Schools in Zip Code 23294

Zip code 23294 in Richmond, Virginia is home to three public schools within Henrico County Public Schools — John Randolph Tucker High (grades 9–12), Skipwith Elementary (PK–5), and R.C. Longan Elementary (PK–5) — with no middle schools in the area. All three schools serve very high-poverty populations (88–89% free/reduced lunch eligibility), and all rank below their district's already-low statewide position at the 12th, 19th, and 27th percentiles.

R.C. Longan Elementary is the clear standout. It has the lowest chronic absenteeism (11.0%) in the ZIP, the strongest elementary reading and science scores, and posted large year-over-year gains in 5th-grade math (+14.6 points) and 3rd-grade reading (+15.7 points). It also benefits from the highest per-student spending ($11,376) and the best student–teacher ratio (15.3:1). In contrast, Skipwith Elementary is trending downward, with dramatic drops in 5th-grade science (59.6% to 40.9%) and 4th-grade reading, plus higher absenteeism (17.5%). At the high school level, John Randolph Tucker High posts strong SOL results in Biology and World History II, but its graduation rate (82.5%), dropout rate (12.4%), and chronic absenteeism (21.2%) are all significantly worse than state averages.

Chronic absenteeism tracks performance closely across all three schools — Longan's 11.0% rate aligns with its strong scores, while Tucker High's 21.2% and Skipwith's 17.5% align with weaker outcomes. Tucker High also shows a 9th-grade bottleneck: Algebra I proficiency is only 64.8% and Earth Science just 35.2% in 9th grade, though later grades improve as students retake courses. The spending gap likely matters too: Longan spends over $2,300 more per student than Tucker High. For parents, Longan is the clear bright spot showing improvement is possible in a high-poverty context, while Skipwith needs attention in science and reading, and Tucker High urgently needs intervention around attendance and 9th-grade math/science support.