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Richlands Elementary

Q: Is Richlands Elementary a good school?

Richlands Elementary ranks 251 st of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

251^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 77% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Richlands Elementary is a PK–5 public school in Richlands, Virginia, serving 576 students as part of Tazewell County Public Schools, a rural district in southwest Virginia. The school earned 4 stars and ranked 251st out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools (77th percentile) in 2025–2026, with academics consistently above state averages in every tested subject and grade level.

What makes Richlands especially notable is its success with students who historically face the biggest achievement gaps. The school ranked in the top 10% statewide for economically disadvantaged students (94th percentile) and disabled students (93rd percentile). Nearly 90% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, yet the school outperforms the state average by about 11 points across key SOL tests. Richlands is also the strongest elementary school in its immediate district peer group, outranking Tazewell Intermediate (61st percentile) and Cedar Bluff Elementary (57th percentile). In 5th-grade math, 88% of Richlands students passed versus 72% at Tazewell Intermediate and 63% at Cedar Bluff. Regional schools like Saltville Elementary (37th) and Belfast Elementary (142nd) rank higher, but Richlands sits well above Honaker Elementary (359th) and Council Elementary/Middle (732nd).

The main concern is chronic absenteeism: 25.1% in 2024–2025, roughly 1.7 times the state average of 14.8%. Still, that's more than half of the pandemic peak of 55.5%. With a student-teacher ratio of 13.7 and spending around $9,850 per student—moderate compared to peers—Richlands achieves strong results without exceptional resources. Science scores (74%) are the relative weak spot, and 5th-grade scores show some year-to-year swings. Overall, this is a school where high poverty does not define outcomes, and if attendance improves, Richlands could break into the top tier of Virginia elementary schools.

576

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,850

Per pupil spending ?

90.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

309 East Front Street
Richlands, VA 24641

(276) 964-4112

District: Tazewell County Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

96.2%

Two or more races:

3.0%

Asian:

0.5%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Richlands Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 62nd percentile in 2016 → 77th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (83% vs 72% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of Virginia elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 15 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (25% vs 15% Virginia)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school83%

District avg78%

Virginia avg72%

251^st of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Top 23%▲ up 15 pts since 2016

From top 38% (2016) to top 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 5Elementary Schools in the Tazewell County Public Schools

19^th of 131Tazewell County 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	77.0	251 of 1111	77.4%	★★★★☆
2025	70.1	351 of 1110	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	81.1	200 of 1114	82.0%	★★★★☆
2023	73.4	286 of 1114	74.3%	★★★★☆
2022	77.2	242 of 1109	78.2%	★★★★☆
2021	80.9	193 of 1103	82.5%	★★★★☆
2019	75.4	235 of 1105	78.7%	★★★★☆
2018	77.1	196 of 1097	82.1%	★★★★☆
2017	76.4	199 of 1099	81.9%	★★★★☆
2016	62.9	414 of 1096	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	59.1	490 of 1100	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	44.7	676 of 1110	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	51.5	583 of 1120	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	30.3	936 of 1117	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	43.1	745 of 1117	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	23.0	1007 of 1113	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	46.5	669 of 1082	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	55.5	523 of 1081	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	27.7	926 of 1083	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	44.2	707 of 1071	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2005	40.5	726 of 1062	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	83.5	31 of 420	92.6%	★★★★★
2024	67.7	102 of 355	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	65.2	99 of 324	69.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	69.8	330 of 1100	70.0%	★★★★☆
2025	65.7	384 of 1096	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	77.8	215 of 1098	80.4%	★★★★☆
2023	74.9	253 of 1100	77.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	86.8	58 of 1040	94.4%	★★★★★
2025	72.5	221 of 1046	78.9%	★★★★☆
2024	88.5	45 of 1036	95.7%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	80.1	178 of 1099	83.8%	★★★★☆
2025	71.8	319 of 1093	70.8%	★★★★☆
2024	80.6	181 of 1101	83.6%	★★★★☆
2023	69.0	336 of 1093	69.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	57.4	447 of 974	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.2	570 of 973	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	66.9	309 of 979	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.4	485 of 984	50.7%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)94th percentile+17 vs school

Disabled (2026)93rd percentile+15 vs school

Male (2026)84th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)70th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)54th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

VA Studies90%+19 vs state

English Reading85%+14 vs state

Mathematics83%+10 vs state

Science74%+5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Richlands 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 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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Science 5th 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 Civics and Economics 7th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Richlands Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	309 East Front Street	Richlands	24641	Tazewell County	Tazewell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 964-4112	576	42	13.7	90.5%	554 (96.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.0%)	77	251^st of 1111 public elementary schools	77.4%		70.1	351^st of 1110 public elementary schools	68.4%	100	79.0	81.6	87.9			73.6	75.3	88.9	89.0				89.9	$9,850	$1,554	$8,296
Cedar Bluff Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1089 Cedar Valley Drive	Cedar Bluff	24609	Tazewell County	Tazewell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 963-5765	308	22	14.0	91.6%	294 (95.5%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (1.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	59.6	483^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	56.5%		71.3	338^th of 1110 public elementary schools	69.5%	145	69.4	79.6	63.3			67.4	79.4	85.2	83.7				72.2	$9,110	$1,815	$7,295
Belfast Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	646 Belfast School Rd.	Rosedale	24280	Russell County	Russell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 880-2283	141	10	14.7	91.5%	137 (97.2%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	84.1	142^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	87.2%		93.2	16^th of 1110 public elementary schools	98.6%	126	100.0	87.5	82.4			88.2	93.3	87.5	94.1				75.0	$6,294	$1,079	$5,215
Honaker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-7	50 Honaker Elementary Dr.	Honaker	24260	Russell County	Russell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 873-6301	712	54	13.2	91.2%	695 (97.6%)	5 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	69.3	359^th of 1111 public elementary schools	67.7%		78.9	232^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	79.1%	127	84.5	80.9	85.5	50.0	78.2	90.3	73.8	91.2	85.5	72.7	71.8	76.9	80.6	$7,475	$942	$6,533
Twin Valley Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-7	9017 Riverside Drive	Oakwood	24631	Buchanan County	Buchanan County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 498-4537	240	21	11.2	104.2%	229 (95.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	46	661^st of 1111 public elementary schools	40.5%		50.4	592^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	46.7%	69	77.8	73.3	56.7	68.2	75.0	50.0	81.5	83.3	60.0	86.4	87.5	66.7	54.8	$10,649	$3,532	$7,117
Tazewell Intermediate	Public	3-5	1253 West Riverside Drive	North Tazewell	24630	Tazewell County	Tazewell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 988-4510	371	22	16.9	88.4%	326 (87.9%)	14 (3.8%)	12 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.1%)	63.1	436^th of 1111 public elementary schools	60.8%		59.6	480^th of 1110 public elementary schools	56.8%	44	75.0	81.6	71.5			74.8	79.5	82.5	78.1				69.3	$7,863	$1,313	$6,550
Saltville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1013 E Main St	Saltville	24370	Smyth County	Smyth County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 496-4751	189	16	11.5	101.6%	173 (91.5%)	3 (1.6%)	5 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.2%)	90.6	37^th of 1111 public elementary schools	96.7%		89.8	53^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	95.2%	16	94.3	90.9	100.0			95.0	82.9	100.0	90.0				90.9	$12,996	$1,838	$11,157
Rich Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	196 Long Hollow Rd	Saltville	24370	Smyth County	Smyth County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 624-3314	126	11	11.3	101.6%	124 (98.4%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	79.1	213^th of 1111 public elementary schools	80.8%		83.5	154^th of 1110 public elementary schools	86.1%	59	65.0	88.2	100.0			91.7	85.0	94.1	83.3				93.8	$12,975	$2,582	$10,393
Tazewell Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	175 Parkview Drive	Tazewell	24651	Tazewell County	Tazewell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 988-4441	405	29	14.2	89.6%	366 (90.4%)	29 (7.2%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)								(n/a)														$8,367	$1,299	$7,068
Council Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-7	7608 Helen Henderson Hwy	Honaker	24260	Russell County	Buchanan County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 859-9329	194	16	12.2	103.6%	189 (97.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	40.2	732^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	34.1%		38.1	737^th of 1110 public elementary schools	33.6%	5	62.5	69.0	55.0	77.8	52.2	75.0	62.5	72.4	50.0	55.6	69.6	56.5	75.9	$10,736	$3,923	$6,813

Frequently Asked Questions about Richlands Elementary

How many students attend Richlands Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 576 students attended Richlands Elementary.

What district is Richlands Elementary in?

Tazewell County Public Schools

Is Richlands Elementary a good school?

Richlands Elementary ranks 251^st of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Richlands Elementary?

Students at Richlands Elementary are 96% White, 3% Two or more races.

Rate Richlands Elementary!

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Schools in Richlands, VA

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresNewAug 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.