Is James River High a good school?

Yes! James River High is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 15 th of 329 Virginia high schools.

How many students attend James River High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 461 students attended James River High.

What is the racial makeup of James River High?

Students at James River High are 92% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Hispanic.

What schools feed into James River High?

James River High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Breckinridge Elementary Elementary : Buchanan Elementary Elementary : Eagle Rock Elementary Middle : Central Academy Middle

James River High

Summary:

James River High is a public high school in Buchanan, Virginia, serving 460 students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Botetourt County Public Schools district, which is ranked 6th out of 130 school districts in Virginia and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

James River High consistently outperforms the state and district averages on various SOL (Standards of Learning) assessments, with 94.12% of 9th-grade students proficient or better in Geometry, compared to 92.13% for the Botetourt County Public Schools district and 85.92% for the state of Virginia. The school also excels in supporting different student subgroups, ranking highly for female students (12th out of 322 VA high schools), male students (16th out of 322 VA high schools), low socioeconomic status students (6th out of 320 VA high schools), and disabled students (8th out of 253 VA high schools). Over the past decade, James River High has consistently ranked among the top high schools in Virginia, with a statewide ranking as high as 6th out of 327 schools in the 2020-2021 school year.

James River High's exceptional performance is particularly notable in math and science subjects, with 100% of 9th-grade students proficient or better in Algebra II and 100% of 9th-grade students proficient or better in Biology. The school has also shown steady improvement in English Reading proficiency, with 92.45% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in the 2023-2024 school year. When compared to nearby schools like Lord Botetourt High and William Byrd High, James River High consistently outperforms them on academic measures. However, the school has seen a decline in racial diversity, with the percentage of white students increasing from 93.25% in 2020-2021 to 92.17% in 2022-2023, and an increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 26.26% in 2021-2022 to 31.52% in 2022-2023.

Detail:

Public 9-12

9906 Springwood Rd
Buchanan, VA 24066

(540) 254-1121

District: Botetourt County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
15^th of 329 Virginia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,081

Feeder schools for James River High:

Elementary:	Breckinridge Elementary
	Buchanan Elementary
	Eagle Rock Elementary
Middle:	Central Academy Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 15.2

Number of students: 461

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.4%

Two or more races:

3.3%

African American:

2.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 33.6%

See top rated Virginia high schools

Compare James River High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details James River High ranks better than 95.4% of high schools in Virginia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 81.82. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at James River High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (92.4%), two or more races (3.3%), African American (2.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 33.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at James River High is 15.2. (See more...)

Compare James River High employs 30.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at James River High is $9,081.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

James River High:

SchoolDigger ranks James River High 15^th of 329 Virginia public high schools. (See James River High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

White students:

Botetourt County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Botetourt County Public Schools 6^th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for James River High.

What do you think?

Your rating for James River High?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for James River High

Compare

Rank History for all students at James River High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile
2005	54.91	112^th	308	63.6%
2006	60.52	75^th	314	76.1%
2007	60.04	86^th	313	72.5%
2008	69.06	47^th	316	85.1%
2009	66.79	48^th	313	84.7%
2010	75.01	23^rd	317	92.7%
2011	70.45	46^th	320	85.6%
2012	62.44	82^nd	321	74.5%
2013	59.56	91^st	321	71.7%
2014	56.39	106^th	322	67.1%
2015	68.86	49^th	322	84.8%
2016	68.61	51^st	321	84.1%
2017	69.40	45^th	324	86.1%
2018	68.34	46^th	326	85.9%
2019	64.20	70^th	327	78.6%
2021	82.23	6^th	327	98.2%
2022	62.57	88^th	325	72.9%
2023	80.22	22^nd	326	93.3%
2024	81.82	15^th	329	95.4%

See the entire list of Virginia High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at James River High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	90.11	6^th	320	98.1%

See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at James River High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	76.75	42^nd	320	86.9%
2024	82.04	12^th	322	96.3%

See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at James River High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	92.77	1^st	249	99.6%
2024	88.68	8^th	253	96.8%

See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at James River High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	83.54	11^th	321	96.6%
2024	83.00	16^th	322	95.0%

See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at James River High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	70.55	53^rd	315	83.2%
2024	70.66	57^th	314	81.8%

See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Virginia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for James River High

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	467	467
1990	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	466	466
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	459	459
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	459	459
1993	375	28	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	407
1994	359	23	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	385
1995	382	32	2	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	417
1996	382	32	2	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	417
1997	419	29	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	449
1998	414	29	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	444
1999	414	23	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	440
2000	445	18	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	-6	460
2001	462	24	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	492
2002	474	21	1	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	499
2003	474	21	1	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	499
2004	461	20	1	1	2	n/a	n/a	1	486
2005	447	16	2	0	4	n/a	n/a	0	469
2006	467	15	1	2	2	n/a	n/a	2	489
2007	447	11	1	3	2	n/a	n/a	3	467
2008	474	10	1	3	2	n/a	n/a	4	494
2009	453	12	1	6	1	n/a	n/a	7	480
2010	457	11	1	7	2	n/a	n/a	8	486
2011	469	0	0	11	1	0	3	0	484
2012	489	7	0	10	1	0	19	0	526
2013	526	9	0	10	2	0	18	0	565
2014	530	13	0	9	0	0	13	0	565
2015	540	19	1	6	0	0	12	0	578
2016	513	19	2	2	0	0	10	0	546
2017	514	12	4	4	1	1	15	0	551
2018	516	9	3	6	1	0	13	0	548
2019	503	8	3	8	3	1	9	0	535
2020	484	7	3	8	2	0	17	0	521
2021	456	10	2	8	0	0	13	0	489
2022	446	5	2	12	0	0	11	0	476
2023	424	8	1	13	0	0	14	0	460
2024	426	10	0	10	0	0	15	0	461

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at James River High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	467	32.6	14.3	n/a
1990	466	31.7	14.7	n/a
1991	459	32.4	14.1	n/a
1992	459	33.0	13.9	n/a
1993	407	31.7	12.8	n/a
1994	385	37.6	n/a	11.2
1995	417	n/a	0.0	8.4
1996	417	n/a	0.0	8.4
1997	449	n/a	0.0	10
1998	444	n/a	0.0	8.6
1999	440	34.0	12.9	10.9
2000	460	n/a	0.0	11.4
2001	492	35.2	14.0	11.2
2002	499	43.4	11.5	13
2003	499	43.4	11.5	13
2004	486	41.0	11.9	13.4
2005	469	40.0	11.7	13.4
2006	489	43.0	11.4	18.5
2007	467	29.3	15.9	16.6
2008	494	24.0	20.6	19.6
2009	480	23.8	20.2	19.5
2010	486	22.9	21.1	19.2
2011	484	21.6	22.3	19.8
2012	526	35.4	14.8	24.7
2013	565	35.5	15.8	23.5
2014	565	39.4	14.3	23.5
2015	578	39.0	14.8	24
2016	546	41.0	13.3	22.9
2017	551	39.7	13.8	22.9
2018	548	39.5	13.8	26.6
2019	535	40.7	13.1	22.6
2020	521	35.8	14.5	24
2021	489	32.2	15.1	n/a
2022	476	39.0	12.1	26.3
2023	460	33.2	13.8	31.5
2024	461	30.1	15.2	33.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio James River High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	467	32.6	14.3	n/a
1990	466	31.7	14.7	n/a
1991	459	32.4	14.1	n/a
1992	459	33.0	13.9	n/a
1993	407	31.7	12.8	n/a
1994	385	37.6	n/a	11.2
1995	417	n/a	0.0	8.4
1996	417	n/a	0.0	8.4
1997	449	n/a	0.0	10
1998	444	n/a	0.0	8.6
1999	440	34.0	12.9	10.9
2000	460	n/a	0.0	11.4
2001	492	35.2	14.0	11.2
2002	499	43.4	11.5	13
2003	499	43.4	11.5	13
2004	486	41.0	11.9	13.4
2005	469	40.0	11.7	13.4
2006	489	43.0	11.4	18.5
2007	467	29.3	15.9	16.6
2008	494	24.0	20.6	19.6
2009	480	23.8	20.2	19.5
2010	486	22.9	21.1	19.2
2011	484	21.6	22.3	19.8
2012	526	35.4	14.8	24.7
2013	565	35.5	15.8	23.5
2014	565	39.4	14.3	23.5
2015	578	39.0	14.8	24
2016	546	41.0	13.3	22.9
2017	551	39.7	13.8	22.9
2018	548	39.5	13.8	26.6
2019	535	40.7	13.1	22.6
2020	521	35.8	14.5	24
2021	489	32.2	15.1	n/a
2022	476	39.0	12.1	26.3
2023	460	33.2	13.8	31.5
2024	461	30.1	15.2	33.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for James River High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$205 (2.6%)	$7,629 (97.4%)	$7,834
2020	$169 (2.1%)	$7,833 (97.9%)	$8,002
2021	$244 (2.7%)	$8,837 (97.3%)	$9,081

Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on James River High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 70^th of 327 High schools	Ranks 22^nd of 326 High schools	14.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Geometry (James River High)	88	82	6%
End of Course Geometry (Botetourt County Public Schools)	89	93	4%
End of Course Geometry (Virginia)	83	80	3%
End of Course Algebra I (James River High)	84	86	2%
End of Course Algebra I (Botetourt County Public Schools)	94	91	3%
End of Course Algebra I (Virginia)	86	80	6%
End of Course Biology (James River High)	87	72	15%
End of Course Biology (Botetourt County Public Schools)	84	72	12%
End of Course Biology (Virginia)	83	70	13%
End of Course Earth Science (James River High)	91	82	9%
End of Course Earth Science (Botetourt County Public Schools)	90	78	12%
End of Course Earth Science (Virginia)	81	72	9%
End of Course English Reading (James River High)	91	88	3%
End of Course English Reading (Botetourt County Public Schools)	89	92	3%
End of Course English Reading (Virginia)	86	85	1%
End of Course World History I (James River High)	89	82	7%
End of Course World History I (Botetourt County Public Schools)	87	77	10%
End of Course World History I (Virginia)	80	66	14%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	535	460	14%
African American	8	8
American Indian	3	0	100%
Asian	3	1	66.7%
Hispanic	8	13	62.5%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	503	424	15.7%
Two or More Races	9	14	55.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	22.6%	31.5%	8.9%

Schools Near James River High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SOL Writing (2024)		SOL Geometry (2024)		SOL Algebra I (2024)				SOL Algebra II (2024)	SOL Mathematics (2024)			SOL Chemistry (2024)	SOL Biology (2024)			SOL Science (2024)	SOL Earth Science (2024)		SOL English Reading (2024)						SOL Geography (2024)		SOL VA and US History (2024)	SOL World History I (2024)			SOL World History II (2024)	SOL Civics and Economics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Writing 10th Grade	SOL Writing 11th Grade	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Geometry 10th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 10th Grade	SOL Algebra I 11th Grade	SOL Algebra II 9th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Chemistry 10th Grade	SOL Biology 9th Grade	SOL Biology 10th Grade	SOL Biology 11th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL Earth Science 9th Grade	SOL Earth Science 10th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 10th Grade	SOL English Reading 11th Grade	SOL English Reading 12th Grade	SOL Geography 9th Grade	SOL Geography 10th Grade	SOL VA and US History 11th Grade	SOL World History I 8th Grade	SOL World History I 9th Grade	SOL World History I 10th Grade	SOL World History II 9th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
James River High	Public	9-12	9906 Springwood Rd	Buchanan	24066	Botetourt County	Botetourt County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 254-1121	461	30	15.2	33.6%	426 (92.4%)	10 (2.2%)	10 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.3%)	81.8	15^th of 329 public high schools	95.4%		80.2	22^nd of 326 public high schools	93.3%	7			94.1			96.0			100.0					100.0	77.1	69.2								92.5						89.8				$9,081	$244	$8,837
Lord Botetourt High	Public	9-12	1435 Roanoke Rd	Daleville	24083	Botetourt County	Botetourt County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 992-1261	983	94	10.4	29.1%	793 (80.7%)	28 (2.8%)	75 (7.6%)	17 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	69 (7.0%)	72	70^th of 329 public high schools	78.7%		67	101^st of 326 public high schools	69.0%	31			91.7			92.5	100.0		97.9				81.8	92.3	68.2	77.3		85.7	66.7				63.6	94.0	80.0			36.4		75.7				$7,644	$90	$7,554
Liberty High	Public	9-12	100 Liberty Minutemen Dr	Bedford	24523	Bedford County	Bedford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 586-2541	727	54	13.5	73.9%	572 (78.7%)	82 (11.3%)	24 (3.3%)	4 (0.6%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (5.6%)	34.7	264^th of 329 public high schools	19.8%		37.8	244^th of 326 public high schools	25.2%	20		78.7	91.7			83.1	76.7	75.0						61.0	64.0									80.9								6.2		$6,181	$436	$5,745
Alleghany High	Public	9-12	210 Mountaineer Drive	Covington	24426	Covington city	Alleghany Highlands Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 863-1700	831	65	12.7	82.3%	681 (81.9%)	52 (6.3%)	34 (4.1%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (7.3%)	30	286^th of 329 public high schools	13.1%		29.6	285^th of 326 public high schools	12.6%	1			91.9			67.6	56.0								64.6			71.2						68.9	75.8	72.9	72.7	28.8		51.6	25.9			$7,873	$463	$7,410
William Byrd High	Public	9-12	2902 Washington Ave	Vinton	24179	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 890-3090	1,127	71	15.9	39.0%	892 (79.1%)	89 (7.9%)	77 (6.8%)	11 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (5.1%)	69.1	94^th of 329 public high schools	71.4%		73.2	62^nd of 326 public high schools	81.0%	32			95.0	52.6		88.7			100.0						79.4			78.0					75.0	89.1						72.5				$7,279	$125	$7,154
Craig County High	Public	6-12	25239 Craigs Creek Road	New Castle	24127	Craig County	Craig County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 864-5185	261	27	9.6	82.4%	256 (98.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	50.6	198^th of 329 public high schools	39.8%		56.5	161^st of 326 public high schools	50.6%	37	59.5				100.0	87.1				45.5	35.7	40.0			87.9		58.5			63.6	69.0	65.1		78.0					68.3				69.0	$9,392	$792	$8,600

James River High

James River High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Botetourt County Public Schools:

Average Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for James River High

Rank History for all students at James River High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at James River High

Rank History for Female students at James River High

Rank History for Disabled students at James River High

Rank History for Male students at James River High

Rank History for White students at James River High

Review counts

Enrollment information for James River High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at James River High

Student/Teacher Ratio James River High

Per Pupil Expenditures for James River High

Impact of COVID-19 on James River High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near James River High

James River High

Lord Botetourt High

Liberty High

Alleghany High

William Byrd High

Craig County High

Frequently Asked Questions about James River High

How many students attend James River High?

What schools feed into James River High?

What is the racial makeup of James River High?

Is James River High a good school?

What district is James River High in?

Rate James River High!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Sign up for updates!