Enrollment
1,842
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Midlothian, VA
James River High
Federal NCES profile for James River High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510084000766
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James River High earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia.
- #4 of 5
- high schools in Midlothian · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.3:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 28.8%
- free-lunch eligible
James River High has class sizes larger than 85% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James River High ranks #4 of 5 high schools in Midlothian, VA.
School address
District: Chesterfield County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510084000766 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
113.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.8%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-50% 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 large high school in Midlothian, Virginia, enrolling 1,842 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,842 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 103 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #97, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 64/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 23 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 263 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Midlothian's high schools, it stands alongside Cosby High (2,507 students): James River High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.3:1 vs 17.5:1).
Chesterfield County Public Schools also operates Thomas Dale High (2,582 students) and Cosby High (2,507 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 | 16.3:1 | ▲ 17% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.8% | ▼ 50% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,842 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,842
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 85% in Virginia - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,207
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
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 263 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
126
in-school suspensions + 70 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.6 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 53.5%
Hispanic or Latino 22.7%
African American 14.7%
Two or More 4.8%
Asian 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 53.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.7, James River High is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 23
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chesterfield County Public Schools, which includes James River High.
$12,207
Per student
-17%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 47.1%
Federal 10.1%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Dale High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cosby High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Manchester High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lloyd C. Bird High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Midlothian High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar 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
- 2,582
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,507
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,236
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,131
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,048
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar high schools in Midlothian
4 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Cosby High
Standard public school
2,507 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Manchester High
Standard public school
2,236 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Midlothian High
Standard public school
2,048 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Clover Hill High
Standard public school
1,742 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
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 (~1,842 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James River High's federal record.
- Compare James River High against another school. Compare schools
- Chesterfield 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 1,842 students enrolled. It is a high school in Midlothian, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James River High?
The student-teacher ratio at James River High is 16.3:1, which is 17% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James River High?
28.8% 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 53.5% of enrollment, in Midlothian, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James River High?
James River High has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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).
How does James River High rank among high schools in Midlothian?
By Resource Investment Index, James River High ranks #4 of 5 high schools in Midlothian, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Midlothian on the city page.
Is James River High a good school?
James River High earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia. 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 Chesterfield County Public Schools?
Besides James River High, Chesterfield County Public Schools also operates Thomas Dale High (2,582 students), Cosby High (2,507 students), and Manchester High (2,236 students). See the Chesterfield 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.