Top Rankings
Portsmouth City School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Virginia for:
Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 3 public middle schools serving 1,928 students in Portsmouth City School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 7/10, which is in the top 50% of public middle schools in Virginia.
Public Middle Schools in Portsmouth City School District have an average math proficiency score of 48% (versus the Virginia public middle school average of 52%), and reading proficiency score of 72% (versus the 70% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 84% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the Virginia public middle school average of 53% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (VA)
# Schools
23 Schools
448 Schools
# Students
13,161 Students
312,714 Students
# Teachers
916 Teachers
23,458 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1
District Rank
Portsmouth City School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 135 school districts in Virginia (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2020-2021 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 81% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#111 out of 135 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(Bottom 50%)

Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
(20-21)34%
54%

Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
(20-21)58%
69%

Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
(20-21)47%
59%
Graduation Rate
81%
89%

Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.48
0.70
# American Indian Students
54 Students
845 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
n/a
# Asian Students
81 Students
23,246 Students
% Asian Students
1%
7%
# Hispanic Students
886 Students
54,991 Students
% Hispanic Students
7%
18%
# Black Students
9,209 Students
66,738 Students
% Black Students
70%
21%
# White Students
2,073 Students
145,582 Students
% White Students
16%
47%
# Hawaiian Students
30 Students
525 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
828 Students
20,787 Students
% of Two or more races Students
6%
7%
Students by Grade:
# Students in PK Grade:
535
1,227
# Students in K Grade:
1,027
2,557
# Students in 1st Grade:
1,039
2,554
# Students in 2nd Grade:
1,071
2,836
# Students in 3rd Grade:
986
3,010
# Students in 4th Grade:
963
3,036
# Students in 5th Grade:
1,023
4,468
# Students in 6th Grade:
943
78,046
# Students in 7th Grade:
986
93,323
# Students in 8th Grade:
942
93,990
# Students in 9th Grade:
1,137
7,012
# Students in 10th Grade:
913
7,347
# Students in 11th Grade:
803
6,831
# Students in 12th Grade:
793
6,477
# Ungraded Students:
-
-
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $15,230 in this school district is less than the state median of $15,502. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $14,180 is less than the state median of $15,257. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$200 MM
$19,496 MM

Spending
$187 MM
$19,187 MM

Revenue / Student
$15,230
$15,502

Spending / Student
$14,180
$15,257

Best Portsmouth City School District Public Middle Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Churchland Middle School
(Math: 53% | Reading: 75-79%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
4051 River Shore Rd
Portsmouth, VA 23703
(757) 686-2512
Portsmouth, VA 23703
(757) 686-2512
Grades: 7-8
| 840 students
Rank: #22.
William E. Waters Middle School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
600 Roosevelt Blvd
Portsmouth, VA 23701
(757) 558-2813
Portsmouth, VA 23701
(757) 558-2813
Grades: 7-8
| 562 students
Rank: #33.
Cradock Middle School
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
21 Alden Ave
Portsmouth, VA 23702
(757) 393-8788
Portsmouth, VA 23702
(757) 393-8788
Grades: 7-8
| 526 students
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