Summary:
ZIP code 23508 is home to two elementary schools — Larchmont Elementary and James Monroe Elementary — both serving grades PK-5 within Norfolk City Public Schools. These schools share a modest geographic footprint and near‑identical poverty levels (about 99.7% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch), yet their academic performance could hardly be more different.
Larchmont Elementary is the clear standout, consistently earning a 4‑star rating and ranking in the top quarter of Virginia elementary schools (293rd out of 1,111). Its average SOL proficiency is roughly 82%, beating district and often state averages. In 2025‑26, 4th grade reading reached 88.89% and 5th grade reading 87.72%. Even 3rd grade math, a common trouble spot, hit 86.44%. Chronic absenteeism is just 8.9%, well below the district’s 17.9%. Larchmont achieves this with lower per‑student spending ($8,302) and a higher student‑teacher ratio (16.2) than its neighbor.
By contrast, James Monroe Elementary is struggling and trending downward. Its state rank has fallen from 779th (2 stars) in 2023‑24 to 969th (1 star) in 2025‑26. Average proficiency is only about 52%, nearly 30 points behind Larchmont. The gaps are stark: 4th grade reading scores are 34.38% versus Larchmont’s 88.89%, and 4th grade math is 39.39% versus 77.78%. Year‑to‑year swings are large too — Monroe’s 4th grade reading dropped from 74.29% to 34.38% in just one year. This happens despite Monroe having more resources: $14,228 per student and a favorable 11.0 student‑teacher ratio. Its chronic absenteeism is actually the lower of the two at 7.0%, so attendance isn’t the issue. For parents, Larchmont shows that high‑poverty students can thrive; Monroe shows that funding and staffing alone don’t guarantee results.
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