Enrollment
464
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Buchanan, VA
James River High
Federal NCES profile for James River High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510042000171
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James River High earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 28.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 464
- students enrolled
James River High has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Botetourt County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510042000171 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.0%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James River High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at James River High
James River High is a mid-sized high school in Buchanan, Virginia, enrolling 464 students.
At 14.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Virginia median, within a few percentage points of the 13.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 464 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 239 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #16, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 16/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 232 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Botetourt County Public Schools also operates Lord Botetourt High (963 students) and Read Mountain Middle (670 students) alongside James River High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How James River High compares
James River High on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.1:1 | ▲ 1% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.0% | ▼ 51% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 464 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
464
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 55% in Virginia - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,046
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 232 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
55
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 91.8%
Two or More 3.9%
Hispanic or Latino 2.2%
African American 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 91.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.5, James River High is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Botetourt County Public Schools, which includes James River High.
$13,046
Per student
-11%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.6%
State 48.0%
Federal 9.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How James River High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lord Botetourt High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Read Mountain Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Colonial Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Greenfield Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Academy Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James River High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 963
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 670
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 67/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~464 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James River High's federal record.
- Compare James River High against another school. Compare schools
- Botetourt County Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about James River High
How many students attend James River High?
James River High has 464 students enrolled. It is a high school in Buchanan, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James River High?
The student-teacher ratio at James River High is 14.1:1, which is 1% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James River High?
28.0% of students at James River High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James River High?
The largest demographic group at James River High is White at 91.8% of enrollment, in Buchanan, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James River High?
James River High has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is James River High a good school?
James River High earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Botetourt County Public Schools?
Besides James River High, Botetourt County Public Schools also operates Lord Botetourt High (963 students), Read Mountain Middle (670 students), and Colonial Elementary (439 students). See the Botetourt County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.