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 2026-27 school year, there are 3 public high schools serving 3,611 students in Portsmouth City School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 3/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public high schools in Virginia.
Public High Schools in Portsmouth City School District have an average math proficiency score of 71% (versus the Virginia public high school average of 68%), and reading proficiency score of 72% (versus the 81% statewide average).
Public High School in Portsmouth City School District have a Graduation Rate of 81%, which is less than the Virginia average of 89%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Churchland High School, with 89% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in Virginia or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 85% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the Virginia public high school average of 56% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (VA)
# Schools
23 Schools
357 Schools
# Students
12,905 Students
409,548 Students
# Teachers
936 Teachers
28,795 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%
88.8%
(2022-23)
29.7%
19.1%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.49
0.72
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
1%
8%
% Hispanic
8%
20%
% Black
69%
22%
% White
15%
44%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
7%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $15,532 is higher than the state median of $15,509. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $14,461 is less than the state median of $15,263. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat 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
$15,509
Spending / Student
$14,461
$15,263

Best Portsmouth City School District Public High Schools (2026-27)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Churchland High School
Magnet School
(Math: 75-79% | Reading: 80%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
4301 Cedar Ln
Portsmouth, VA 23703
(757) 686-2500
Gr: 9-12 | 1,453 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 81%
Rank: #22.
Manor High School
Magnet School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 75%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
1401 Elmhurst Ln
Portsmouth, VA 23701
(757) 465-2907
Gr: 9-12 | 1,149 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 79%
Rank: #33.
I.c. Norcom High School
Magnet School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 58%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
1801 London Blvd
Portsmouth, VA 23704
(757) 393-5442
Gr: 9-12 | 1,009 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 96%

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Quick Facts (2026-27)

  • 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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