Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Harry E. James Elementary

Public Grades K-5

931^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,110 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 16% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Harry E. James Elementary is a public elementary school in Hopewell, Virginia, serving 501 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Hopewell City Public Schools district, which is ranked 125 out of 129 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Harry E. James Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Virginia elementary schools over the past 10 years, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. This is significantly lower than the nearby schools, which generally rank in the middle to upper half of Virginia elementary schools. The school's student performance on SOL (Standards of Learning) tests is consistently below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas, particularly in science and reading. Additionally, the school has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 15.7% to 29.8% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the nearby Patrick Copeland Elementary and Dupont Elementary schools.

Despite the school's low performance, it has relatively high per-student spending, ranging from $9,141 to $10,819 over the past few years. This suggests that the issue may not be a lack of funding, but rather how the resources are being utilized to support student learning and achievement. The nearby schools, while still generally underperforming compared to the state average, are significantly outperforming Harry E. James Elementary across various metrics, including statewide ranking, student performance, and socioeconomic factors, highlighting the need for a comprehensive review of the school's practices and strategies to address the underlying issues and improve student outcomes.

535

Students ?

11.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,840

Per pupil spending ?

101.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1807 Arlington Rd
Hopewell, VA 23860

(804) 541-6408

District: Hopewell City Public Schools

Students who attend Harry E. James Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Carter G. Woodson Middle
High:	Hopewell High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

57.0%

Hispanic:

17.9%

White:

13.8%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Harry E. James Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 15th percentile in 2015 → 16th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (54% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!Science scores 35 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school54%

District avg48%

Virginia avg71%

931^st of 1,110

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 16%▲ up 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Elementary Schools in the Hopewell City Public Schools

125^th of 129Hopewell City Public Schools among Virginia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	19.7	931 of 1110	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.0	971 of 1114	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.5	995 of 1114	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.6	988 of 1109	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.2	949 of 1103	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.7	962 of 1105	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.6	991 of 1097	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	23.5	955 of 1099	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	21.0	977 of 1096	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	24.4	935 of 1100	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	26.4	932 of 1110	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	34.9	819 of 1120	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	35.9	858 of 1117	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	21.0	1032 of 1117	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	37.1	868 of 1113	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	41.4	761 of 1082	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	41.5	746 of 1081	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	61.7	411 of 1083	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	56.5	491 of 1071	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2005	59.7	436 of 1062	58.9%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	28.8	461 of 579	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.9	482 of 588	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.8	475 of 579	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	13.2	990 of 1096	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.3	980 of 1098	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	7.9	1046 of 1100	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	67.9	185 of 606	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.8	254 of 580	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.2	372 of 564	34.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	32.5	766 of 1046	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.4	791 of 1036	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	25.5	869 of 1093	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.5	944 of 1101	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.3	900 of 1093	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	13.7	911 of 973	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.7	940 of 984	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2025)69th percentile+53 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)27th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)20th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2025)20th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)10th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)6th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

VA Studies58%-10 vs state

Mathematics57%-15 vs state

English Reading56%-14 vs state

Science34%-35 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Harry E. James Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Harry E. James Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Harry E. James Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SOL Mathematics (2025)			SOL Science (2025)	SOL English Reading (2025)			SOL VA Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Harry E. James Elementary	Public	K-5	1807 Arlington Rd	Hopewell	23860	Hopewell city	Hopewell City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 541-6408	535	47	11.3	101.5%	74 (13.8%)	305 (57.0%)	96 (17.9%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (10.1%)	19.7	931^st of 1110 public elementary schools	16.1%		16	971^st of 1114 public elementary schools	12.8%	40	71.0	58.1	42.2	33.8	50.7	63.1	54.1	58.3	$12,840	$1,807	$11,033
Dupont Elementary	Public	K-5	300 S. 18th Avenue	Hopewell	23860	Hopewell city	Hopewell City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 541-6406	589	41	14.5	100.2%	114 (19.4%)	299 (50.8%)	115 (19.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	58 (9.8%)	8.2	1044^th of 1110 public elementary schools	5.9%		22.9	920^th of 1114 public elementary schools	17.4%	124	45.2	45.4	51.2	51.6	46.2	48.0	52.8	37.2	$11,752	$2,345	$9,407
Patrick Copeland Elementary	Public	K-5	400 Westhill Drive	Hopewell	23860	Hopewell city	Hopewell City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 541-6410	579	43	13.6	100.0%	123 (21.2%)	300 (51.8%)	87 (15.0%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (10.9%)	7.1	1051^st of 1110 public elementary schools	5.3%		8.9	1040^th of 1114 public elementary schools	6.6%	11	47.8	39.1	44.6	44.3	38.0	50.5	56.7	43.0	$10,566	$1,233	$9,333
Middle Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5400 Middle Road	Prince George	23875	Prince George County	Prince George County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 733-2750	769	47	16.3	61.5%	248 (32.2%)	274 (35.6%)	162 (21.1%)	8 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.0%)	68 (8.8%)	59.7	478^th of 1110 public elementary schools	56.9%		46.2	657^th of 1114 public elementary schools	41.0%	179	69.7	78.2	71.4	68.5	69.7	82.8	74.6	82.5	$7,962	$399	$7,562
L.L. Beazley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6700 Courthouse Rd	Prince George	23875	Prince George County	Prince George County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 733-2745	507	36	14.0	65.9%	143 (28.2%)	207 (40.8%)	87 (17.2%)	12 (2.4%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	52 (10.3%)	66.6	397^th of 1110 public elementary schools	64.2%		67.2	391^st of 1114 public elementary schools	64.9%	6	82.7	86.2	79.2	70.1	80.0	78.5	66.2	81.8	$10,641	$965	$9,676
Enon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2001 E. Hundred Rd.	Chester	23836	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 530-5720	691	50	13.8	75.3%	308 (44.6%)	223 (32.3%)	92 (13.3%)	20 (2.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (6.8%)	49.3	605^th of 1110 public elementary schools	45.5%		50.3	614^th of 1114 public elementary schools	44.9%	9	68.8	70.8	75.9	72.4	67.6	73.5	71.6	58.9	$7,365	$629	$6,736
Tussing Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5501 Conduit Rd	Colonial Heights	23834	Colonial Heights city	Colonial Heights City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 524-3440	652	46	14.1	99.4%	360 (55.2%)	115 (17.6%)	94 (14.4%)	17 (2.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (9.8%)	59.2	488^th of 1110 public elementary schools	56.0%		59.8	491^st of 1114 public elementary schools	55.9%	3	78.7	83.2	70.2	60.4	75.3	80.2	68.3	81.9	$11,458	$471	$10,987
Elizabeth Scott Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	813 Beginners Trail Loop	Chester	23836	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 541-4660	729	59	12.2	77.2%	183 (25.1%)	157 (21.5%)	328 (45.0%)	20 (2.7%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.1%)	60.8	467^th of 1110 public elementary schools	57.9%		63.1	454^th of 1114 public elementary schools	59.2%	13	82.7	86.0	79.6	74.2	66.7	76.3	68.7	67.0	$8,031	$461	$7,570
Lakemont Elementary	Public	K-5	51 Gibbons St	Petersburg	23803	Petersburg city	Petersburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 862-7007	393	33	11.9	93.6%	17 (4.3%)	285 (72.5%)	81 (20.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.5%)	1.1	1107^th of 1110 public elementary schools	0.3%		0.5	1113^th of 1114 public elementary schools	0.1%	6	47.5	16.7	27.9	32.8	27.1	12.5	29.5	10.4	$8,675	$1,541	$7,134
North Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11106 Old Stage Rd	Prince George	23875	Prince George County	Prince George County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 458-8922	720	49	14.6	62.6%	337 (46.8%)	202 (28.1%)	106 (14.7%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.6%)	67 (9.3%)	56.6	523^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	52.9%		46.9	648^th of 1114 public elementary schools	41.8%	125	76.0	68.1	71.8	69.2	68.7	76.1	80.0	75.5	$8,888	$477	$8,412

Frequently Asked Questions about Harry E. James Elementary

What district is Harry E. James Elementary in?

Hopewell City Public Schools

Is Harry E. James Elementary a good school?

Harry E. James Elementary ranks in the bottom 16.1% of Virginia elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Harry E. James Elementary?

Students at Harry E. James Elementary are 57% African American, 18% Hispanic, 14% White, 10% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Harry E. James Elementary attend?

Students who attend Harry E. James Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Carter G. Woodson Middle
High : Hopewell High

How many students attend Harry E. James Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 535 students attended Harry E. James Elementary.

Rate Harry E. James Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

VAVirginia Elementary School Rankings

VAVirginia District Rankings

Schools in Hopewell, VA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Harry E. James Elementary!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.