James River High School

3700 James River Road

School District

Chesterfield County Public Schools
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:16
Type

public

School Map for Chesterfield County Public Schools

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 26, 2025

I had two children graduate from James River. James River was an outstanding school and they had an excellent experience. Both kids had high academic standards and both were multisport athletes. Change River does an amazing job teaching kids to be young adults.
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2021

James River is an amazing school. It’s like a family atmosphere. The kids get along well and the faculty and staff do a great job. Athletics are hands down the best in the county across the board.
Submitted by parent on January 27, 2021

We moved to a great neighborhood as we had heard James River High School was a great school. After 1 year here I can tell you it is the worst school we have ever attended. The teacher lack of care, time and involvement shows regardless of when they are "in person" or "virtual". I'm stunned that the student demographic doesn't match the neighborhood demographic, far from it. This is the worst experience we've ever had and it seems nobody cares, the Chesterfield School Board is the worst board we've ever experienced as well and have a total lack of representation of what the parents want. This school is a result of a progressive agenda and it shows in their test scores.
Submitted by parent on January 01, 2018

I love this school! JRHS has the highest number of AP courses offered of ANY county school. Additionally they give the second highest number of AP tests and students consistently score above both the state, national and county averages across the board. Their leadership center is top notch and student community service is supported and encouraged. My son has friends who have been accepted into Ivy League schools from JRHS and we are proud to say that we are a Rapid family! I am so disgusted that Great Schools continues to fail to have accurate information. This site shows an Alg. 1 pass rate of 58% when last year the pass rate was 77%. I am floored that this "non-profit" seems to have such a powerful effect on parent and homebuyer decisions when it fails to keep up with the latest information. The site seems to simply be a modern day version of redlining; maligning excellent schools with false and inaccurate data. So sad.
Submitted by parent on July 02, 2017

All out kids went through JRHS and I always found them more than willing to help whenever an issue arose. Good parental involvement, nice teachers and administrators. This rating seems really low for a school that has great after school activities like crew, sports and theatre. We love BonAir and the diversity within the community. Perhaps grades are reflecting our inclusion of many non English speakers, who enhance the community but may unfortunately not test well? I don't know what to say, lots of kids and families love JRHS!
Submitted by other on April 25, 2017

Great community! I'm not sure where this rating comes from, it's doesn't seem to reflect what I know about James river high school.
Submitted by other on September 04, 2016

I graduated from this school in 1999. I love this brand new school. The mascot was the rapids and the best teachers in this world.
Submitted by parent on July 01, 2016

My son recently graduated and I have two other children there. My kids have thrived at JRHS. They have had teachers who have I spired and motivated. I have no reservations about my kids attending JRHS. There are tons of clubs and activities for all students to join. I have no doubts that my kids are well prepared for college and beyond.
Submitted by other on June 28, 2016

I have found there to be an openness to dialogue, a willingness to include stakeholders in decision making, and high expectations for students, teachers, and parents.
Submitted by other on June 20, 2016

Prepped me well for college, great teachers and staff!! Fantastic facilities and beautiful location, Go Rapids!!
Submitted by parent on June 14, 2016

Blue ribbon high school. Great teachers. Great band. Prepared both my kids well for college.
Submitted by parent on June 07, 2016

Excellent teachers for the most part and willing to help when needed. Good variety of electives and opportunities for higher level classes. Sports programs and clubs are excellent.
Submitted by other on May 14, 2016

My children are grown but my neighbors children have graduated from James River and loved it.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2016

Two children have graduated from this school, one in the leadership program and one in mostly all AP classes. This is a strong diverse school with great community involvement and even better teacher strength. Not to mention it is an esl school.
Submitted by parent on May 07, 2016

Excellent community school. They must have 50 different clubs kids can join and tons of sports activities. Academically they have a lot of AP classes and the Leadership specialty center is located here bringing some of the best students in the country. They have some lower overall test scores giving a rather poor greatschools rating because the school has some diversity. Not a bad thing either but the great schools rating is not an accurate reflection of this blue ribbon school (which also goes on the student diploma)
Submitted by other on May 05, 2016

Two of my children graduated from James River High School. It was a terrific experience and I felt they had an excellent education. It is a diverse school, with an ESL population which may be why test scores are lower. The rating is very unfair and does not reflect the quality of the school environment and culture .
Submitted by parent on May 04, 2016

Strong academics that successfully prepared my two children for college. Parent-teacher-student involvement is phenomenal. Athletic programs are competitive, are managed by committed teachers and prepare the students for college athletics. JR is a school of excellence and highly sought after by families from other counties seeking to be a part of the Leadership Program just to attend JR.
Submitted by parent on May 04, 2016

Top notch academic school, based on JRHS kids' experiences with grad years from 2005 thru 2019.
Submitted by parent on May 04, 2016

My son loves his school. We had a foreign exchange student live with us for 6 months and he loved the school. They both felt safe and at home there. My son is academically challenged and is surrounded by other students who work just as hard. They create compassionate competition among themselves, driving each other to do better and celebrate each others successes.
Submitted by parent on May 04, 2016

All three of my children graduated from James River High School and I am proud to say they were well prepared for college and the working world. The teaching staff is caring and wonderful.