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Harry E. James Elementary

Public Grades K-5

914^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 18% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Harry E. James Elementary is a K-5 school in Hopewell, VA, serving 535 students in the Hopewell City Public Schools district, an area where essentially all families face economic disadvantage. Despite the district ranking near the bottom of Virginia (128th of 131), Harry E. James is the highest-ranked elementary in the district, outperforming Patrick Copeland Elementary and Dupont Elementary in nearly every subject area.

Fourth grade is a clear area of strength. In 2025-2026, 4th grade math proficiency reached 66.15% and reading reached 65.48%, both far above district averages and only about 7-8 points below the state. VA Studies is a genuine standout at 78.57% proficiency — above the Virginia state average (70.52%) and higher than several much higher-ranked nearby schools including North Elementary, Elizabeth Scott Elementary, Enon Elementary, Tussing Elementary, and Middle Road Elementary. The school also invests heavily in students, spending $12,840 per pupil — the highest among nearby schools — and maintaining an 11.3:1 student-teacher ratio, the lowest in the comparison group. Hispanic students have earned 3 stars for three consecutive years, and low-SES students rank in the 32nd percentile statewide.

Challenges remain. Fifth grade scores lag the state by roughly 20-24 points in math, reading, and science, and disabled students rank in the 4th percentile statewide — the lowest subgroup result reported. The school's overall rank (18th percentile, 914th of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools) is low but represents meaningful improvement from the 10th-13th percentile range of prior years. Chronic absenteeism has fallen dramatically from 41.2% in 2021-2022 to 20.4% in 2024-2025, now below the district average, and this progress may be helping drive academic gains. For parents, Harry E. James offers smaller classes, strong fourth-grade instruction, and a school that is moving in the right direction, even as it works to close persistent gaps in upper elementary and special education.

535

Students ?

11.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,840

Per pupil spending ?

101.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1807 Arlington Rd
Hopewell, VA 23860

(804) 541-6408

District: Hopewell City Public Schools

Students who attend Harry E. James Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Carter G. Woodson Middle
High:	Hopewell High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

57.0%

Hispanic:

17.9%

White:

13.8%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Harry E. James Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 11th percentile in 2016 → 18th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (58% vs 72% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

!Science scores 20 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg51%

Virginia avg72%

914^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 18%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 11% (2016) to bottom 18% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Elementary Schools in the Hopewell City Public Schools

128^th of 131Hopewell 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
2026	23.3	914 of 1111	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.7	931 of 1110	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.0	971 of 1114	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.5	995 of 1114	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.6	988 of 1109	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.2	949 of 1103	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.7	962 of 1105	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.6	991 of 1097	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	23.5	955 of 1099	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	21.0	977 of 1096	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	24.4	935 of 1100	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	26.4	932 of 1110	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	34.9	819 of 1120	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	35.9	858 of 1117	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	21.0	1032 of 1117	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	37.1	868 of 1113	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	41.4	761 of 1082	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	41.5	746 of 1081	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	61.7	411 of 1083	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	56.5	491 of 1071	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2005	59.7	436 of 1062	58.9%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	33.8	440 of 591	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.8	461 of 579	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.9	482 of 588	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.8	475 of 579	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	2.9	403 of 420	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	20.5	939 of 1100	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.2	990 of 1096	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.3	980 of 1098	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	7.9	1046 of 1100	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	51.3	307 of 619	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.9	185 of 606	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.8	254 of 580	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.2	372 of 564	34.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	38.0	710 of 1040	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.5	766 of 1046	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.4	791 of 1036	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	27.7	871 of 1099	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.5	869 of 1093	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.5	944 of 1101	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.3	900 of 1093	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	26.4	799 of 974	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.7	911 of 973	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.7	940 of 984	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)50th percentile+33 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)32nd percentile+14 vs school

African American (2026)26th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)21st percentile+3 vs school

White (2026)18th percentile~ school

Female (2026)15th percentile-3 vs school

Disabled (2026)4th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

VA Studies79%+8 vs state

Mathematics57%-16 vs state

English Reading56%-15 vs state

Science49%-20 vs state

★

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Schools Near Harry E. James 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
Harry E. James Elementary	Public	K-5	1807 Arlington Rd	Hopewell	23860	Hopewell city	Hopewell City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 541-6408	535	47	11.3	101.5%	74 (13.8%)	305 (57.0%)	96 (17.9%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (10.1%)	23.3	914^th of 1111 public elementary schools	17.7%		19.7	931^st of 1110 public elementary schools	16.1%	17	57.5	66.2	48.7	49.0	52.6	65.5	51.0	78.6	$12,840	$1,807	$11,033
Dupont Elementary	Public	K-5	300 S. 18th Avenue	Hopewell	23860	Hopewell city	Hopewell City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 541-6406	589	41	14.5	100.2%	114 (19.4%)	299 (50.8%)	115 (19.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	58 (9.8%)	13.5	1000^th of 1111 public elementary schools	10.0%		8.2	1044^th of 1110 public elementary schools	5.9%	44	45.4	40.7	52.5	70.0	44.2	54.5	55.6	45.3	$11,752	$2,345	$9,407
Patrick Copeland Elementary	Public	K-5	400 Westhill Drive	Hopewell	23860	Hopewell city	Hopewell City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 541-6410	579	43	13.6	100.0%	123 (21.2%)	300 (51.8%)	87 (15.0%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (10.9%)	7	1052^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	5.3%		7.1	1051^st of 1110 public elementary schools	5.3%	1	53.9	40.0	31.8	45.7	56.0	46.7	49.5	38.0	$10,566	$1,233	$9,333
Middle Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5400 Middle Road	Prince George	23875	Prince George County	Prince George County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 733-2750	769	47	16.3	61.5%	248 (32.2%)	274 (35.6%)	162 (21.1%)	8 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.0%)	68 (8.8%)	55.9	541^st of 1111 public elementary schools	51.3%		59.7	478^th of 1110 public elementary schools	56.9%	63	69.7	70.5	77.6	79.2	63.1	77.1	79.0	73.0	$7,962	$399	$7,562
L.L. Beazley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6700 Courthouse Rd	Prince George	23875	Prince George County	Prince George County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 733-2745	507	36	14.0	65.9%	143 (28.2%)	207 (40.8%)	87 (17.2%)	12 (2.4%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	52 (10.3%)	77.5	239^th of 1111 public elementary schools	78.5%		66.6	397^th of 1110 public elementary schools	64.2%	158	88.6	84.4	88.7	76.2	80.0	84.4	77.8	84.4	$10,641	$965	$9,676
Enon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2001 E. Hundred Rd.	Chester	23836	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 530-5720	691	50	13.8	75.3%	308 (44.6%)	223 (32.3%)	92 (13.3%)	20 (2.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (6.8%)	50.5	603^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	45.7%		49.3	605^th of 1110 public elementary schools	45.5%	2	71.4	70.5	79.2	70.6	71.4	71.4	73.0	61.7	$7,365	$629	$6,736
Tussing Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5501 Conduit Rd	Colonial Heights	23834	Colonial Heights city	Colonial Heights City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 524-3440	652	46	14.1	99.4%	360 (55.2%)	115 (17.6%)	94 (14.4%)	17 (2.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (9.8%)	63.1	435^th of 1111 public elementary schools	60.8%		59.2	488^th of 1110 public elementary schools	56.0%	53	77.7	81.1	82.7	75.5	71.2	74.4	77.6	72.3	$11,458	$471	$10,987
Elizabeth Scott Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	813 Beginners Trail Loop	Chester	23836	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 541-4660	729	59	12.2	77.2%	183 (25.1%)	157 (21.5%)	328 (45.0%)	20 (2.7%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.1%)	67	391^st of 1111 public elementary schools	64.8%		60.8	467^th of 1110 public elementary schools	57.9%	76	86.0	88.3	85.6	73.7	72.0	77.3	71.2	74.8	$8,031	$461	$7,570
Lakemont Elementary	Public	K-5	51 Gibbons St	Petersburg	23803	Petersburg city	Petersburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 862-7007	393	33	11.9	93.6%	17 (4.3%)	285 (72.5%)	81 (20.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.5%)	1.3	1105^th of 1111 public elementary schools	0.5%		1.1	1107^th of 1110 public elementary schools	0.3%	2	30.1	50.0	19.2	25.5	21.9	38.9	34.0	31.5	$8,675	$1,541	$7,134
North Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11106 Old Stage Rd	Prince George	23875	Prince George County	Prince George County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 458-8922	720	49	14.6	62.6%	337 (46.8%)	202 (28.1%)	106 (14.7%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.6%)	67 (9.3%)	55.4	549^th of 1111 public elementary schools	50.6%		56.6	523^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	52.9%	26	74.3	72.5	80.9	68.1	61.9	80.4	79.0	71.1	$8,888	$477	$8,412

Frequently Asked Questions about Harry E. James Elementary

How many students attend Harry E. James Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 535 students attended Harry E. James Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Harry E. James Elementary attend?

Students who attend Harry E. James Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Carter G. Woodson Middle
High : Hopewell High

What is the racial makeup of Harry E. James Elementary?

Students at Harry E. James Elementary are 57% African American, 18% Hispanic, 14% White, 10% Two or more races.

Is Harry E. James Elementary a good school?

Harry E. James Elementary ranks in the bottom 17.7% of Virginia elementary schools.

What district is Harry E. James Elementary in?

Hopewell City Public Schools

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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.