Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 23224

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Virginia rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

At a glance

Schools

2,490

Students

Top rankedJ.L. Francis Elementary988^th of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools

▲

Biggest riser

Cardinal Elementary up 54 spots statewide this year

◉

Smallest classes

Swansboro Elementary 10.3 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

1★

0★

See the top-ranked Virginia schools →

Summary:

Zip code 23224 in Richmond, Virginia contains five elementary schools serving grades PK-5 with a combined enrollment of 2,490 students, all part of Richmond City Public Schools, a district ranked 118th out of 131 in Virginia. Every school serves an almost entirely low-income student body, with free/reduced lunch rates between 98.0% and 99.63%. Although none ranks highly statewide, meaningful differences exist among them.

Cardinal Elementary stands out as the strongest overall performer, with the highest composite proficiency (51.8%), the strongest math scores, and the clearest improvement trend — rising from the 2nd percentile statewide in 2023-24 to the 11th percentile in 2025-26 — while spending the least ($10,372 per student). J.L. Francis Elementary ties Cardinal for the best 2025-26 rank and posts the zip's single best result: 81.82% proficiency in 5th grade math, above the state average. Swansboro Elementary has the best resources — lowest chronic absenteeism (12.8%), best student-teacher ratio (10.3), highest spending ($21,515) — yet its rank fell to the 4th percentile. Oak Grove/Bellemeade Elementary remains very low but posted the largest math improvement. Blackwell Elementary faces the most severe challenges: lowest rank (1st percentile), highest absenteeism (32.0%), and lowest proficiency (36.1%).

Across the zip, math proficiency (~50.4%) is stronger than reading (~41.0%), making literacy the most urgent need. Chronic absenteeism is a clear differentiator: schools with lower absenteeism tend to perform better, while Blackwell's 32.0% rate is more than double the state average. Most strikingly, spending does not drive results — Cardinal spends the least but performs best, while Swansboro and Blackwell spend far more yet lag behind. This suggests attendance, instruction, and school climate matter more than funding. Finally, year-to-year swings can be dramatic, especially at small schools like Swansboro (172 students), so single-year results should be interpreted cautiously.

Load more schools when map is moved

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
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
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
J.L. Francis Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5146 Snead Rd	Richmond	23224	Richmond city	Richmond City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 745-3702	526	37	14.2	99.2%	29 (5.5%)	188 (35.7%)	289 (54.9%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.0%)	14.9	988^th of 1111 public elementary schools	11.1%		20	928^th of 1110 public elementary schools	16.4%	60	56.4	43.0	81.8	55.7	39.8	41.0	51.9	21.5	$11,278	$541	$10,737
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

Cities Near Zip Code 23224

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Richmond	0.38 mi	114	310^th
North Chesterfield	2.57 mi	19	332^nd
Chesterfield	3.07 mi	14	270^th
Bon Air	5.24 mi	1	171^st
Henrico	5.71 mi	2

See the top VA Virginia cities

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.