Virginia is leading the nation in recovering from chronic absenteeism, according to Attendance Works, a nonprofit dedicated to improving school attendance.

Why it matters: Unsurprisingly, students who regularly miss school tend to perform worse than their peers academically, per the Virginia Department of Education.

The big picture: Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of the school year, or roughly two days a month.

• Chronic absenteeism in Virginia, like the rest of the nation, soared during the pandemic, going from roughly 10.6% in the 2018–19 school year to around 20% in 2021–22 and 2022–23, per Attendance Works and VDOE.
• In response, in 2023 Gov. Youngkin launched a Chronic Absenteeism Task Force as part of his ALL In initiative aimed at providing education and resources for local school districts to improve attendance.
• The state's absenteeism rate has been improving ever since, dropping to 15.7% in 2023–24 and 14.8% for last school year, per VDOE stats out this month.

Zoom in: Every Richmond-area school district's chronic absenteeism rate has improved since the 2022–23 school year, though some saw slight increases the year after, per a review of VDOE data.

• Richmond's chronic absenteeism rate was 20.5% in 2024–25, ⬇️ from 22.3% in 2023–24 and 25.3% in 2022–23.
• Chesterfield: 16.1% last year, ⬆️ from 15.6% in 2023–24 and way ⬇️ from 20.8% in 2022–23.
• Hanover: 14.2% in 2024–25, ⬇️ from 14.4% in 2023–24 and 17.3% in 2022–23.
• Henrico: 14.1% in 2024–25, ⬆️ from 13.6% in 2023–24, ⬇️ from 16.3% in 2022–23.

Between the lines: Research suggests that economically disadvantaged students have higher rates of chronic absenteeism than ones from more affluent families.

• So it's not surprising that Richmond — where 66% of students are economically disadvantaged, per VDOE — has the highest chronic absenteeism rate in the region.

Go deeper

A group of Richmonders is working to cement Virginia's influence on hip-hop.

Why it matters: "Virginia isn't looked at as a hip-hop capital, but we are," says Linwood Johnson, who co-founded the Virginia Hip-Hop Foundation to elevate that narrative.

State of play: The foundation, which launched last month, grew from Johnson's idea for an exhibit of legendary Virginia hip-hop duo Clipse at a Richmond museum.

• When he pitched it, the museum — which Johnson won't name until an official January announcement — proposed a statewide hip-hop exhibition in 2030.
• Some exhibits will start next year in Richmond, Johnson tells Axios.
• One in March will focus on Virginia women in hip-hop, and another in May will spotlight Asian Virginians' contributions.

Zoom in: The foundation's leaders include Richmond rapper Chance Fischer, marketer Vaughan Moss, and Ricky Parker, who founded Virginia Union University's hip-hop studies program.

• Johnson led that program and has worked with Pusha T, who grew up in Virginia Beach and was discovered by Pharrell Williams.

Fun fact: Pusha is part of Clipse, whose most recent album is expected to be in the running for album of the year at the Grammy's in 2026.

More Virginia hip-hop legends

🔆 The "C" and "A" in the neon Carytown sign are out for the second time since the welcome mat to the shopping district was illuminated last year. (WRIC)

• The first two letters also went out in November, and in May, the "TOWN" went dark. The Carytown Merchants Association says it's working on a permanent fix.

Charlie Kirk's Turning Point college campus tour is resuming following the conservative activist's killing. It'll be at Virginia Tech on Wednesday, featuring Megyn Kelly and Gov. Youngkin. (News release)

✈️ July was the Richmond airport's busiest month ever, with more than 467,000 passengers traveling. (Henrico Citizen)

🐐 Goat Yoga RVA was at least 100 people shy of setting a new Guinness World Record for the largest goat yoga class in the world. (WTVR)

• Organizers said they'll attempt it again.

Half of Virginia's top 10 universities slipped in the national rankings, according to U.S. News & World Report's latest best colleges report released Tuesday.

Why it matters: The majority of a school's overall score comes from how well students graduate and thrive after leaving campus (or grounds, if we're talking UVA).

The big picture: U.S. News' annual report is one of the most influential and controversial rankings of colleges nationwide.

• And since 2023, its methodology weighs outcomes — like graduation rates, student debt and earnings — more than ever before.

The latest: UVA remains the top college in Virginia (No. 26), followed by Virginia Tech, William & Mary, George Mason and VCU.

• But of the top 10 universities statewide, which remained unchanged from last year, only Hampton University and Tech kept their same national ranking.
• William & Mary, Marymount and ODU were the only ones that jumped in rank (more below).

Keep reading for where the top 10 schools ranked last year

Richmond's iconic "Tower House" hit the market late last month, marking the second time the South Richmond home has been listed for sale since its circa-1990s transformation.

Why it matters: It could be yours for a cool $1.875 million.

State of play: The Tower House is a stunning, four-story mid-century home on Riverside Drive in Westover Hills.

• The home boasts three bedrooms, four baths, a wraparound deck, gorgeous gardens, a chef's kitchen, wine locker and four-story glass tower.

Zoom in: But perhaps the most interesting thing about the house is its former life as a "humble 1959 ranch," per Richmond Magazine.

• For its first 30-odd years, the home was a one-story brick rancher until the former owners hired renowned local architect David Johannas to reimagine the design in the early 1990s.
• A mid-2010s interior renovation by the current owners brought the home its modern luxuries.

Fun fact: The home's listing price is exactly $1 million more than what it sold for in 2014, per city property records.

• Richmond real estate, man.

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