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James Monroe Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

911^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,110 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 18% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

James Monroe Elementary is a public elementary school in Norfolk, Virginia, serving 262 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Norfolk City Public Schools district, which is ranked 109 out of 129 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

James Monroe Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Virginia elementary schools over the past several years, with significantly lower performance on SOL (Standards of Learning) tests compared to the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 3rd-grade math proficiency rate was 33.33%, compared to 58.42% for the district and 72.89% for the state. The school also has high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 8.0% to 20.2% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

The school's high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 96.48% to 100% in recent years, indicates a high concentration of students from low-income families. Despite the relatively high per-student spending and low student-teacher ratio at James Monroe Elementary, the school continues to underperform, suggesting that simply allocating more resources may not be enough to improve student outcomes. Addressing the school's low academic performance, high chronic absenteeism, and socioeconomic challenges will likely require a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach from the district and community stakeholders.

299

Students ?

11.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,228

Per pupil spending ?

99.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

520 W 29th St
Norfolk, VA 23508

(757) 628-3500

District: Norfolk City Public Schools

Students who attend James Monroe Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Blair Middle
High:	Matthew Fontaine Maury High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

68.6%

White:

11.0%

Two or more races:

9.7%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare James Monroe Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 3rd percentile in 2015 → 18th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 15 percentile points since 2015

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (53% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

!VA Studies scores 35 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school53%

District avg59%

Virginia avg71%

911^th of 1,110

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 18%▲ up 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 3% (2015) to bottom 18% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^th of 29Elementary Schools in the Norfolk City Public Schools

109^th of 129Norfolk 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	21.6	911 of 1110	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.0	779 of 1114	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.3	915 of 1114	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	5.7	1066 of 1109	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	2.0	1099 of 1103	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	0.6	1096 of 1105	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	0.0	1097 of 1097	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	0.1	1097 of 1099	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	0.1	1095 of 1096	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	8.6	1064 of 1100	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	1.9	1104 of 1110	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	15.9	1043 of 1120	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	36.3	852 of 1117	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	27.9	966 of 1117	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	22.0	1016 of 1113	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	5.6	1070 of 1082	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	17.5	1024 of 1081	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	10.3	1059 of 1083	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	13.3	1032 of 1071	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	15.0	999 of 1062	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	28.5	464 of 579	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.9	352 of 588	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.7	410 of 579	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	46.7	636 of 1096	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.7	761 of 1098	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.0	876 of 1100	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	31.7	773 of 1046	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	46.5	608 of 1036	41.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	32.7	801 of 1093	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	52.1	561 of 1101	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.7	874 of 1093	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2025)42nd percentile+24 vs school

Male (2025)27th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)26th percentile+8 vs school

African American (2025)20th percentile~ school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

English Reading58%-12 vs state

Mathematics56%-16 vs state

Science41%-28 vs state

VA Studies35%-35 vs state

★

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Schools Near James Monroe Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SOL Algebra I (2025)	SOL Mathematics (2025)					SOL Science (2025)		SOL English Reading (2025)						SOL Geography (2025)	SOL Civics and Economics (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 Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL Geography 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	SOL VA Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
James Monroe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	520 W 29th St	Norfolk	23508	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-3500	299	27	11.0	99.7%	33 (11.0%)	205 (68.6%)	27 (9.0%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.7%)	21.6	911^th of 1110 public elementary schools	17.9%		35	779^th of 1114 public elementary schools	30.1%	132		33.3	77.8	55.9			41.2		46.9	74.3	52.9							35.3	$14,228	$1,564	$12,664
Ghent K-8	Public	K-8	200 Shirley Ave	Norfolk	23517	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 628-2565	501	36	13.9	99.4%	213 (42.5%)	215 (42.9%)	28 (5.6%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.6%)	70.5	347^th of 1110 public elementary schools	68.7%		76.7	261^st of 1114 public elementary schools	76.6%	86	95.2	71.2	78.5	82.8	73.0	52.9	81.0	88.0	72.4	89.2	77.6	80.9	72.3	88.1	90.9	95.8	75.0	86.2	$9,894	$204	$9,690
Walter Herron Taylor Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1122 W. Princess Anne Road	Norfolk	23507	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 628-2525	403	26	15.5	101.5%	160 (39.7%)	172 (42.7%)	34 (8.4%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	28 (6.9%)	65.4	410^th of 1110 public elementary schools	63.1%		79	227^th of 1114 public elementary schools	79.6%	183		75.8	82.8	86.3			72.6		74.2	82.8	76.0							61.7	$9,783	$186	$9,596
Larchmont Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1145 Bolling Ave	Norfolk	23508	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 451-4180	455	28	16.2	99.8%	247 (54.3%)	116 (25.5%)	39 (8.6%)	19 (4.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.0%)	73.4	304^th of 1110 public elementary schools	72.6%		75.3	278^th of 1114 public elementary schools	75.0%	26		88.9	70.2	78.3			82.6		87.7	89.4	82.6							67.7	$8,302	$43	$8,258
Lindenwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2700 Ludlow St	Norfolk	23504	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2577	243	22	11.0	99.6%	21 (8.6%)	170 (70.0%)	35 (14.4%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.3%)	20.9	919^th of 1110 public elementary schools	17.2%		27.6	869^th of 1114 public elementary schools	22.0%	50		42.4	75.0	59.0			46.2		53.1	66.7	59.0							47.4	$15,075	$2,293	$12,782
P.B. Young Senior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	543 E. Olney Rd	Norfolk	23510	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2588	241	19	12.6	101.2%	2 (0.8%)	217 (90.0%)	11 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)								(n/a)																			$13,538	$1,957	$11,581
Willard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1511 Willow Wood Dr	Norfolk	23509	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2721	441	39	11.3	101.8%	61 (13.8%)	251 (56.9%)	79 (17.9%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (10.0%)	45.3	664^th of 1110 public elementary schools	40.2%		48.3	636^th of 1114 public elementary schools	42.9%	28		78.6	69.0	66.0			61.2		74.6	63.4	69.4							65.3	$9,910	$743	$9,167
Jacox Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1300 Marshall Ave	Norfolk	23504	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2433	596	44	13.5	99.3%	18 (3.0%)	521 (87.4%)	38 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	16 (2.7%)	3.5	1084^th of 1110 public elementary schools	2.3%		2.8	1102^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	1.1%	18		32.5	54.7	39.3			28.6		26.8	45.4	35.7							25.0	$9,796	$1,811	$7,985
Granby Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7101 Newport Ave	Norfolk	23505	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 451-4150	464	37	12.5	99.6%	80 (17.2%)	265 (57.1%)	59 (12.7%)	10 (2.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (10.1%)	16.7	963^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	13.2%		24.4	909^th of 1114 public elementary schools	18.4%	54		65.2	50.7	40.7			35.6		65.2	56.5	57.6							24.6	$9,621	$665	$8,955
Richard Bowling Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2700 E. Princess Anne Rd.	Norfolk	23504	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2515	492	42	11.7	99.8%	14 (2.8%)	432 (87.8%)	26 (5.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.5%)	10.6	1020^th of 1110 public elementary schools	8.1%		11.8	1007^th of 1114 public elementary schools	9.6%	13		50.7	60.4	48.2			42.9		50.7	56.6	48.2							30.4	$10,778	$1,951	$8,827

Frequently Asked Questions about James Monroe Elementary

How many students attend James Monroe Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 299 students attended James Monroe Elementary.

What schools do graduates of James Monroe Elementary attend?

Students who attend James Monroe Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Blair Middle
High : Matthew Fontaine Maury High

What district is James Monroe Elementary in?

Norfolk City Public Schools

Is James Monroe Elementary a good school?

James Monroe Elementary ranks in the bottom 17.9% of Virginia elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of James Monroe Elementary?

Students at James Monroe Elementary are 69% African American, 11% White, 10% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

Rate James Monroe Elementary!

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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.