Three Chopt District board member Micky Ogburn suggested that some Blacks and other minority students don’t view admission to Maggie Walker as a viable option, while others may not be exposed to the possibility or even know about the application process.

Atkins suggested that the knowledge that so few Black students attend from Henrico also could be a deterrent for other Black students in the county who might otherwise consider it.

“A family might not want to put their child in that scenario knowing it’s only 3.9% [Black],” she said.

Ogburn, who serves as chair of the Regional School Board of Maggie Walker Governor’s School, said that feedback from some students has suggested that some minorities don't see it as a realistic opportunity.

“It’s an accessibility problem that we have, I think. The kids just don’t think that they can get in," Ogburn said. “They also don’t understand what it is that Maggie Walker does.”

She suggested the possibility of funding an additional 12 seats at the school, perhaps by adding 3 per year for four years or 6 per year for two.

But board chairman Roscoe Cooper, III said that while he didn’t object to that idea, he was more concerned about first adjusting the selection criteria that’s in place.

“If you add more slots right now contingent upon the criteria now, you’re going to get the same results,” he said. “The same kids are going to end up with the same slots.”

HCPS Director of Teaching, Learning and Innovation Mike Dussault told the board that officials are weighing adjustments to their selection process, as are their Richmond and Chesterfield counterparts.

“We’re looking for systemic change” in the way students are selected and represented at the school, he said.

Cooper urged officials to set tangible benchmarks so that they could have a clear idea of the new goals. Superintendent Amy Cashwell replied that her goal was to ensure that the demographic breakdown of Henrico students who attend the governor’s school mirrors that of the school system’s overall student population.