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 preschools serving 491 students in Portsmouth City School District.
Public Preschools in Portsmouth City School District have a diversity score of 0.45, which is less than the Virginia public preschool average of 0.72.
Minority enrollment is 89% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the Virginia public preschool average of 57% (majority Hispanic and Black).

Overview

This School District
This State (VA)
# Schools
23 Schools
1,068 Schools
# Students
12,905 Students
529,547 Students
# Teachers
936 Teachers
38,401 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1

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%)

Showing 2013–2023. Full 14-year historical data available below ↓

50%
68%

Showing 2011–2023. Full 14-year historical data available below ↓

(20-21)
58%
69%
(20-21)
47%
59%
81%
88.8%

Showing 2014–2023. Full 13-year historical data available below ↓

(2022-23)
29.7%
19.1%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.49
0.72

Showing 2014–2023. Full 31-year historical data available below ↓

% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
1%
8%

Showing 2010–2023. Full 31-year historical data available below ↓

% Hispanic
8%
21%

Showing 2014–2023. Full 28-year historical data available below ↓

% Black
69%
20%

Showing 2014–2023. Full 31-year historical data available below ↓

% White
15%
43%

Showing 2014–2023. Full 31-year historical data available below ↓

% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
7%
8%

Showing 2014–2023. Full 13-year historical data available below ↓

All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $18,228 in this school district is less than the state median of $18,383. The school district revenue/student has grown by 21% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $16,205 is less than the state median of $18,168. The school district spending/student has grown by 15% over four school years.
This School District
This State (VA)
Total Revenue
$235 MM
$23,109 MM

Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓

Spending
$209 MM
$22,838 MM

Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓

Revenue / Student
$18,228
$18,383

Showing 2012–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓

Spending / Student
$16,205
$18,168

Showing 2012–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓

Best Portsmouth City School District Public Preschools (2026-27)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: n/an/a
4061 River Shore Road
Portsmouth, VA 23703
(757) 686-2533
Gr: PK | 112 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 87%
Rank: n/an/a
3000 North St.
Portsmouth, VA 23707
(757) 393-8825
Gr: PK | 208 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 89%
Rank: n/an/a
415 Mimosa Road
Portsmouth, VA 23701
(757) 465-2926
Gr: PK | 171 students Student-teacher ratio: 9:1 Minority enrollment: 89%

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Quick Facts (26-27)

  • 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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