Best Public Schools in Zip Code 23230

Zip code 23230 is served by two public schools — Thomas Jefferson High and Charles M. Johnson Elementary — that together enroll 1,172 students across grades PK–5 and 9–12, with no middle school in the immediate area. The two schools sit in different districts: Thomas Jefferson High belongs to Richmond City Public Schools, while Charles M. Johnson Elementary belongs to Henrico County Public Schools. This makes the zip code a boundary area where district-level rankings do not predict school-level performance — the Henrico district ranks higher overall (31st percentile) than the Richmond district (10th percentile), yet Johnson Elementary is the lower-performing school of the two.

Thomas Jefferson High stands out for its persistence and graduation metrics. Its 94.4% graduation rate tops the 92.3% state average and far exceeds its district's 77.5% rate, while its 5.5% dropout rate is dramatically better than its district's 17.2%. Chronic absenteeism of 17.5% is below the district's 20.5%, though above the state's 14.8%. Test scores are mixed: 100% proficiency in VA & US History and 84.4% in 11th-grade English Reading are highlights, but overall state rank sits at the 17th percentile. The school spends $14,341 per student and has an 11.8:1 student–teacher ratio — both better than Charles M. Johnson Elementary's $13,104 and 14.1:1.

Charles M. Johnson Elementary serves a high-poverty population (89.83% free/reduced lunch) and ranks in the 5th percentile among Virginia elementary schools. Its SOL proficiency is well below state averages, with reading the weakest area at 40.3% proficiency in grades 4–5. However, the school is improving — it gained ground in 5 of 7 comparable SOL areas from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, including a 12.7-point jump in 4th-grade math and a 9.5-point rise in 3rd-grade math. Both schools share a chronic absenteeism concern around 17.3–17.5%, above the state's 14.8%. Johnson's rate is especially notable because elementary absenteeism is typically much lower than high school levels. With no middle school in 23230, families with students in grades 6–8 must look outside the zip code, potentially crossing district lines.