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Richmond High School for the Arts

Public Grades 9-12
326th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 328 Virginia High Schools
Better than 1% of Virginia high schools
Summary

Richmond High School for the Arts is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Richmond, Virginia, part of the Richmond City Public Schools district. With consistently low academic performance, the school has ranked among the lowest-performing high schools in the state over the past decade.

The school faces significant challenges, including extremely low test scores, high dropout and chronic absenteeism rates, and a student population that is overwhelmingly economically disadvantaged. Across all grade levels and subject areas, proficiency rates on state standardized tests are well below state and district averages. For example, in 2024-2025, only 16.53% of 10th graders were proficient in writing, compared to 66.01% statewide. The school also struggles with low graduation rates, ranging from 61.5% to 92.8% in recent years, and underperformance across student subgroups.

In contrast to Richmond High School for the Arts, several nearby high schools in the Richmond City Public Schools district, such as Franklin Military Academy, Richmond Community High, and Open High, are among the top-performing schools in the state, demonstrating that it is possible for schools within the same district to achieve vastly different levels of academic success. Addressing the challenges at Richmond High School for the Arts will require a concerted and sustained effort to improve academic outcomes, student engagement, and overall school climate and culture.

1,116
Students ?
9.5
Student/teacher ratio ?
$9,953
Per pupil spending ?
94.4%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 4314 Crutchfield St
       Richmond, VA  23225-4767

(804) 780-5037

District: Richmond City Public Schools


Feeder schools for Richmond High School for the Arts:

Elementary:    Broad Rock Elementary
    Cardinal Elementary
    Oak Grove/Bellemeade Elementary
    Swansboro Elementary
Middle:    Thomas C. Boushall Middle
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
54.7%
African American:
38.9%
White:
3.6%
more
 See top rated Virginia high schools

 Compare Richmond High School for the Arts to nearby high schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Declining — 18th percentile in 2015 → 1st in 2025
Strengths
Small classes — about 10 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Virginia average (33% vs 78% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)
!Graduation rate below the Virginia average (57% vs 92%)
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school33%
District avg55%
Virginia avg78%
326th of 328
Virginia public high schools ?
Bottom 1%▼ down 17 pts since 2015
From bottom 18% (2015) to bottom 1% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Virginia High Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
8th of 9High Schools in the Richmond City Public Schools
115th of 129Richmond 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
20256.4326 of 3280.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20243.7327 of 3290.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20233.0326 of 3260.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20226.9321 of 3251.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20210.4326 of 3270.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20190.7325 of 3270.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20186.4320 of 3261.8%☆☆☆☆☆
201711.4316 of 3242.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201614.9310 of 3213.4%☆☆☆☆☆
201530.2265 of 32217.7%★☆☆☆☆
201435.5239 of 32225.8%★☆☆☆☆
201314.1310 of 3213.4%☆☆☆☆☆
201231.1262 of 32118.4%★☆☆☆☆
201135.3237 of 32025.9%★☆☆☆☆
201053.9136 of 31757.1%★★★☆☆
200927.1275 of 31312.1%★☆☆☆☆
20086.8313 of 3160.9%☆☆☆☆☆
200726.0282 of 3139.9%★☆☆☆☆
200626.4280 of 31410.8%★☆☆☆☆
200522.0290 of 3085.8%☆☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
20254.5244 of 2450.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20246.4247 of 2490.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20235.9239 of 2400.4%☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
20244.6251 of 2530.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20232.4248 of 2490.4%☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202510.697 of 1014.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202410.0121 of 1220.8%☆☆☆☆☆
202312.597 of 970.0%☆☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
20255.8320 of 3210.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20242.6320 of 3220.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20233.6320 of 3200.0%☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
20259.4234 of 2360.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20243.7233 of 2330.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20234.1232 of 2320.0%☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
20257.9320 of 3241.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20245.9317 of 3200.9%☆☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
20257.1319 of 3220.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20243.3320 of 3220.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20232.1321 of 3210.0%☆☆☆☆☆
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)
English Language Learner (2025)4th percentile+3 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)1st percentile~ school
Male (2025)1st percentile~ school
Hispanic (2025)1st percentile~ school
Disabled (2024)1st percentile~ school
African American (2025)<1st percentile~ school
Female (2025)<1st percentile~ school
By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?
Algebra I65%-14 vs state
English Reading55%-31 vs state
Biology31%-47 vs state
Algebra II23%-66 vs state
World History II21%-6 vs state
World History I21%-46 vs state
Writing19%-57 vs state
VA and US History12%-49 vs state

2.0
1 rating · 1 written review
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What people are saying
by a teacher
Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Open Quote I worked here for 8 years one being the year we were out for Covid. That was my last year because the principal who was leaving at the end of the year decided to throw out all the teachers he disliked. I was one of those who had to resign because I was forced to because he chalked up all these false things that I was unable to defend. I almost sued the school system so I resigned instead.
Previous to that last year I was almost beat up twice I was punched in the face by a kid who didn't get in trouble because they said he had ADHD and didn't know better that it was wrong ( by 14 mind you). He ran by and hit me in the jaw and nothing was done. No consequences. They didn't care if teachers were physically and mentally abused. I saw students sexually assault other students and when reported they played the whole, " You want him to get a charge" he's a young man who doesn't know any better." Yes he did know better. This place was mess when I got there and it never got better. I am hindered but stronger because of working there. I hope that it gets better with a new school building and a new name. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Richmond High School for the Arts

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,116 students attended Richmond High School for the Arts.

Students at Richmond High School for the Arts are 55% Hispanic, 39% African American, 4% White, 2% Asian.

Richmond High School for the Arts ranks in the bottom 0.6% of Virginia high schools.

Richmond High School for the Arts is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Broad Rock Elementary
Elementary : Cardinal Elementary
Elementary : Oak Grove/Bellemeade Elementary
Elementary : Swansboro Elementary
Middle : Thomas C. Boushall Middle


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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.





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