All 13 Henry County public schools improved their overall scores under Virginia’s School Performance and Support Framework for 2025-26, although five schools received federal targeted support designations because of academic performance among students with disabilities.
Four schools — Rich Acres Elementary, Sanville Elementary, Bassett High School and Magna Vista High School — earned Distinguished ratings, the highest category under the Virginia Department of Education’s framework.
The remaining nine schools earned overall point totals within the Meets Expectations range. However, five of those schools received a lower reported rating of Approaching Expectations because of their federal Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) designations.
Those schools are Campbell Court Elementary, Drewry Mason Elementary, Meadow View Elementary, Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School and Laurel Park Middle School.
The designations were based on performance among students with disabilities.
“This growth is something our entire school community should be proud of,” said Superintendent Amy Blake-Lewis. “Every one of our schools improved its Framework score, and that does not happen by accident. It reflects the focused work of our students, teachers, principals, support staff, and families. The strategies we have put in place are working, and our progress gives us reason to celebrate—but it also raises our expectations for what comes next.”
School-level score increases ranged from 3.8 to 10.8 points.
Rich Acres Elementary recorded the division’s largest gain, improving 10.8 points to an overall score of 93.9.
Stanleytown Elementary followed with a 9.7-point increase, while Bassett High School improved by 9.5 points and Axton recorded a 9.2-point gain.
The School Performance and Support Framework evaluates schools using multiple indicators, including student mastery, academic growth and readiness. High school evaluations also include graduation measures.
The framework incorporates federal accountability requirements that examine academic performance among specific student groups, including students with disabilities.
Under the state’s accountability system, a federal TSI designation lowers a school’s reported performance category by one level, according to the school division.
That means the five identified Henry County schools received Approaching Expectations ratings despite earning overall point totals within the Meets Expectations range.
“We want our families and community to understand both parts of this story,” Blake-Lewis said. “Our schools made meaningful progress, and we should celebrate that progress. At the same time, the data are clear that our Students with Disabilities are not yet experiencing the level of academic success we expect for every student in HCPS. We take that seriously.”
The division said it has begun examining academic performance among students with disabilities at all schools, not just those receiving federal targeted support designations.
That review will focus on instructional practices, student progress monitoring and additional support intended to improve academic outcomes.
“Our response cannot simply be about changing a designation,” Blake-Lewis said. “It must be about changing outcomes for students. We are looking closely at what our data tell us, what students need from us, and what we must do differently. Every student deserves access to high-quality, grade-level instruction and the support necessary to be successful.”
The division plans to place additional emphasis on using Individualized Education Programs as instructional tools, strengthening collaboration between general and special education teachers and monitoring student progress more frequently.
School officials also plan to use student-level performance data to guide instruction and increase shared responsibility for academic outcomes among teachers, administrators and other division personnel.
The latest results follow earlier recognition from the Virginia Department of Education.
According to the division, Henry County Public Schools was among nine school divisions statewide recognized for achieving at least three percentage points of growth in both reading and mathematics.
Blake-Lewis said the division will continue emphasizing its approach of Structure, Strategy, and Consistency as it works to improve academic performance.
“Structure means having systems that allow us to identify student needs early. Strategy means responding with the right instructional practices and supports. Consistency means doing that work for every student, in every classroom, every day,” Blake-Lewis said. “We are proud of how far our schools have come, and we are equally committed to addressing the areas where our students are telling us through the data that we must do better.”
The division said it will continue working with school leaders, teachers, families and the Virginia Department of Education to address areas of concern while building on the improvements reflected in this year’s results.
