Henrico officials said they were under the impression that the ratings were recommendations until a state Board of Education vote later this month, but a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Education confirmed that the spreadsheet reflects the schools’ current ratings.

Andy Jenks, a spokesman for Henrico schools, said in an email that the district is preparing “as if the five schools … will enter into denied status.”

“Nevertheless, we’re planning accordingly for those five schools,” Jenks said.

Test scores across the state dipped after more rigorous Standards of Learning tests were implemented in 2011, said Department of Education spokesman Charles Pyle. The tests now deviate from standard multiple-choice answers and include more open-ended problems.

Scores are improving, but many schools across the state still faced the prospect of having their accreditation denied for the first time this year because of how the state determines accreditation status.

Under the system, schools can have a rating other than “fully accredited” for only three consecutive years. If the school isn’t fully accredited in the fourth year, the state denies accreditation or the district can apply for a status of “partially accredited: reconstituted school.”