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Henry D. Ward Elementary

Q: Is Henry D. Ward Elementary a good school?

Henry D. Ward Elementary ranks 809 th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

809^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 27% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Henry D. Ward Elementary in Richmond, VA, serves 526 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Henrico County Public Schools district, operating in a high-poverty area where nearly 90% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school currently holds a 1-star rating and ranks in the 27th percentile statewide, which places it as the second-strongest among its immediate peers — behind only Seven Pines Elementary (48th percentile) and well ahead of several nearby schools like Montrose Elementary (3rd percentile), Fair Oaks Elementary (1st percentile), and Highland Springs Elementary (0th percentile).

The most striking pattern at Ward is the wide gap between grade levels. Third-grade reading proficiency sits at just 28%, the lowest among all nearby schools and less than half the district average of 63%. Third-grade math is similarly weak at 37.5%. However, the picture changes dramatically in the upper grades: 4th-grade reading reaches 72%, and 5th-grade math (72%) and science (71%) both exceed district and state averages. This suggests that while early literacy is a serious concern, many students do find their footing by the time they reach the upper grades — a pattern worth asking the school about when considering enrichment or intervention programs.

Ward operates with the highest student-teacher ratio (16.9) among its nearby schools and spends roughly $1,600 less per student than the local average. Chronic absenteeism rose to 17.7% in 2024-25, above district and state levels, after improving to 12.1% the prior year. On a more positive note, African American students at Ward rank in the 47th percentile statewide among their peers — well above the school's overall ranking. The clearest opportunity for improvement is early literacy; since upper-grade students already demonstrate strong performance, the foundation exists for the school to build similar success in the younger grades.

526

Students ?

16.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,747

Per pupil spending ?

89.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3400 Darbytown Road
Richmond, VA 23231

(804) 795-7030

District: Henrico County Public Schools

Students who attend Henry D. Ward Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Elko Middle
High:	Varina High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

72.6%

White:

16.2%

Two or more races:

6.7%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Henry D. Ward Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 22nd percentile in 2016 → 27th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (61% vs 72% meeting standards)

!Mathematics scores 14 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school61%

District avg67%

Virginia avg72%

809^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 27%▲ up 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 22% (2016) to bottom 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

24^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	33.4	809 of 1111	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.0	784 of 1110	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.0	937 of 1114	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.2	966 of 1114	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.6	945 of 1109	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.4	737 of 1103	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.3	933 of 1105	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.5	898 of 1097	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	25.7	939 of 1099	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	33.1	852 of 1096	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	24.3	936 of 1100	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	25.2	951 of 1110	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	37.8	791 of 1120	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	43.1	736 of 1117	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	47.8	665 of 1117	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	41.5	804 of 1113	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	41.2	764 of 1082	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	42.9	733 of 1081	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	38.9	769 of 1083	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	45.2	690 of 1071	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2005	61.8	413 of 1062	61.1%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	51.0	313 of 591	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.3	319 of 579	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.1	469 of 588	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.2	431 of 579	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	30.3	828 of 1100	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.1	816 of 1096	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.1	942 of 1098	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.4	975 of 1100	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	27.6	832 of 1040	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.5	767 of 1046	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.0	919 of 1036	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	35.7	778 of 1099	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.0	750 of 1093	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.6	932 of 1101	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.5	934 of 1093	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	33.1	740 of 974	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.3	894 of 973	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	43.5	633 of 979	35.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)47th percentile+20 vs school

Male (2026)29th percentile~ school

Female (2026)25th percentile~ school

White (2026)24th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)20th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Science71%+3 vs state

Mathematics60%-14 vs state

English Reading59%-12 vs state

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Schools Near Henry D. Ward 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)			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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Henry D. Ward Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3400 Darbytown Road	Richmond	23231	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 795-7030	526	31	16.9	89.4%	85 (16.2%)	382 (72.6%)	24 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.7%)	33.4	809^th of 1111 public elementary schools	27.2%		34	784^th of 1110 public elementary schools	29.4%	25	37.5	60.0	72.2	71.4	28.1	71.6	64.3	$9,747	$1,433	$8,314
Varina Elementary	Public	3-5	2551 New Market Rd	Richmond	23231	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 795-7010	274	22	12.4	88.3%	53 (19.3%)	191 (69.7%)	17 (6.2%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	9 (3.3%)	9.6	1031^st of 1111 public elementary schools	7.2%		13.6	994^th of 1110 public elementary schools	10.5%	37	52.8	45.2	38.7	42.7	58.2	57.1	44.0	$13,365	$1,307	$12,058
Anthony P. Mehfoud Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	8320 Buffin Rd	Richmond	23231	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 795-7020	330	23	14.3	89.7%	74 (22.4%)	200 (60.6%)	22 (6.7%)	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	27 (8.2%)								(n/a)								$10,839	$1,400	$9,439
George F. Baker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6651 Willson Rd	Richmond	23231	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 226-8755	462	32	14.6	86.8%	7 (1.5%)	416 (90.0%)	19 (4.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.7%)	24.3	902^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	18.8%		10.3	1021^st of 1110 public elementary schools	8.0%	119	38.6	33.9	74.2	74.2	38.6	39.3	68.2	$10,209	$1,049	$9,159
Seven Pines Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Beulah Rd	Sandston	23150	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 328-4065	399	27	14.7	90.5%	141 (35.3%)	184 (46.1%)	36 (9.0%)	3 (0.8%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.8%)	52.7	583^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	47.5%		22	901^st of 1110 public elementary schools	18.8%	318	79.0	80.0	70.4	61.8	73.0	75.0	64.8	$10,675	$1,118	$9,557
Sandston Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7 Naglee Ave	Sandston	23150	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 328-4055	201	16	12.5	88.6%	77 (38.3%)	55 (27.4%)	40 (19.9%)	4 (2.0%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	22 (10.9%)	15.5	982^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	11.6%		27.4	856^th of 1110 public elementary schools	22.9%	126	48.3	55.2	65.6	56.3	37.9	51.7	59.4	$14,143	$2,427	$11,716
Montrose Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2820 Williamsburg Rd	Richmond	23231	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 226-8765	341	24	14.2	87.1%	23 (6.7%)	259 (76.0%)	34 (10.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	19 (5.6%)	4.4	1081^st of 1111 public elementary schools	2.7%		7.2	1050^th of 1110 public elementary schools	5.4%	31	48.2	32.6	39.3	42.9	40.7	54.4	46.4	$12,491	$1,230	$11,262
Fair Oaks Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	201 Jennings Rd	Highland Springs	23075	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 328-4085	330	29	11.3	88.2%	36 (10.9%)	245 (74.2%)	30 (9.1%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (4.5%)	2.5	1097^th of 1111 public elementary schools	1.3%		6.5	1060^th of 1110 public elementary schools	4.5%	37	45.1	27.4	28.2	25.6	50.0	32.3	12.8	$11,909	$1,286	$10,623
Cashell Donahoe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1801 Graves Rd	Sandston	23150	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 328-4035	526	35	15.0	89.2%	69 (13.1%)	283 (53.8%)	128 (24.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (8.2%)	5.7	1061^st of 1111 public elementary schools	4.5%		6.6	1059^th of 1110 public elementary schools	4.6%	2	36.5	43.8	43.8	51.3	32.4	53.9	48.8	$9,561	$1,092	$8,470
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Henry D. Ward Elementary

Is Henry D. Ward Elementary a good school?

Henry D. Ward Elementary ranks 809^th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Henry D. Ward Elementary?

Students at Henry D. Ward Elementary are 73% African American, 16% White, 7% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

What district is Henry D. Ward Elementary in?

Henrico County Public Schools

How many students attend Henry D. Ward Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 526 students attended Henry D. Ward Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Henry D. Ward Elementary attend?

Students who attend Henry D. Ward Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Elko Middle
High : Varina 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.