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James Monroe Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

969^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 13% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

James Monroe Elementary is a PK–5 school in Norfolk, VA, serving 299 students in the Norfolk City Public Schools district, where nearly all students (99.67%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school currently ranks in the 13th percentile of Virginia elementary schools (969 out of 1,111) with a 1-star rating. While that ranking is still low, it marks a significant improvement from a decade ago: between 2015-16 and 2020-21, Monroe consistently ranked at the very bottom of the state (0–1st percentile), then climbed to the 18th percentile in 2022-23 and reached a recent peak at the 30th percentile in 2023-24.

Monroe has several genuine strengths. Only 7.0% of students were chronically absent in 2024-25—down from 15.5% in 2022-23 and less than half the district rate of 17.9%. Among nearby schools, only Ghent K-8 (4.8%) had a lower rate; Richard Bowling Elementary was similar at 7.6%. The school also invests heavily in its students, spending $14,228 per student in 2023-24—thousands more than neighbors like Willard Elementary ($9,910), Granby Elementary ($9,621), and Larchmont Elementary ($8,302)—and maintains a low student-teacher ratio of 11.0. Fifth graders scored near the state average in math (72.22%) and above the district average in reading (66.67%), a bright spot worth noting.

Still, there are areas of concern. Female students at Monroe rank in the 53rd percentile statewide, while male students rank in the 15th percentile—a large gap suggesting boys may need additional support. Fourth grade performance lagged well behind district and state averages in both math (39.39% vs. 56.37% district) and reading (34.38% vs. 62.86% district). Despite spending more per student than higher-performing schools like Ghent K-8 (79th percentile), Walter Herron Taylor Elementary (63rd percentile), and Larchmont Elementary (74th percentile), Monroe's overall results have not yet caught up. With small grade-level cohorts of roughly 40–60 students, proficiency rates can swing sharply from year to year, so these trends should be interpreted with some caution.

299

Students ?

11.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,228

Per pupil spending ?

99.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

520 W 29th St
Norfolk, VA 23508

(757) 628-3500

District: Norfolk City Public Schools

Students who attend James Monroe Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Blair Middle
High:	Matthew Fontaine Maury High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

68.6%

White:

11.0%

Two or more races:

9.7%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare James Monroe Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 30th percentile in 2024 → 13th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (52% vs 72% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped from its 30th-percentile peak (2024) to 13th (2026)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school52%

District avg58%

Virginia avg72%

969^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 13%▲ up 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 1% (2016) to bottom 13% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

16^th of 29Elementary Schools in the Norfolk City Public Schools

112^th of 131Norfolk 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	17.5	969 of 1111	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.6	911 of 1110	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.0	779 of 1114	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.3	915 of 1114	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	5.7	1066 of 1109	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	2.0	1099 of 1103	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	0.6	1096 of 1105	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	0.0	1097 of 1097	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	0.1	1097 of 1099	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	0.1	1095 of 1096	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	8.6	1064 of 1100	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	1.9	1104 of 1110	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	15.9	1043 of 1120	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	36.3	852 of 1117	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	27.9	966 of 1117	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	22.0	1016 of 1113	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	5.6	1070 of 1082	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	17.5	1024 of 1081	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	10.3	1059 of 1083	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	13.3	1032 of 1071	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	15.0	999 of 1062	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	23.1	506 of 591	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.5	464 of 579	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.9	352 of 588	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.7	410 of 579	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	56.4	513 of 1100	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.7	636 of 1096	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.7	761 of 1098	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.0	876 of 1100	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	28.9	815 of 1040	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.7	773 of 1046	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	46.5	608 of 1036	41.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	21.5	932 of 1099	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.7	801 of 1093	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	52.1	561 of 1101	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.7	874 of 1093	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2026)53rd percentile+41 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)22nd percentile+9 vs school

Male (2026)15th percentile~ school

African American (2026)14th percentile~ school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics59%-15 vs state

English Reading51%-21 vs state

Science50%-19 vs state

VA Studies46%-26 vs state

★

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Schools Near James Monroe 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 Geometry (2026)	SOL Algebra I (2026)		SOL Mathematics (2026)						SOL Science (2026)		SOL English Reading (2026)						SOL Geography (2026)	SOL Civics and Economics (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 Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL Geography 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	SOL VA Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
James Monroe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	520 W 29th St	Norfolk	23508	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-3500	299	27	11.0	99.7%	33 (11.0%)	205 (68.6%)	27 (9.0%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.7%)	17.5	969^th of 1111 public elementary schools	12.8%		21.6	911^th of 1110 public elementary schools	17.9%	58				64.0	39.4	72.2				50.0		48.0	34.4	66.7							36.4	54.3	$14,228	$1,564	$12,664
Ghent K-8	Public	K-8	200 Shirley Ave	Norfolk	23517	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 628-2565	501	36	13.9	99.4%	213 (42.5%)	215 (42.9%)	28 (5.6%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.6%)	77.9	234^th of 1111 public elementary schools	78.9%		70.5	347^th of 1110 public elementary schools	68.7%	113	≥ 50%	100.0	88.6	78.3	80.4	93.6	67.6	375.0	366.0	87.1	71.4	75.0	84.3	93.6	78.6	91.1	70.2	100.0	100.0	29.2	88.2	96.8	$9,894	$204	$9,690
Walter Herron Taylor Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1122 W. Princess Anne Road	Norfolk	23507	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 628-2525	403	26	15.5	101.5%	160 (39.7%)	172 (42.7%)	34 (8.4%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	28 (6.9%)	65.4	406^th of 1111 public elementary schools	63.5%		65.4	410^th of 1110 public elementary schools	63.1%	4				81.0	80.9	72.2				64.8		81.0	77.9	79.6							80.9	79.6	$9,783	$186	$9,596
Larchmont Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1145 Bolling Ave	Norfolk	23508	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 451-4180	455	28	16.2	99.8%	247 (54.3%)	116 (25.5%)	39 (8.6%)	19 (4.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.0%)	74	293^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	73.6%		73.4	304^th of 1110 public elementary schools	72.6%	11				86.4	77.8	73.7				80.7		81.4	88.9	87.7							73.0	87.5	$8,302	$43	$8,258
Lindenwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2700 Ludlow St	Norfolk	23504	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2577	243	22	11.0	99.6%	21 (8.6%)	170 (70.0%)	35 (14.4%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.3%)	23.6	911^th of 1111 public elementary schools	18.0%		20.9	919^th of 1110 public elementary schools	17.2%	8				71.1	51.4	48.0				44.0		60.5	62.2	52.0							71.4	52.2	$15,075	$2,293	$12,782
P.B. Young Senior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	543 E. Olney Rd	Norfolk	23510	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2588	241	19	12.6	101.2%	2 (0.8%)	217 (90.0%)	11 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)								(n/a)																							$13,538	$1,957	$11,581
Willard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1511 Willow Wood Dr	Norfolk	23509	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2721	441	39	11.3	101.8%	61 (13.8%)	251 (56.9%)	79 (17.9%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (10.0%)	33.2	810^th of 1111 public elementary schools	27.1%		45.3	664^th of 1110 public elementary schools	40.2%	146				66.7	57.6	60.9				62.5		64.9	66.7	64.1							64.2	70.3	$9,910	$743	$9,167
Jacox Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1300 Marshall Ave	Norfolk	23504	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2433	596	44	13.5	99.3%	18 (3.0%)	521 (87.4%)	38 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	16 (2.7%)	4.6	1079^th of 1111 public elementary schools	2.9%		3.5	1084^th of 1110 public elementary schools	2.3%	5				48.5	28.8	49.4				35.8		46.3	36.4	51.9							33.3	44.4	$9,796	$1,811	$7,985
Granby Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7101 Newport Ave	Norfolk	23505	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 451-4150	464	37	12.5	99.6%	80 (17.2%)	265 (57.1%)	59 (12.7%)	10 (2.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (10.1%)	5.5	1062^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	4.4%		16.7	963^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	13.2%	99				45.6	40.0	36.9				36.9		46.4	60.0	49.2							41.7	43.1	$9,621	$665	$8,955
Richard Bowling Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2700 E. Princess Anne Rd.	Norfolk	23504	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2515	492	42	11.7	99.8%	14 (2.8%)	432 (87.8%)	26 (5.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.5%)	15.5	983^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	11.5%		10.6	1020^th of 1110 public elementary schools	8.1%	37				56.7	55.0	44.4				31.5		48.3	63.3	51.9							71.7	48.2	$10,778	$1,951	$8,827

Frequently Asked Questions about James Monroe Elementary

What district is James Monroe Elementary in?

Norfolk City Public Schools

Is James Monroe Elementary a good school?

James Monroe Elementary ranks in the bottom 12.8% of Virginia elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of James Monroe Elementary attend?

Students who attend James Monroe Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Blair Middle
High : Matthew Fontaine Maury High

How many students attend James Monroe Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 299 students attended James Monroe Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of James Monroe Elementary?

Students at James Monroe Elementary are 69% African American, 11% White, 10% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

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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.