Chimborazo Elementary

Chimborazo Elementary is a PK–5 school in the Richmond City Public Schools district, serving 403 students in a high-poverty neighborhood where nearly every child qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The school holds a 1-star rating and ranks 979th out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools, but among the ten closest Richmond elementary schools in its area, it is the highest-ranked, outperforming peers such as George W. Carver Elementary (ranked last in the state) and Woodville Elementary.

Perhaps the most remarkable difference is attendance. Chimborazo’s chronic absenteeism rate is just 16.0%, dramatically below the district average of 20.5% and only slightly above the state’s 14.8%. It has the lowest rate among all nearby Richmond City peers—Henry Marsh III Elementary sits at 29.4%, Fairfield Court Elementary at 31.1%, and Bellevue Elementary at 16.7%—and it has fallen sharply from 33.5% in 2021–2022. Academically, 5th grade is the school’s clear strength: reading proficiency reached 65% (vs. 53.5% district), science hit 63.3% (vs. 51.1% district), and math reached 60% (vs. 55.4% district). Chimborazo also achieves these results on a lower budget of $13,205 per student, while several higher-spending schools like Blackwell Elementary and Woodville spend over $18,000 yet rank far lower.

When compared directly to its nearest neighbor, Henry Marsh III—just 0.28 miles away—Chimborazo outperforms it by double digits in every tested subject: 3rd grade reading is 54.1% vs. 39.5%, and 5th grade reading is 65% vs. 46.6%. This stark difference shows that school-level practices and culture matter enormously, even among schools serving similarly disadvantaged populations. While Chimborazo’s absolute scores remain below state averages, and results vary somewhat by grade level (4th grade lagged in 2025–2026), the combination of sharply improved attendance, consistently strong 5th grade performance, and better outcomes than better-funded neighbors makes it one of the more effective elementary options within Richmond City Public Schools.