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Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1078^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 3% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary is a PK-5 school in Richmond, VA, serving 417 students as part of Henrico County Public Schools, yet it ranks in the bottom 3% of Virginia elementary schools (1078th of 1111) with a 0-star rating. The school serves a very high-poverty population — 89.7% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024-2025 — and has ranked in the bottom 7% of Virginia elementary schools in nearly every year over the past decade.

Academic proficiency at Ratcliffe trails district and state averages by 20 to 35 percentage points in every subject. For example, 4th-grade math proficiency was 37.3% in 2025-2026, compared with 66.1% for the district and 73.3% statewide. Reading tells a similar story, with 4th-grade reading at 42.4% versus 67.9% for the district and 73.7% for the state. Chronic absenteeism is also a major concern — 20.3% of students were chronically absent in 2024-2025, well above the district's 14.1% and higher than nearby Harvie Elementary (12.5%) and Arthur Ashe Junior Elementary (15.2%). Notably, Ratcliffe spends more per student ($12,516) than Harvie ($10,860), Jacob L. Adams Elementary ($10,928), and Glen Lea Elementary ($11,071), yet achieves far weaker results.

The most striking comparison is with Harvie Elementary, located just 0.58 miles away with nearly identical demographics (89.1% free/reduced-price lunch vs. Ratcliffe's 89.7%). Harvie ranks 772nd in Virginia (31st percentile) with 75.4% 5th-grade math proficiency, compared with Ratcliffe's 45.6%. There is some good news: Ratcliffe improved in every tested subject from 2023-2024 to 2025-2026, and its student-teacher ratio of 13.1 is better than several nearby schools. But until chronic absenteeism drops and instructional gains accelerate, the school remains an outlier on the low end even among struggling schools in the region.

417

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,516

Per pupil spending ?

89.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2901 Thalen St
Richmond, VA 23223

(804) 343-6535

District: Henrico County Public Schools

Students who attend Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	L. Douglas Wilder Middle
High:	Henrico High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

89.9%

Hispanic:

6.0%

Two or more races:

2.4%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 3rd percentile in 2016 → 3rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (43% vs 72% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!Mathematics scores 34 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school43%

District avg67%

Virginia avg72%

1,078^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 3%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

38^th of 45Elementary Schools in the Henrico County Public Schools

90^th of 131Henrico 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	4.6	1078 of 1111	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	2.5	1096 of 1110	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	1.4	1110 of 1114	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.0	1072 of 1114	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.3	1036 of 1109	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	3.9	1076 of 1103	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.5	990 of 1105	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	3.0	1074 of 1097	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	10.2	1045 of 1099	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	6.9	1064 of 1096	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	13.0	1042 of 1100	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	21.0	998 of 1110	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	18.1	1025 of 1120	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	27.9	960 of 1117	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	29.7	942 of 1117	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	63.4	387 of 1113	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	62.9	385 of 1082	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	53.0	563 of 1081	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	57.7	476 of 1083	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	45.1	693 of 1071	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2005	42.1	698 of 1062	34.3%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	14.4	544 of 591	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.4	560 of 579	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.2	578 of 588	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.8	515 of 579	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	6.3	1062 of 1100	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.5	1067 of 1096	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.6	1089 of 1098	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.1	1043 of 1100	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	11.5	987 of 1040	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.7	1035 of 1046	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.1	1024 of 1036	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	5.3	1061 of 1099	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	2.4	1082 of 1093	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	1.4	1097 of 1101	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.3	1060 of 1093	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)8th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)5th percentile~ school

Male (2026)3rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)3rd percentile~ school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

English Reading46%-25 vs state

Science44%-25 vs state

Mathematics40%-34 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Don't send your child here. Teachers and resources are mismanaged by administration and children are neglected and not taught in ways they can learn. STAY AWAY. Close Quote

Schools Near Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SOL Mathematics (2026)			SOL Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (2026)			SOL VA Studies (2026)	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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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
Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2901 Thalen St	Richmond	23223	Richmond city	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 343-6535	417	32	13.1	89.7%	2 (0.5%)	375 (89.9%)	25 (6.0%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.4%)	4.6	1078^th of 1111 public elementary schools	3.0%		2.5	1096^th of 1110 public elementary schools	1.3%	18	36.5	37.3	45.6	43.9	47.6	42.4	49.1		$12,516	$1,506	$11,010
Harvie Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3401 Harvie Road	Richmond	23223	Richmond city	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 343-7010	497	37	13.4	89.1%	6 (1.2%)	440 (88.5%)	15 (3.0%)	8 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (5.2%)	36.3	772^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	30.5%		40.5	715^th of 1110 public elementary schools	35.6%	57	65.2	57.1	75.4	73.9	56.1	63.5	66.7		$10,860	$1,229	$9,631
Glen Lea Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3909 Austin Ave	Richmond	23222	Richmond city	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 228-2725	461	30	15.3	88.7%	10 (2.2%)	415 (90.0%)	25 (5.4%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	1.8	1100^th of 1111 public elementary schools	1.0%		1	1110^th of 1110 public elementary schools	0.0%	10	27.1	39.5	40.0	34.6	27.9	47.7	40.7		$11,071	$1,602	$9,469
Arthur Ashe Junior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1001 Cedar Fork Road	Richmond	23223	Richmond city	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 343-6550	425	36	11.8	89.2%	6 (1.4%)	352 (82.8%)	49 (11.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (3.3%)	19.4	951^st of 1111 public elementary schools	14.4%		34.1	782^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	29.5%	169	54.0	64.5	61.3	53.2	41.3	57.4	66.1		$11,438	$1,078	$10,360
Fairfield Court Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2510 Phaup St	Richmond	23223	Richmond city	Richmond City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 780-4639	222	19	11.9	99.5%	2 (0.9%)	196 (88.3%)	14 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.1%)	5.2	1066^th of 1111 public elementary schools	4.1%		14.3	987^th of 1110 public elementary schools	11.1%	79	37.5	62.5	43.3	30.0	28.1	43.8	43.3	40.6	$18,447	$1,452	$16,995
Woodville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2000 N 28th St	Richmond	23223	Richmond city	Richmond City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 780-4821	217	21	10.5	98.6%	5 (2.3%)	193 (88.9%)	10 (4.6%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.8%)	1.4	1103^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	0.7%		1	1108^th of 1110 public elementary schools	0.2%	5	37.8	27.8	32.1	42.9	37.8	38.9	33.3	16.7	$18,722	$2,375	$16,348
Overby-Sheppard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2300 1st Ave	Richmond	23222	Richmond city	Richmond City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 329-2515	256	23	11.2	97.3%	5 (2.0%)	223 (87.1%)	15 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.7%)	14.6	992^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	10.7%		21	917^th of 1110 public elementary schools	17.4%	75	29.7	45.1	72.2	50.0	24.3	61.5	52.8	55.8	$13,523	$1,629	$11,894
Jacob L. Adams Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	600 S Laburnum Ave	Richmond	23223	Richmond city	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 226-8745	453	32	14.1	89.0%	18 (4.0%)	372 (82.1%)	45 (9.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.8%)	19.5	948^th of 1111 public elementary schools	14.7%		17.5	956^th of 1110 public elementary schools	13.9%	8	42.4	37.3	74.6	60.0	54.6	55.9	60.0		$10,928	$1,602	$9,326
Barack Obama Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3101 Fendall Ave	Richmond	23222	Richmond city	Richmond City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 780-4879	274	23	12.1	100.4%	49 (17.9%)	200 (73.0%)	9 (3.3%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.1%)	28.2	864^th of 1111 public elementary schools	22.2%		16.5	966^th of 1110 public elementary schools	13.0%	102	57.1	59.5	54.2	47.9	69.4	73.8	62.5	64.3	$13,214	$942	$12,273
Henry Marsh III Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	813 N 28th St	Richmond	23223	Richmond city	Richmond City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 780-4401	512	35	14.5	97.7%	9 (1.8%)	453 (88.5%)	28 (5.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.9%)	2.6	1095^th of 1111 public elementary schools	1.4%		3.3	1089^th of 1110 public elementary schools	1.9%	6	39.5	31.8	46.6	38.4	39.5	34.9	46.6	22.2	$9,931	$834	$9,097

Frequently Asked Questions about Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary

What schools do graduates of Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary attend?

Students who attend Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : L. Douglas Wilder Middle
High : Henrico High

What is the racial makeup of Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary?

Students at Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary are 90% African American, 6% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary in?

Henrico County Public Schools

Is Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary a good school?

Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary ranks in the bottom 3.0% of Virginia elementary schools.

How many students attend Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 417 students attended Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary.

Rate Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary!

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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.