Richland School District Calendar 2026-2027

Richland's school culture has been shaped by a Tri-Cities economy built around science, energy, health care and the Columbia River. Eleven elementary schools feed four middle schools and the comprehensive high-school communities of Richland and Hanford. Students also encounter choice settings such as Delta High, River's Edge, Pacific Crest Online and Three Rivers HomeLink, but the two large high schools remain the main civic centers for arts, athletics and graduation.

Scientific work is unusually visible for a K–12 district. Richland students compete in regional and international research fairs, and two district students earned recognition at the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. Local laboratories, medical providers and technical employers create a pool of mentors and questions that can move from the community into student research.

The Academy of Health & Sciences at Richland High brings another sector into the school day. Developed with Columbia Basin College and Kadlec Regional Medical Center, it combines core and elective courses with certifications, college credit, job shadowing, internships and mentoring. Students remain connected to their home high schools while attending a minimum number of academy classes.

Music, drama and visual arts occupy an equally public place across the district. A Richland student can move between a research project, a stage production, a health-care internship and a Columbia River field study without leaving the broader school system. The city's professional culture supplies partners, while the schools turn those relationships into student work that can be tested, performed or presented.