Is James Blair Middle a good school?

James Blair Middle ranks 212 th of 417 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend James Blair Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 519 students attended James Blair Middle.

What is the racial makeup of James Blair Middle?

Students at James Blair Middle are 48% White, 22% Hispanic, 18% African American, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

James Blair Middle

Summary:

James Blair Middle is a public middle school located in Williamsburg, Virginia, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 545 and is part of the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools district.

While James Blair Middle has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with higher percentages of Hispanic and African American students, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Virginia middle schools over the past 5 years, performing lower than the nearby Toano Middle and Lois Hornsby Middle. The school's rankings for specific student groups, such as African American, Hispanic, and low socioeconomic status students, are particularly low, often in the bottom third of Virginia middle schools. Additionally, James Blair Middle's test scores, particularly in Mathematics and English Reading, are generally lower than the district and state averages.

The school has seen a significant increase in free and reduced lunch recipients, from 40% in 2021-2022 to 65.5% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing proportion of students from low-income families. While the school's per-student spending has remained relatively consistent, its statewide ranking has steadily declined over the past 5 years, suggesting that the issue may not be solely related to funding and resources, but rather the effective allocation and utilization of those resources. Addressing these challenges will require a comprehensive approach that focuses on targeted interventions, effective resource allocation, and learning from the successes of nearby high-performing schools within the district.

Detail:

Public 6-8

101 Longhill Road
Williamsburg, VA 23185

(757) 603-6400

District: Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
212^th of 417 Virginia Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,922

Feeder schools for James Blair Middle:

Elementary:	D.J. Montague Elementary
	James River Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 12.8

Number of students: 519

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.2%

Hispanic:

22.4%

African American:

17.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 64.4%

See top rated Virginia middle schools

Compare James Blair Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details James Blair Middle ranks worse than 50.8% of middle schools in Virginia. It also ranks last among 4 ranked middle schools in the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.25. (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 James Blair Middle has the smallest middle school student body size in the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools District. Student population at James Blair Middle is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (48.2%), Hispanic (22.4%), African American (17.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 64.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at James Blair Middle is 12.8, which is the lowest among 4 middle schools in the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare James Blair Middle employs 40.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at James Blair Middle is $7,922. 2 middle schools in the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

James Blair Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks James Blair Middle 212^th of 417 Virginia public middle schools. (See James Blair Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools 36^th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for James Blair Middle

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Rank History for all students at James Blair Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile
2019	38.34	285^th	424	32.8%
2021	30.64	292^nd	419	30.3%
2022	43.68	231^st	415	44.3%
2023	46.22	243^rd	422	42.4%
2024	53.25	212^th	417	49.2%

See the entire list of Virginia Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at James Blair Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	44.91	129^th	231	44.2%
2024	54.57	103^rd	237	56.5%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at James Blair Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	44.49	231^st	402	42.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at James Blair Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	40.76	263^rd	411	36.0%
2024	52.94	210^th	407	48.4%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at James Blair Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	48.20	126^th	278	54.7%
2024	40.94	153^rd	281	45.6%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at James Blair Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	39.98	77^th	114	32.5%
2024	51.10	65^th	123	47.2%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at James Blair Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	50.11	217^th	409	46.9%
2024	53.09	203^rd	407	50.1%

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

Rank History for African American students at James Blair Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	21.47	250^th	298	16.1%
2024	35.83	206^th	299	31.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at James Blair Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	18.83	240^th	275	12.7%
2024	43.38	158^th	272	41.9%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at James Blair Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	68.93	100^th	402	75.1%
2024	64.01	131^st	396	66.9%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle 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: 1)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for James Blair Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2019	314	100	13	89	1	0	33	550
2020	285	103	15	102	1	0	30	536
2021	276	89	16	120	2	0	33	536
2022	271	97	21	115	1	0	40	545
2023	272	96	18	117	2	0	40	545
2024	250	92	13	116	3	1	44	519

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 Blair Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	550	38.3	14.3	36.7
2020	536	40.8	13.1	40.7
2021	536	33.7	15.8	n/a
2022	545	44.9	12.1	40
2023	545	38.5	14.1	65.5
2024	519	40.5	12.8	64.4

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 Blair Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	550	38.3	14.3	36.7
2020	536	40.8	13.1	40.7
2021	536	33.7	15.8	n/a
2022	545	44.9	12.1	40
2023	545	38.5	14.1	65.5
2024	519	40.5	12.8	64.4

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 Blair Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$133 (1.8%)	$7,372 (98.2%)	$7,504
2020	$128 (1.6%)	$8,103 (98.4%)	$8,231
2021	$144 (1.8%)	$7,777 (98.2%)	$7,922

Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on James Blair Middle

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 285^th of 424 Middle schools	Ranks 243^rd of 422 Middle schools	9.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (James Blair Middle)	73	51.6	21.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools)	81	66.1	14.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	78	57.8	20.2%
6th Grade English Reading (James Blair Middle)	74	67.6	6.4%
6th Grade English Reading (Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools)	81	71.3	9.7%
6th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	77	70.4	6.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (James Blair Middle)	81	40.5	40.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools)	87	60.3	26.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	78	51.4	26.6%
7th Grade English Reading (James Blair Middle)	77	73.6	3.4%
7th Grade English Reading (Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools)	83	76.4	6.6%
7th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	79	70.3	8.7%
8th Grade Writing (James Blair Middle)	68	49.1	18.9%
8th Grade Writing (Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools)	72	62.9	9.1%
8th Grade Writing (Virginia)	70	55.5	14.5%
8th Grade Science (James Blair Middle)	74	59	15%
8th Grade Science (Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools)	79	70.6	8.4%
8th Grade Science (Virginia)	78	60.7	17.3%
8th Grade English Reading (James Blair Middle)	69	68.8	0.3%
8th Grade English Reading (Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools)	78	77.5	0.6%
8th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	76	70.7	5.3%
End of Course Geometry (James Blair Middle)	100	100
End of Course Geometry (Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools)	84	81	3%
End of Course Geometry (Virginia)	83	80	3%
End of Course Algebra I (James Blair Middle)	99	97	2%
End of Course Algebra I (Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools)	87	82	5%
End of Course Algebra I (Virginia)	86	80	6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	550	545	0.9%
African American	100	96	4%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	13	18	38.5%
Hispanic	89	117	31.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	314	272	13.4%
Two or More Races	33	40	21.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	36.7%	65.5%	28.8%

Schools Near James Blair Middle

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SOL Geometry (2024)	SOL Algebra I (2024)		SOL Mathematics (2024)			SOL Science (2024)	SOL English Reading (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 Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
James Blair Middle	Public	6-8	101 Longhill Road	Williamsburg	23185	James City County	Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 603-6400	519	41	12.8	64.4%	250 (48.2%)	92 (17.7%)	116 (22.4%)	13 (2.5%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (8.5%)	53.3	212^th of 417 public middle schools	49.2%		46.2	243^rd of 422 public middle schools	42.4%	31	96.3	100.0	100.0	48.7	52.5	46.3	71.1	60.9	71.4	77.0	82.4	$7,922	$144	$7,777
Berkeley Middle	Public	6-8	1118 Ironbound Rd	Williamsburg	23188	James City County	Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 229-8051	665	45	14.7	65.3%	337 (50.7%)	133 (20.0%)	117 (17.6%)	16 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	61 (9.2%)	64.8	149^th of 417 public middle schools	64.3%		67.7	130^th of 422 public middle schools	69.2%	19	100.0	100.0	98.6	43.6	64.5	55.2	71.5	72.4	78.0	79.9	85.7	$9,245	$271	$8,973
Queens Lake Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	124 W Queens Dr	Williamsburg	23185	James City County	York County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 220-4080	567	124	4.5	33.7%	279 (49.2%)	104 (18.3%)	97 (17.1%)	17 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	68 (12.0%)	72.9	93^rd of 417 public middle schools	77.7%		80.7	47^th of 422 public middle schools	88.9%	46	100.0	95.5	100.0	67.4	69.3	64.0	71.1	85.5	82.6	83.6	80.6	$8,700	$438	$8,263
Lois Hornsby Middle	Public	6-8	850 Jolly Pond Road	Williamsburg	23188	James City County	Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 565-9400	807	53	15.3	36.3%	443 (54.9%)	161 (20.0%)	116 (14.4%)	27 (3.3%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	56 (6.9%)	69.5	117^th of 417 public middle schools	71.9%		78.6	70^th of 422 public middle schools	83.4%	47	97.2	100.0	100.0	59.5	64.6	50.5	77.1	78.1	83.8	78.2	80.9	$7,538	$118	$7,419
Toano Middle	Public	6-8	7817 Richmond Road	Toano	23168	James City County	Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 566-4251	699	45	15.4	34.9%	414 (59.2%)	116 (16.6%)	63 (9.0%)	15 (2.1%)	4 (0.6%)	3 (0.4%)	84 (12.0%)	69.8	116^th of 417 public middle schools	72.2%		59	173^rd of 422 public middle schools	59.0%	57	100.0	95.5	91.9	75.5	71.4	51.8	71.9	81.2	77.9	82.9	79.3	$8,459	$131	$8,328
Peasley Middle	Public	6-8	2885 Hickory Fork Road	Gloucester	23061	Gloucester County	Gloucester County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 693-1499	593	48	12.3	44.9%	469 (79.1%)	34 (5.7%)	48 (8.1%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (6.2%)	71	107^th of 417 public middle schools	74.3%		66	137^th of 422 public middle schools	67.5%	30	100.0	100.0	100.0	71.6	72.9	71.1	73.3	77.4	79.8	77.4	75.5	$8,173	$215	$7,958
Page Middle	Public	6-8	5198 TC Walker Rd	Gloucester	23061	Gloucester County	Gloucester County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 693-2540	564	47	12.0	67.2%	407 (72.2%)	36 (6.4%)	61 (10.8%)	5 (0.9%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (9.2%)	68.6	121^st of 417 public middle schools	71.0%		64.8	142^nd of 422 public middle schools	66.4%	21	100.0	94.6	100.0	73.1	67.2	75.8	71.4	74.1	80.6	76.0	78.8	$7,639	$203	$7,437
Yorktown Middle	Public	6-8	11201 Geo Wash Mem Hwy	Yorktown	23692	York County	York County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 898-0360	652	130	5.0	39.0%	408 (62.6%)	86 (13.2%)	68 (10.4%)	19 (2.9%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (10.3%)	61	169^th of 417 public middle schools	59.5%		74.7	100^th of 422 public middle schools	76.3%	69	95.1	92.3	87.7	81.2	44.4	56.2	69.2	75.5	79.7	76.1	81.1	$7,939	$396	$7,542
Ella J. FitzGerald Middle	Public	6-8	432 Industrial Park Dr	Newport News	23608	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 888-3300	969	64	15.1	93.8%	150 (15.5%)	462 (47.7%)	234 (24.1%)	28 (2.9%)	4 (0.4%)	4 (0.4%)	87 (9.0%)	18.6	371^st of 417 public middle schools	11.0%		28.4	332^nd of 422 public middle schools	21.3%	39	92.3	98.3	75.4	48.9	54.0	33.8	47.6	48.9	53.9	53.4	50.0	$7,419	$126	$7,292
Mary Passage Middle	Public	6-8	400 Atkinson Way	Newport News	23608	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 886-7600	976	64	15.3	94.9%	192 (19.7%)	496 (50.8%)	155 (15.9%)	19 (1.9%)	4 (0.4%)	8 (0.8%)	102 (10.5%)	18	372^nd of 417 public middle schools	10.8%		17.9	373^rd of 422 public middle schools	11.6%	1	100.0	100.0	95.7	43.8	43.6	20.0	45.8	50.4	53.4	53.5	56.3	$7,583	$2,519	$5,064

James Blair Middle

James Blair Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools:

Average Rating:

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Rank History for James Blair Middle

Rank History for all students at James Blair Middle

Rank History for Multi-racial students at James Blair Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at James Blair Middle

Rank History for Female students at James Blair Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at James Blair Middle

Rank History for Military Connected students at James Blair Middle

Rank History for Male students at James Blair Middle

Rank History for African American students at James Blair Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at James Blair Middle

Rank History for White students at James Blair Middle

Review counts

Enrollment information for James Blair Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at James Blair Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio James Blair Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for James Blair Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on James Blair Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near James Blair Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about James Blair Middle

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