Not sure if you’ve picked the exact house out yet but keep in mind there are actually 4 different elementary school zones in church hill.

We have several friends whose kids go there and we’ve volunteered there before. Seems like a great sense of community within the PTO etc.

I don’t personally have experience with the school, but VDOE’s school quality profile might be a good place to start. They’re available for every school in the Commonwealth.

Our good friends’ kids go there. Super tight-knit school with a great parent network.

We love it, the principal's awesome, breakfast and lunch are free (so no having to pack!), and there are tons of amazing teachers who give 100% to engage the kids. Check out the school's Instagram and the PTA's Instagram to get more of a feel for what's going on around school. And above all, contact the office to schedule a tour. Walking around a school yourself is worth much more than anything you'll read online.

On a broader note, here's a long comment I wrote about RPS about two years ago, and I still stand by it. There are problems, absolutely. But there were problems in my Chesterfield County schools growing up too, and I grew up happy (what matters, imo) and what the world would consider "successful" too. Come be a part of the families in RPS who're showing up, supporting our schools, and helping to improve them for everyone.

I volunteered several times pre-covid. It's a mixed school and the parents are very involved and trying to make it great. For middle, many kids go on to just attend Franklin Military Academy or they go private. But if you are moving to Church Hill with an elementary-aged kid, you'll more than likely move to the burbs for middle and high school. That's the traditional migration pattern. Oh - if you have money, you may want to also check out Central Montessori on 20th.