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Blackwell Elementary

Q: Is Blackwell Elementary a good school?

Blackwell Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.1% of Virginia elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Blackwell Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 420 students attended Blackwell Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Blackwell Elementary?

Students at Blackwell Elementary are 77% African American, 17% Hispanic, 2% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Q: What schools do graduates of Blackwell Elementary attend?

Students who attend Blackwell Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Armstrong High High : Franklin Military Academy High : Open High High : Richmond Community High

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1099^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 1% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Blackwell Elementary is a PK–5 public school in Richmond, VA, serving 420 students as part of Richmond City Public Schools, in a community where nearly all families (98.8%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school currently holds a 0-star rating, ranking 1099 out of 1111 Virginia elementary schools — placing it in the bottom 1% of schools statewide. This ranking reflects a pattern that has persisted for over a decade, with Blackwell consistently ranking in the bottom 1–2% of Virginia elementary schools since at least 2015.

Academically, Blackwell's SOL proficiency rates fall far below district and state averages in nearly every subject and grade level. For example, only 24.6% of 5th graders passed math, compared to 55.4% across the district and 72.4% statewide. Reading and science scores show similar gaps. The most striking comparison is with nearby schools serving equally high-poverty populations. Both Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts and William Fox Elementary report 100% free/reduced-price lunch eligibility, yet Patrick Henry ranks 448th in the state (60th percentile) and William Fox ranks 557th (50th percentile) — far outperforming Blackwell. This suggests that poverty alone doesn't explain the outcomes and that school-level practices matter.

Attendance is a major concern, with a chronic absenteeism rate of 32.0% — more than double the state rate of 14.8% and well above the district's 20.5%. Nearby high-performing schools like Patrick Henry (7.2%) and William Fox (8.1%) have dramatically lower rates. Blackwell also spends $18,216 per student, one of the highest figures among nearby schools, yet maintains a student-teacher ratio of 20.3 — the highest in the comparison group. This combination of high spending and large class sizes raises questions about whether resources are reaching classrooms. With persistent absenteeism and weak outcomes across all student subgroups, the clearest opportunities for improvement appear to be boosting attendance and learning from the practices of higher-performing schools serving similar students.

420

Students ?

20.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,216

Per pupil spending ?

98.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

300 E. 15th Street
Richmond, VA 23224

(804) 780-5078

District: Richmond City Public Schools

Students who attend Blackwell Elementary usually attend:

High:	Armstrong High
	Franklin Military Academy
	Open High
	Richmond Community High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

76.9%

Hispanic:

16.9%

White:

2.4%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — <1st percentile in 2016 → 1st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (36% vs 72% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (32% vs 15% Virginia)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg52%

Virginia avg72%

1,099^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

23^rd of 26Elementary Schools in the Richmond City Public Schools

118^th of 131Richmond 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	2.1	1099 of 1111	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	1.6	1102 of 1110	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.1	1099 of 1114	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	1.0	1112 of 1114	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	2.0	1096 of 1109	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.1	995 of 1103	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	1.1	1091 of 1105	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	0.5	1093 of 1097	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	3.5	1081 of 1099	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	0.2	1093 of 1096	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	8.0	1070 of 1100	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	12.9	1057 of 1110	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	6.1	1098 of 1120	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	7.8	1093 of 1117	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	20.1	1039 of 1117	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	31.3	936 of 1113	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	10.1	1060 of 1082	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	14.5	1040 of 1081	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	17.6	1009 of 1083	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	8.0	1053 of 1071	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	41.1	720 of 1062	32.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	11.2	564 of 591	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.2	561 of 579	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.5	550 of 588	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.4	571 of 579	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	5.5	1070 of 1100	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	0.9	1096 of 1096	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.1	1066 of 1098	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	1.8	1094 of 1100	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	6.4	1018 of 1040	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.3	1028 of 1046	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.2	991 of 1036	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	1.1	1096 of 1099	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	3.1	1079 of 1093	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.4	1091 of 1101	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	1.0	1091 of 1093	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)5th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)3rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)2nd percentile~ school

Male (2026)<1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

VA Studies48%-23 vs state

English Reading38%-33 vs state

Mathematics33%-40 vs state

Science26%-43 vs state

★

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Schools Near Blackwell 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
Blackwell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	300 E. 15th Street	Richmond	23224	Richmond city	Richmond City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 780-5078	420	21	20.3	98.8%	10 (2.4%)	323 (76.9%)	71 (16.9%)	6 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.1%)	2.1	1099^th of 1111 public elementary schools	1.1%		1.6	1102^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	0.7%	3	32.9	42.9	24.6	26.1	37.0	42.9	34.8	47.6	$18,216	$1,487	$16,728
Swansboro Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3160 Midlothian Tnpk	Richmond	23224	Richmond city	Richmond City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 780-5030	172	17	10.3	98.3%	7 (4.1%)	114 (66.3%)	46 (26.7%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.7%)	5.2	1068^th of 1111 public elementary schools	3.9%		19	942^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	15.1%	126	55.9	52.8	40.7	33.3	27.3	42.9	38.5	47.2	$21,515	$1,645	$19,870
Oak Grove/Bellemeade Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2409 Webber Avenue	Richmond	23224	Richmond city	Richmond City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 780-5008	551	36	15.4	98.0%	9 (1.6%)	310 (56.3%)	220 (39.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.6%)	5.1	1073^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	3.4%		2.7	1094^th of 1110 public elementary schools	1.4%	21	55.2	37.5	41.9	48.7	45.8	31.8	48.0	29.9	$11,716	$1,109	$10,607
Patrick Henry School Of Science And Arts	Public, Charter	K-5	3411 Semmes Avenue	Richmond	23225	Richmond city	Richmond City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(804) 888-7061	310	19	16.6	100.0%	136 (43.9%)	124 (40.0%)	23 (7.4%)	6 (1.9%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	18 (5.8%)	62.5	448^th of 1111 public elementary schools	59.7%		76.9	267^th of 1110 public elementary schools	75.9%	181	64.2	93.2	76.6	78.7	56.6	88.6	85.1	79.6	$12,649	$41	$12,608
Bellevue Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2301 E Grace St	Richmond	23223	Richmond city	Richmond City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 780-4417	206	14	15.1	99.5%	22 (10.7%)	145 (70.4%)	13 (6.3%)	4 (1.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (10.2%)	9.1	1034^th of 1111 public elementary schools	6.9%		13.6	992^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	10.6%	42	52.6	55.6	42.9	37.1	48.7	60.0	45.7	50.0	$18,703	$1,398	$17,304
Chimborazo Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3000 E Marshall St	Richmond	23223	Richmond city	Richmond City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 780-8392	403	29	14.0	99.5%	43 (10.7%)	294 (73.0%)	35 (8.7%)	4 (1.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.0%)	15.8	979^th of 1111 public elementary schools	11.9%		17.1	959^th of 1110 public elementary schools	13.6%	20	50.7	44.6	60.0	63.3	54.1	48.5	65.0	40.9	$13,205	$1,687	$11,518
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
Cardinal Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1745 Catalina Dr	Richmond	23224	Richmond city	Richmond City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 780-5082	821	52	15.7	99.6%	12 (1.5%)	92 (11.2%)	709 (86.4%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.5%)	14.8	991^st of 1111 public elementary schools	10.8%		7.9	1045^th of 1110 public elementary schools	5.9%	54	70.1	57.4	62.7	50.0	49.6	43.4	39.8	41.1	$10,372	$443	$9,930
George W. Carver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1110 W Leigh St	Richmond	23220	Richmond city	Richmond City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 780-6247	404	26	15.6	99.8%	6 (1.5%)	359 (88.9%)	11 (2.7%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (5.2%)	0.4	1111^th of 1111 public elementary schools	0.0%		1.2	1106^th of 1110 public elementary schools	0.4%	5	24.3	16.3	25.6	22.7	26.1	32.7	41.9	22.9	$12,033	$1,477	$10,556
Westover Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1211 Jahnke Rd	Richmond	23225	Richmond city	Richmond City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 780-5002	375	24	15.8	99.2%	83 (22.1%)	211 (56.3%)	62 (16.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (4.8%)	18	967^th of 1111 public elementary schools	13.0%		13.4	995^th of 1110 public elementary schools	10.4%	28	56.9	63.6	57.1	55.1	52.6	61.4	51.0	54.6	$11,555	$1,012	$10,543

Frequently Asked Questions about Blackwell Elementary

Is Blackwell Elementary a good school?

Blackwell Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.1% of Virginia elementary schools.

What district is Blackwell Elementary in?

Richmond City Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Blackwell Elementary attend?

Students who attend Blackwell Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Armstrong High
High : Franklin Military Academy
High : Open High
High : Richmond Community High

What is the racial makeup of Blackwell Elementary?

Students at Blackwell Elementary are 77% African American, 17% Hispanic, 2% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Blackwell Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 420 students attended Blackwell 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.