Can I use Portsmouth city's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Portsmouth city school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Portsmouth city?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Portsmouth city?

Start with the 24 listed public schools and 1 district entry, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Portsmouth city Schools & Education

Name: Portsmouth city, Virginia Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Portsmouth city, Virginia

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

44/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

86.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

86.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 89.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,882

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,941

School Score

44/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 54/100

State Score Position

#89

of 127 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Portsmouth city

Measured School Summary

Portsmouth city performs at an average level with a school score of 44/100 and a solid graduation rate of 86.0%.

Funding Context

At $7,882 per pupil, Portsmouth city operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 18% below the Virginia average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 3.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 1% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Portsmouth city before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

24 public schools and 1 district are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

44/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #89 of 127 Virginia counties with school score data.

Completion

86.0%

3.0 pts below the state average

Funding context

$7,882

$59 below the state average

School coverage

1 district represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Portsmouth city has 24 public schools across 1 district, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Portsmouth city school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

Portsmouth City Public Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 24 of 24 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#89

of 127 Virginia counties with school score data. The county score is 10 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 92% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Elementary to high school visible

13,371 students

Elementary 13Middle 3High 3Other 5

24 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Portsmouth City Public Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 24 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Portsmouth city?

Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Which schools are missing enrollment or ratio fields, and does the district publish a newer local profile than the NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data?

Data Story

Portsmouth City Public Schools Operates Entirely Within Urban Locales

Education data brief for Portsmouth city, Virginia.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:District structure

Portsmouth city’s public education system is distinguished by its uniform urban locale, with all 24 schools classified as city-based by the NCES. This structure is centralized under Portsmouth City Public Schools, which manages 13,371 students. The district features three high schools with over 1,000 students each: Churchland High (1,435), Manor High (1,236), and I.C. Norcom High (1,043). The city's graduation rate of 86.0% is one point below the national average of 87.0% and three points below the state average of 89.0%. Per-pupil expenditure is $7,882, which is close to the state average of $7,941 but remains well below the national average of $13,000. The city's composite school score of 44.4 is lower than the state's average of 54.1. The system includes one alternative school but no charter schools. Refer to the NCES website for detailed district mapping.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Portsmouth city

Reported Enrollment

13,371

22 schools reporting

School Districts

district

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary13

Middle3

High3

Other5

1 School District in Portsmouth city

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Guide

24 schools

13,371 students enrolled

Open district guide

24 Public Schools in Portsmouth city

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 3 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 20 of 24 matching schools

Public schools in Portsmouth city, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
CHURCHLAND HIGH	Profile	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23703City: Small	9–12	High	1,435
MANOR HIGH	Profile	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23701City: Small	9–12	High	1,236
I.C. NORCOM HIGH	Profile	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23704City: Small	9–12	High	1,043
CHURCHLAND MIDDLE	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23703City: Small	7–8	Middle	890
Churchland Elementary	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23703City: Small	KG–6	Primary	767
Waterview Elementary	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23707City: Small	KG–6	Primary	639
Cradock Elementary	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23702City: Small	KG–6	Primary	622
Simonsdale Elementary	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23701City: Small	KG–6	Primary	612
Victory Elementary	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23701City: Small	KG–6	Primary	589
Churchland Academy Elementary	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23703City: Small	KG–6	Primary	585
Douglass Park Elementary	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23701City: Small	KG–6	Primary	550
CHURCHLAND PRIMARY & INTERMEDIATE	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23703City: Small	KG–6	Primary	541
William E. Waters Middle	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23701City: Small	7–8	Middle	534
CRADOCK MIDDLE	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23702City: Small	7–8	Middle	533
Hodges Manor Elementary	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23701City: Small	KG–6	Primary	499
Park View Elementary	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23704City: Small	KG–6	Primary	463
Westhaven Elementary	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23707City: Small	KG–6	Primary	442
Lakeview Elementary	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23701City: Small	KG–6	Primary	419
Brighton Elementary	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23704City: Small	KG–6	Primary	411
MOUNT HERMON PRESCHOOL CENTER	Record	Portsmouth City Public Schools	Portsmouth, 23707City: Small	PK	Other	256

CHURCHLAND HIGH

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23703 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,435 students

MANOR HIGH

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23701 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,236 students

I.C. NORCOM HIGH

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23704 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,043 students

CHURCHLAND MIDDLE

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23703 / City: Small

Record7–8Middle890 students

Churchland Elementary

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23703 / City: Small

RecordKG–6Primary767 students

Waterview Elementary

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23707 / City: Small

RecordKG–6Primary639 students

Cradock Elementary

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23702 / City: Small

RecordKG–6Primary622 students

Simonsdale Elementary

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23701 / City: Small

RecordKG–6Primary612 students

Victory Elementary

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23701 / City: Small

RecordKG–6Primary589 students

Churchland Academy Elementary

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23703 / City: Small

RecordKG–6Primary585 students

Douglass Park Elementary

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23701 / City: Small

RecordKG–6Primary550 students

CHURCHLAND PRIMARY & INTERMEDIATE

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23703 / City: Small

RecordKG–6Primary541 students

William E. Waters Middle

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23701 / City: Small

Record7–8Middle534 students

CRADOCK MIDDLE

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23702 / City: Small

Record7–8Middle533 students

Hodges Manor Elementary

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23701 / City: Small

RecordKG–6Primary499 students

Park View Elementary

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23704 / City: Small

RecordKG–6Primary463 students

Westhaven Elementary

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23707 / City: Small

RecordKG–6Primary442 students

Lakeview Elementary

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23701 / City: Small

RecordKG–6Primary419 students

Brighton Elementary

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23704 / City: Small

RecordKG–6Primary411 students

MOUNT HERMON PRESCHOOL CENTER

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Portsmouth, 23707 / City: Small

RecordPKOther256 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,882

State avg $7,941

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Portsmouth city against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Virginia counties have the highest graduation rates?

Alleghany County (97.0%), Clarke County (97.0%), and Falls Church city (97.0%) currently lead Virginia among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Virginia?

Across Virginia counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,941. The highest current county values are Surry County ($12,490), Highland County ($12,429), and Arlington County ($11,425). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Portsmouth city?

Portsmouth city has a school score of 44/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Portsmouth city?

The high school graduation rate in Portsmouth city is 86.0%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Portsmouth city spend per student?

Portsmouth city spends $7,882 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Hampton city

Virginia

+0 pts

45/100

School score

Spotsylvania County

Virginia

-0 pts

44/100

School score

Buchanan County

Virginia

+0 pts

45/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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