Portsmouth City School District

801 Crawford St
Portsmouth, VA 23704-3822
(District boundaries shown in map)
2/
10
Bottom 50%

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 2026 school year, there are 13 public elementary schools serving 6,940 students in Portsmouth City School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 1/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public elementary schools in Virginia.
Public Elementary Schools in Portsmouth City School District have an average math proficiency score of 50% (versus the Virginia public elementary school average of 67%), and reading proficiency score of 50% (versus the 67% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 85% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the Virginia public elementary school average of 56% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (VA)
# Schools
23 Schools
1,496 Schools
# Students
12,905 Students
832,785 Students
# Teachers
936 Teachers
60,019 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Portsmouth City School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 131 school districts in Virginia (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 81% has decreased from 82% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (VA)
#113 out of 132 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
50%
68%
(20-21)
58%
69%
(20-21)
47%
59%
81%
89%
(2022-23)
29.7%
19.1%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.49
0.72
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
1%
7%
% Hispanic
8%
20%
% Black
69%
21%
% White
15%
44%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
7%
8%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $15,532 is higher than the state median of $15,504. The school district revenue/student has grown by 17% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $14,461 is less than the state median of $15,258. The school district spending/student has grown by 14% over four school years.
This School District
This State (VA)
Total Revenue
$200 MM
$19,496 MM
Spending
$187 MM
$19,187 MM
Revenue / Student
$15,532
$15,504
Spending / Student
$14,461
$15,258

Best Portsmouth City School District Public Elementary Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Churchland Elementary School
(Math: 69% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
5601 Michael Ln
Portsmouth, VA 23703
(757) 686-2523
Gr: K-6 | 721 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 73%
Rank: #22.
Churchland Primary & Intermediate
(Math: 69% | Reading: 59%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
5700 Hedgerow Ln
Portsmouth, VA 23703
(757) 686-2519
Gr: K-6 | 503 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 88%
Rank: #33.
Simonsdale Elementary School
(Math: 61% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
4841 Clifford Street
Portsmouth, VA 23701
(757) 465-2917
Gr: K-6 | 613 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 59%
Rank: #44.
Victory Elementary School
(Math: 55% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
2828 Greenwood Drive
Portsmouth, VA 23701
(757) 393-8806
Gr: K-6 | 586 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 82%
Rank: #55.
Churchland Academy Elementary School
(Math: 59% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
4061 River Shore Rd
Portsmouth, VA 23703
(757) 686-2527
Gr: K-6 | 626 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 90%
Rank: #66.
Hodges Manor Elementary School
(Math: 48% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
1201 Cherokee Rd
Portsmouth, VA 23701
(757) 465-2921
Gr: K-6 | 466 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 85%
Rank: #77.
Park View Elementary School
(Math: 55% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
260 Elm Ave
Portsmouth, VA 23704
(757) 393-8647
Gr: K-6 | 400 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 91%
Rank: #88.
Lakeview Elementary School
(Math: 52% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
1300 Horne Ave
Portsmouth, VA 23701
(757) 465-2901
Gr: K-6 | 439 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 94%
Rank: #99.
Westhaven Elementary School
(Math: 37% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
3701 Clifford St
Portsmouth, VA 23707
(757) 393-8855
Gr: K-6 | 401 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 84%
Rank: #1010.
Brighton Elementary School
(Math: 42% | Reading: 30-34%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
1100 Portsmouth Blvd.
Portsmouth, VA 23704
(757) 393-8870
Gr: K-6 | 483 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 97%
Rank: #1111.
Waterview Elementary School
(Math: 38% | Reading: 36%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
3649 Hartford St
Portsmouth, VA 23707
(757) 393-8879
Gr: K-6 | 576 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 88%
Rank: #1212.
Cradock Elementary School
(Math: 30% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
18 Dahlgren Ave
Portsmouth, VA 23702
(757) 558-2811
Gr: K-6 | 616 students Student-teacher ratio: 19:1 Minority enrollment: 91%
Rank: #1313.
Douglass Park Elementary School
Magnet School
(Math: 26% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
34 Grand St
Portsmouth, VA 23701
(757) 393-8646
Gr: K-6 | 510 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 98%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 23 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 12,905 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 14:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 85%
  • : 81% (Btm 50% in VA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 50% (Btm 50%)
  • : 58% (Btm 50%)
  • : 47% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), VA Dept. of Education

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