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Manchester High

Public Grades 9-12
239th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 331 Virginia High Schools
Better than 28% of Virginia high schools
Summary

Manchester High in Midlothian, VA is a large comprehensive high school serving 2,236 students in grades 9–12 as part of Chesterfield County Public Schools. The school serves a high-need population, with 74% of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. In 2025–26, Manchester ranked 239th out of 331 Virginia high schools (28th percentile, 1 star), a decline from its 2015–16 rank of 164th. Its 90% graduation rate matches the district average but trails the state's 92.3%, while its 8.4% dropout rate is well above the state's 5.0%.

The school has some genuine bright spots. Chronic absenteeism has been cut dramatically, from 23.7% in 2021–22 to 14.8% in 2024–25 — right at the state average and far better than similar-poverty schools like Meadowbrook High (33.2%) or Lloyd C. Bird High (20.6%). Algebra I is another strength: 10th graders scored 90.3% proficient, beating the district by 12 points and the state by more than 20 points. However, other areas lag badly — VA & US History proficiency is just 27%, World History II is 27.5%, and 12th-grade reading sits at 56.4% versus the district's 79.5%.

Compared to nearby schools, Manchester performs better than Huguenot High and Meadowbrook, but far below Cosby High and Midlothian High, which serve far fewer low-income students. Notably, Manchester spends more per student ($8,735) and has a lower student-teacher ratio (13.5:1) than those top-performing schools, yet outcomes remain lower. The school also far exceeds Meadowbrook on graduation (90% vs. 73.9%) and attendance, showing it outpaces some peers with similar challenges. Manchester has the resources to improve; the central question is whether that investment can be translated into stronger results across all subjects.

2,236
Students ?
13.5
Student/teacher ratio ?
$8,735
Per pupil spending ?
74%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 12601 Bailey Bridge Rd.
       Midlothian, VA  23112-1805

(804) 739-6275

District: Chesterfield County Public Schools


Feeder schools for Manchester High:

Elementary:    Alberta Smith Elementary
    J.A. Chalkley Elementary
    Spring Run Elementary
    Thelma Crenshaw Elementary
Racial breakdown:

White:
44.3%
African American:
26.5%
Hispanic:
20.8%
more
 See top rated Virginia high schools

 Compare Manchester High to nearby high schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Declining — 49th percentile in 2016 → 28th in 2026
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Virginia average (69% vs 77% meeting standards)
!Dropout rate above the Virginia average (8% vs 5%)
!Ranking has slipped — down 21 percentile points since 2016
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school69%
District avg71%
Virginia avg77%
239th of 331
Virginia public high schools ?
Bottom 28%▼ down 21 pts since 2016
From bottom 49% (2016) to bottom 28% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Virginia High Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
7th of 11High Schools in the Chesterfield County Public Schools
73rd of 131Chesterfield County 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202641.2239 of 33127.8%★☆☆☆☆
202543.8233 of 32829.0%★☆☆☆☆
202446.0222 of 32932.5%★★☆☆☆
202347.0206 of 32636.8%★★☆☆☆
202243.8194 of 32540.3%★★☆☆☆
202130.2247 of 32724.5%★☆☆☆☆
201946.7184 of 32743.7%★★☆☆☆
201844.4195 of 32640.2%★★☆☆☆
201744.0195 of 32439.8%★★☆☆☆
201648.8164 of 32148.9%★★☆☆☆
201552.7128 of 32260.2%★★★☆☆
201453.0126 of 32260.9%★★★☆☆
201352.7134 of 32158.3%★★★☆☆
201244.4198 of 32138.3%★★☆☆☆
201151.9150 of 32053.1%★★★☆☆
201039.7227 of 31728.4%★☆☆☆☆
200930.5257 of 31317.9%★☆☆☆☆
200838.4223 of 31629.4%★★☆☆☆
200736.7239 of 31323.6%★☆☆☆☆
200621.9292 of 3147.0%☆☆☆☆☆
200532.8260 of 30815.6%★☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202634.8187 of 24222.7%★☆☆☆☆
202541.7163 of 24533.5%★★☆☆☆
202448.6142 of 24943.0%★★☆☆☆
202349.5126 of 24047.5%★★☆☆☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202622.7106 of 12011.7%★☆☆☆☆
202545.983 of 12533.6%★★☆☆☆
202425.8106 of 11810.2%★☆☆☆☆
202348.179 of 12034.2%★★☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202646.7142 of 25243.7%★★☆☆☆
202450.9126 of 25350.2%★★★☆☆
202352.9115 of 24953.8%★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202628.7115 of 13514.8%★☆☆☆☆
202519.985 of 10115.8%★☆☆☆☆
202420.0114 of 1226.6%☆☆☆☆☆
202327.783 of 9714.4%★☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202641.3233 of 32227.6%★☆☆☆☆
202536.2255 of 32120.6%★☆☆☆☆
202446.3212 of 32234.2%★★☆☆☆
202345.5209 of 32034.7%★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202633.3192 of 24220.7%★☆☆☆☆
202538.1171 of 23627.5%★☆☆☆☆
202433.1188 of 23319.3%★☆☆☆☆
202338.8164 of 23229.3%★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202642.4199 of 32138.0%★★☆☆☆
202547.3190 of 32441.4%★★☆☆☆
202441.8213 of 32033.4%★★☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202635.1253 of 32522.2%★☆☆☆☆
202544.7210 of 32234.8%★★☆☆☆
202441.2225 of 32230.1%★★☆☆☆
202344.5209 of 32134.9%★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202543.769 of 9829.6%★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202659.380 of 19659.2%★★★☆☆
202535.3141 of 19828.8%★☆☆☆☆
202436.4148 of 19825.3%★☆☆☆☆
202321.9175 of 1939.3%☆☆☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202634.4250 of 31219.9%★☆☆☆☆
202537.1247 of 31321.1%★☆☆☆☆
202443.8222 of 31429.3%★☆☆☆☆
202342.7222 of 31529.5%★★☆☆☆
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)
Multi-racial (2026)59th percentile+31 vs school
Disabled (2026)44th percentile+16 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)38th percentile+10 vs school
Military Connected (2025)30th percentile~ school
Female (2026)28th percentile~ school
African American (2026)23rd percentile-5 vs school
Male (2026)22nd percentile-6 vs school
Hispanic (2026)21st percentile-7 vs school
White (2026)20th percentile-8 vs school
English Language Learner (2026)15th percentile-13 vs school
Asian (2026)12th percentile-16 vs school
By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?
Algebra II92%+5 vs state
English Reading82%-3 vs state
Algebra I74%-5 vs state
World History I73%+3 vs state
Biology68%-9 vs state
Geometry66%-11 vs state
Writing66%-10 vs state
World History II27%-9 vs state
VA and US History27%-11 vs state

3.5
4 ratings · 4 written reviews
52
40
31
20
11
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What people are saying
by a parent
Monday, October 5, 2020

Open Quote Great school, teachers and consolers are top notch. Close Quote


by a student
Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Open Quote Hands down the worst school i ever went to. Close Quote


by a parent
Sunday, December 4, 2011

Open Quote My daughter went to Manchester High and it changed her life for the better. There are some excellent teachers there who are dedicated, hardworking and hellbent on making a difference with the students. We sent her to the Manchester High School magnet program for mass communication, and she would otherwise have gone to Cosby High School (rated 5 stars by School Digger) and it was the right decision for her. Sure, you need to seek out the good teachers and put some effort into your education if you go there, but there are a lot of great teachers and administrators at Manchester. Also, every high school in Chesterfield has a "specialty program" that your child can apply for in the 8th grade, as well as two Governor's Schools. These accept students countywide, so don't buy a house in a more expensive area just for the school.

The area where Manchester High is located is certainly not affluent, but if you find that this is where you can afford to buy a house, don't worry about sending your child to Manchester. Pete Koste, the principal is fantastic as is Ms. Ellis, the new Assistant Principal. Make your child take Cary Nothnagel for theatre whether or not they think they have any interest in drama. Art and music also have very good programs. The content area teachers in Mass Communications are good, and some are great. There are AP classes and Dual Enrollment classes that are very good and can give students college credits. This school does not deserve zero stars. Unfortunately, it doesn't deserve five either; you need to work too hard to find the great teachers among the mediocre. Close Quote


by a citizen
Thursday, October 6, 2011

Open Quote Best kept secret in Chesterfield Co.... Amazing administration, teachers,support staff and student body. The students have several different elective classes to choose from(culinary, arts, business, duel enrollment, AP, music, choir......). Feels like an extended family. There are several after school activities too!
Don't let the test scores fool you.....The success rate of these students AFTER HS is great! Close Quote





Schools Near Manchester High

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Frequently Asked Questions about Manchester High

Manchester High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Alberta Smith Elementary
Elementary : J.A. Chalkley Elementary
Elementary : Spring Run Elementary
Elementary : Thelma Crenshaw Elementary

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,236 students attended Manchester High.

Students at Manchester High are 44% White, 26% African American, 21% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Manchester High ranks 239th of 331 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Manchester High!



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Latest Virginia data All new data »
2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026
2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 2026
2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataFeb 10, 2026
2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 6, 2026


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.

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