Summary:
Goochland County Public Schools operates three elementary schools—Byrd Elementary, Goochland Elementary, and Randolph Elementary—serving grades PK-5 in a district ranked 28th out of 131 Virginia divisions, placing it in the top quarter statewide with a 4-star rating. All three schools generally outperform Virginia state averages across most subjects and grade levels.
Randolph Elementary is the clear academic leader, earning 4 stars for three straight years and ranking in the 84th–87th percentile statewide. Its 2025–2026 proficiency average of 87.4% far outpaces the district elementary average of 80.7%, with particularly strong 3rd grade math (94.1%) and reading (92.0%) results. Byrd Elementary is the district's most improved school, climbing from the 50th to the 59th percentile over the past two years, and it boasts the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the district at 4.8%—despite serving the highest share of economically disadvantaged students (38.1% free/reduced lunch). Goochland Elementary, the largest of the three, remains a solid mid-tier school but has slipped from the 71st to the 63rd percentile since 2023–2024, with an overall proficiency average of 77.0%.
Perhaps the most striking finding is that spending does not drive results: Randolph spends the least per student ($10,374) yet achieves the highest scores, while Byrd spends the most ($13,960) with the smallest class sizes (11.3 students per teacher) but trails Randolph by roughly 10 points. Across the district, 5th grade reading is a shared strength—Byrd (90.6%) and Randolph (90.3%) both exceed 90% proficiency—while 4th grade is the relative weak spot, averaging just 77.4% in math and 76.9% in reading. Overall, the district improved from 78.8% to 80.7% proficiency year over year, with Byrd making the largest gain at more than 4 points, though 4th grade remains the clearest area of opportunity across all three schools.
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