Henry D. Ward Elementary

Summary:

Henry D. Ward Elementary is a public elementary school in Richmond, Virginia, serving around 470 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Henrico County Public Schools district, which is ranked 88 out of 130 school districts in Virginia and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Henry D. Ward Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (75.11%) compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 42.82% to 89.51% African American. The school consistently ranks in the bottom 20% of Virginia elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most years. Its proficiency rates in Mathematics and English Reading are significantly lower than the Henrico County and Virginia state averages across all grade levels. Additionally, Henry D. Ward Elementary has an extremely high percentage of students (over 89%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

While the nearby schools in the Henrico County district, such as Montrose Elementary, Fair Oaks Elementary, and Cashell Donahoe Elementary, also serve high-poverty populations, they generally outperform Henry D. Ward Elementary in academic proficiency rates. This suggests that there may be opportunities to learn from the successful practices of these higher-performing schools and apply them to Henry D. Ward Elementary to address the underlying factors contributing to its low performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

3400 Darbytown Road
Richmond, VA 23231

(804) 795-7030

District: Henrico County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
937^th of 1,114 Virginia Elementary Schools

Students who attend Henry D. Ward Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Elko Middle
High:	Varina High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.6

Number of students: 470

Racial breakdown:

African American:

75.1%

White:

14.7%

Two or more races:

5.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 89.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Henry D. Ward Elementary ranks worse than 84.1% of elementary schools in Virginia. It also ranks 31^st among 45 ranked elementary schools in the Henrico County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.03. (See more...)

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 Henry D. Ward Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Henrico County Public Schools District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Henry D. Ward Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Henry D. Ward Elementary 937^th of 1114 Virginia public elementary schools. (See Henry D. Ward Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Henrico County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Henrico County Public Schools 88^th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Henry D. Ward Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Henry D. Ward Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile
2005	61.78	413^th	1062	61.1%
2006	45.19	690^th	1071	35.6%
2007	38.86	769^th	1083	29.0%
2008	42.91	733^rd	1081	32.2%
2009	41.17	764^th	1082	29.4%
2010	41.54	804^th	1113	27.8%
2011	47.80	665^th	1117	40.5%
2012	43.13	736^th	1117	34.1%
2013	37.78	791^st	1120	29.4%
2014	25.23	951^st	1110	14.3%
2015	24.34	936^th	1100	14.9%
2016	33.15	852^nd	1096	22.3%
2017	25.68	939^th	1099	14.6%
2018	27.52	898^th	1097	18.1%
2019	25.32	933^rd	1105	15.6%
2021	37.40	737^th	1103	33.2%
2022	18.63	945^th	1109	14.8%
2023	16.21	966^th	1114	13.3%
2024	20.03	937^th	1114	15.9%

See the entire list of Virginia Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Henry D. Ward Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	17.96	919^th	1036	11.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Henry D. Ward Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	16.41	975^th	1100	11.4%
2024	19.10	942^nd	1098	14.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Henry D. Ward Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	19.46	934^th	1093	14.5%
2024	20.59	932^nd	1101	15.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at Henry D. Ward Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	35.16	431^st	579	25.6%
2024	30.06	469^th	588	20.2%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Henry D. Ward Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	43.50	633^rd	979	35.3%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary 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: 4)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Henry D. Ward Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1995	254	84	3	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	342
1996	254	84	3	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	342
1997	282	116	3	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	402
1998	256	145	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	406
1999	262	157	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	421
2000	258	175	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	-4	432
2001	235	169	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	409
2002	240	181	4	0	1	n/a	n/a	3	429
2003	240	181	4	0	1	n/a	n/a	3	429
2004	252	213	4	0	1	n/a	n/a	6	476
2005	225	220	4	3	2	n/a	n/a	14	468
2006	200	227	4	4	2	n/a	n/a	32	469
2007	198	203	3	3	2	n/a	n/a	53	462
2008	197	231	4	4	2	n/a	n/a	56	494
2009	200	226	7	4	1	n/a	n/a	56	494
2010	186	228	3	4	3	n/a	n/a	46	470
2011	196	259	2	7	2	0	14	0	480
2012	204	277	2	7	3	0	22	0	515
2013	192	309	3	9	4	0	19	0	536
2014	184	327	3	9	5	0	11	0	539
2015	196	335	2	7	3	0	20	0	563
2016	146	334	3	3	2	0	31	0	519
2017	144	325	1	4	1	0	19	0	494
2018	112	351	0	5	1	0	23	0	492
2019	101	363	2	13	1	0	23	0	503
2020	95	368	1	14	1	0	22	0	501
2021	73	355	1	20	2	0	21	0	472
2022	79	378	2	19	0	0	23	0	501
2023	69	353	1	22	1	0	24	0	470

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 Henry D. Ward Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	342	n/a	0.0	27.2
1996	342	n/a	0.0	27.2
1997	402	n/a	0.0	28.6
1998	406	n/a	0.0	33.5
1999	421	27.0	15.6	45.4
2000	432	n/a	0.0	41.7
2001	409	31.0	13.2	42.5
2002	429	34.5	12.4	39.7
2003	429	34.5	12.4	39.7
2004	476	34.0	14.0	41.3
2005	468	33.0	14.2	39.2
2006	469	35.0	13.4	44.4
2007	462	40.5	11.4	50.9
2008	494	25.5	19.4	48.9
2009	494	24.5	20.2	48.6
2010	470	25.5	18.4	55.9
2011	480	26.5	18.1	55.2
2012	515	30.9	16.6	55.7
2013	536	25.8	20.7	58.2
2014	539	23.0	23.4	59
2015	563	32.0	17.5	65.5
2016	519	30.0	17.3	63.2
2017	494	31.5	15.6	65.4
2018	492	30.0	16.4	67.5
2019	503	33.5	15.0	91.3
2020	501	30.0	16.7	81.6
2021	472	27.0	17.4	n/a
2022	501	28.5	17.5	81.6
2023	470	32.0	14.6	89.6

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 Henry D. Ward Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	342	n/a	0.0	27.2
1996	342	n/a	0.0	27.2
1997	402	n/a	0.0	28.6
1998	406	n/a	0.0	33.5
1999	421	27.0	15.6	45.4
2000	432	n/a	0.0	41.7
2001	409	31.0	13.2	42.5
2002	429	34.5	12.4	39.7
2003	429	34.5	12.4	39.7
2004	476	34.0	14.0	41.3
2005	468	33.0	14.2	39.2
2006	469	35.0	13.4	44.4
2007	462	40.5	11.4	50.9
2008	494	25.5	19.4	48.9
2009	494	24.5	20.2	48.6
2010	470	25.5	18.4	55.9
2011	480	26.5	18.1	55.2
2012	515	30.9	16.6	55.7
2013	536	25.8	20.7	58.2
2014	539	23.0	23.4	59
2015	563	32.0	17.5	65.5
2016	519	30.0	17.3	63.2
2017	494	31.5	15.6	65.4
2018	492	30.0	16.4	67.5
2019	503	33.5	15.0	91.3
2020	501	30.0	16.7	81.6
2021	472	27.0	17.4	n/a
2022	501	28.5	17.5	81.6
2023	470	32.0	14.6	89.6

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.

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Henry D. Ward Elementary

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 933^rd of 1105 Elementary schools	Ranks 966^th of 1114 Elementary schools	2.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Henry D. Ward Elementary)	64	43.3	20.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Henrico County Public Schools)	81	64.4	16.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	82	69.1	12.9%
3rd Grade English Reading (Henry D. Ward Elementary)	55	46.7	8.3%
3rd Grade English Reading (Henrico County Public Schools)	70	64.4	5.6%
3rd Grade English Reading (Virginia)	71	66.1	4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Henry D. Ward Elementary)	67	51.4	15.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Henrico County Public Schools)	81	67.1	13.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	83	69.7	13.3%
4th Grade English Reading (Henry D. Ward Elementary)	69	56.2	12.8%
4th Grade English Reading (Henrico County Public Schools)	74	73	1%
4th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	75	72.7	2.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Henry D. Ward Elementary)	76	52.4	23.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Henrico County Public Schools)	84	66.6	17.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	81	67	14%
5th Grade Science (Henry D. Ward Elementary)	74	51.8	22.2%
5th Grade Science (Henrico County Public Schools)	82	68	14%
5th Grade Science (Virginia)	79	66	13%
5th Grade English Reading (Henry D. Ward Elementary)	78	56.1	21.9%
5th Grade English Reading (Henrico County Public Schools)	80	69.8	10.2%
5th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	78	71.4	6.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	503	470	6.6%
African American	363	353	2.8%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	13	22	69.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	101	69	31.7%
Two or More Races	23	24	4.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	91.3%	89.6%	1.7%

Schools Near Henry D. Ward Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SOL Mathematics (2024)			SOL Science (2024)	SOL English Reading (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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Henry D. Ward Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3400 Darbytown Road	Richmond	23231	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 795-7030	470	32	14.6	89.6%	69 (14.7%)	353 (75.1%)	22 (4.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.1%)	20	937^th of 1114 public elementary schools	15.9%		16.2	966^th of 1114 public elementary schools	13.3%	29	40.0	58.1	51.3	57.9	41.4	69.2	51.3
Varina Elementary	Public	3-5	2551 New Market Rd	Richmond	23231	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 795-7010	263	18	14.6	89.7%	43 (16.3%)	179 (68.1%)	21 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	19 (7.2%)	11.3	1012^th of 1114 public elementary schools	9.2%		20.9	933^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	16.2%	79	44.9	49.4	33.3	43.5	47.4	56.3	60.7	$12,148	$1,030	$11,118
Anthony P. Mehfoud Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	8320 Buffin Rd	Richmond	23231	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 795-7020	331	22	15.0	88.8%	77 (23.3%)	204 (61.6%)	20 (6.0%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.6%)								(n/a)
George F. Baker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6651 Willson Rd	Richmond	23231	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 226-8755	410	32	12.8	88.5%	7 (1.7%)	367 (89.5%)	19 (4.6%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.7%)	25	902^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	19.0%		15.4	975^th of 1114 public elementary schools	12.5%	73	49.3	29.9	60.7	75.0	49.3	53.7	69.6
Seven Pines Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Beulah Rd	Sandston	23150	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 328-4065	376	26	14.4	90.7%	142 (37.8%)	161 (42.8%)	20 (5.3%)	5 (1.3%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (11.4%)	29.9	845^th of 1114 public elementary schools	24.1%		29.2	852^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	23.5%	7	55.9	69.5	61.0	57.1	55.0	62.7	62.3	$11,193	$587	$10,606
Sandston Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7 Naglee Ave	Sandston	23150	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 328-4055	188	16	11.7	91.0%	73 (38.8%)	67 (35.6%)	28 (14.9%)	3 (1.6%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (8.0%)	38.9	738^th of 1114 public elementary schools	33.8%		56.6	528^th of 1114 public elementary schools	52.6%	210	53.1	64.5	73.7	73.7	54.8	64.5	79.0	$14,099	$3,127	$10,972
Montrose Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2820 Williamsburg Rd	Richmond	23231	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 226-8765	311	27	11.5	89.4%	27 (8.7%)	232 (74.6%)	25 (8.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (7.4%)	8.2	1045^th of 1114 public elementary schools	6.2%		18	954^th of 1114 public elementary schools	14.4%	91	40.0	42.6	26.1	50.0	50.0	52.2	50.0	$10,636	$1,323	$9,314
Fair Oaks Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	201 Jennings Rd	Highland Springs	23075	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 328-4085	379	32	11.8	88.7%	51 (13.5%)	293 (77.3%)	19 (5.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (3.7%)	4	1091^st of 1114 public elementary schools	2.1%		2.4	1102^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	1.1%	11	21.7	23.4	33.9	36.4	35.0	59.6	36.8	$10,751	$1,303	$9,448
Cashell Donahoe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1801 Graves Rd	Sandston	23150	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 328-4035	514	38	13.5	90.5%	79 (15.4%)	268 (52.1%)	134 (26.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (6.0%)	15.4	975^th of 1114 public elementary schools	12.5%		19.8	939^th of 1114 public elementary schools	15.7%	36	57.7	42.3	51.6	58.3	45.8	46.8	53.7	$9,209	$1,112	$8,097
Jacob L. Adams Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	600 S Laburnum Ave	Richmond	23223	Richmond city	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 226-8745	464	32	14.5	89.0%	21 (4.5%)	380 (81.9%)	45 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.7%)	14	989^th of 1114 public elementary schools	11.2%		12.7	999^th of 1114 public elementary schools	10.3%	10	47.5	51.1	44.0	52.0	46.6	59.6	55.4

Frequently Asked Questions about Henry D. Ward Elementary

What schools do graduates of Henry D. Ward Elementary attend?

Students who attend Henry D. Ward Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Elko Middle
High : Varina High

Is Henry D. Ward Elementary a good school?

Henry D. Ward Elementary ranks in the bottom 15.9% of Virginia elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Henry D. Ward Elementary?

Students at Henry D. Ward Elementary are 75% African American, 15% White, 5% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

What district is Henry D. Ward Elementary in?

Henrico County Public Schools

How many students attend Henry D. Ward Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 470 students attended Henry D. Ward Elementary.

Rate Henry D. Ward Elementary!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.