The brief
A Richmond City Public Schools high school where students score 74 points above what's typical for similar communities.
It ranks 1,196 of 1,854 schools in Virginia and 16 of 46 in Richmond City Public Schools.
Richmond Alternative is listed in Richmond City Public Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.
- 2021*74%
- 2020*74%
- 201975%
- 201875%
- 201777%
- 201656%
* A COVID-affected year: test participation was uneven nationwide, so the model weights it at half.
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2024
Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.
Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.
Full Profile · 4/4 metrics
Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 38% (multi-year average, 2009-2021) · reading/ELA 52% (multi-year average, 2009-2021).
- School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
- NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
- Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
- MySchoolScout rating and rank
- MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
- Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
- Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
- Math proficiency
- State department of education · 2021 EdFacts · Low confidence
- Older source: 2021 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
- Reading/ELA proficiency
- State department of education · 2021 EdFacts · Low confidence
- Older source: 2021 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
- Student progress (growth)
- NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
- Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
- Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
- U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
- Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
- Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 23220; this does not measure the attendance area.
- Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
- CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.
Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2021; directory SY 2023–24
The neighborhood
Where it sits, and what the area looks like.The area
- Median income
- $56,681
- Median home value
- $468,900
- Median rent
- $1,354/mo
- College educated
- 58.9%
- Homeownership
- 32.8%
- Poverty rate
- 26.6%
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 23220; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.
Getting around
- Walk Score
- 94
- Walker's Paradise
- Transit Score
- 61
- Good Transit
- Bike Score
- 76
- Very Bikeable
- City reported crime
- 3,783/100K
- Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Richmond. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.
Walk, transit and bike scores by
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Richmond), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details
Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.
Programs and who goes here
What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.Programs
- Advanced STEM courses
- 1 of 5
- Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
- Gifted and talented
- Available
- A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Compare nearby
Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.- 9.4Compare →
- 9.2Compare →
- 9.2Compare →
- 7.6Compare →
- 6.8Compare →
- 6.4Compare →
- 6.2Compare →
- Richmond Alternative5.6
- not ratedCompare →
Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.
Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.
Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.
The record
What is on file, and where each number came from.Questions families ask
What grades does Richmond Alternative serve?
Richmond Alternative serves students in grades 6th through 12th.
How many students attend Richmond Alternative?
Richmond Alternative has an enrollment of approximately 134 students.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Richmond Alternative?
The student-teacher ratio at Richmond Alternative is 26.8:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.
How does Richmond Alternative rank in VA?
Richmond Alternative ranks #1,196 of 1,854 schools in VA.
What is Richmond Alternative's MySchoolScout rating?
Richmond Alternative has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.6 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.
What are the test scores at Richmond Alternative?
Based on loaded state assessment records, Richmond Alternative has 38% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2021) and 52% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2021).
Is Richmond Alternative a charter school?
No, Richmond Alternative is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.
Is Richmond Alternative a Title I school?
No, Richmond Alternative is not currently a Title I school.
School facts
- Grades
- 6th – 12th
- Enrollment
- 134
- Student-teacher ratio
- 26.8:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 5
- Type
- Alternative
- Title I
- No
- Setting
- Midsize City
- County
- Richmond city
- Phone
- (804) 780-4388
- 4-year graduation
- 11–19%
- Class of 2023
- Rank in district
- #16 of 46
- Schools in district
- 54
- District spending per student
- $21,413
- NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- District child poverty rate
- 28.9%
- Census SAIPE · 2024
- Area population (ZIP 23220)
- 34,524
- Area average commute
- 18.5 min
- Area median age
- 28.7
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).
Sources and official links
Keep exploring
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Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Virginia Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.