Summary:
Zip code 23113 is served by a single public high school, James River High, a large traditional high school in Chesterfield County Public Schools serving 1,842 students in grades 9-12. Since there are no other high schools within the ZIP code, the most relevant benchmarks are the district and Virginia state averages, and James River sits slightly below the state median in overall ranking while showing notable strengths in several subjects.
The school's graduation rate of 90.1% is above the district average of 89.2% but below the state's 92.3%. Chronic absenteeism at 15.0% is essentially in line with the state average, but the dropout rate of 9.4% is nearly double the state average of 5.0% and above the district's 8.5%. Academically, James River excels in 9th-grade Geography, with 98.23% proficiency versus 72.24% statewide, along with strong results in 11th and 12th-grade English Reading and 12th-grade World History I. Conversely, clear weaknesses appear in 10th-grade Geometry, where proficiency fell to 14.29% in 2024-25, as well as 11th-grade Writing at 56.52% versus the state's 79.89%, plus 9th-grade Earth Science and 10th-grade Biology.
James River's state ranking has improved modestly over three years, moving from the 40th percentile in 2023-24 to the 44th percentile in 2025-26. Large grade-level swings within the same subject suggest cohort differences and course sequencing play a major role. For instance, Biology proficiency is near the state average in 9th grade but lags by 19 points in 10th grade, while Writing is above the state average in 10th grade but more than 20 points below in 11th grade. Geography stands out as an extraordinary outlier at 98.23% proficiency. Approximately 31.54% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, providing meaningful economic context. With per-student spending of $7,528 and a student-teacher ratio of 15.4, the biggest opportunities for improvement are strengthening 10th-grade math and science proficiency and reducing the dropout rate.
Thank you for your feedback!