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

No. Use the Suffolk 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 Suffolk 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 Suffolk city?

Start with the 22 listed public schools and 1 district entry, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Suffolk city Schools & Education

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

Suffolk city, Virginia

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

School Score

41/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

83.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

83.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 89.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,028

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,941

School Score

41/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 54/100

State Score Position

#101

of 127 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Suffolk city

Measured School Summary

Suffolk city has midrange measured school signals (score: 41/100) with a graduation rate of 83.0%, which warrants review in official state and district records.

Funding Context

Suffolk city spends $8,028 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 25% below the Virginia average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 6.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 1% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Suffolk 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

22 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

41/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #101 of 127 Virginia counties with school score data.

Completion

83.0%

6.0 pts below the state average

Funding context

$8,028

$87 above 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

Suffolk city has 22 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 Suffolk 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

Suffolk City Public Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 22 of 22 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#101

of 127 Virginia counties with school score data. The county score is 13 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 86% 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.

Suffolk City Public Schools

Elementary to high school visible

14,490 students

Elementary 11Middle 5High 3Other 3

22 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Suffolk City Public Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 22 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 Suffolk 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

Suffolk composite school score trails state and national benchmarks

Education data brief for Suffolk city, Virginia.

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

Lead metric:School score

Suffolk city reports a composite school score of 40.6, a figure that sits below the national median of 50.0 and the Virginia state average of 54.1. The city’s public education is consolidated into a single district, Suffolk City Public Schools, which manages 22 schools and an enrollment of 14,490 students. The secondary education level is led by Nansemond River High and King's Fork High, each serving approximately 1,700 students. The graduation rate for the city is 83.0%, which is lower than the state’s 89.0% average and the national rate of 87.0%. Funding follows a similar trend; the per-pupil expenditure of $8,028 is higher than the state average of $7,941 but approximately 38% lower than the national average of $13,000. The district maintains a mix of 14 suburban and 8 rural school locales. Research the NCES Common Core of Data for further enrollment breakdowns by school level.

Sources

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

School Overview

Total Schools

in Suffolk city

Reported Enrollment

14,490

19 schools reporting

School Districts

district

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary11

Middle5

High3

Other3

1 School District in Suffolk city

Suffolk City Public Schools

Guide

22 schools

14,490 students enrolled

Open district guide

22 Public Schools in Suffolk city

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 4 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 22 matching schools

Public schools in Suffolk city, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
NANSEMOND RIVER HIGH	Profile	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23435Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,698
KING'S FORK HIGH	Profile	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23434Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,697
LAKELAND HIGH	Profile	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23434Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,083
KING'S FORK MIDDLE	Profile	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23434Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	1,031
Florence Bowser Elementary	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23435Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	831
Northern Shores Elementary	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23435Suburb: Large	PK–5	Primary	822
COLONEL FRED CHERRY MIDDLE	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	SUFFOLK, 23435Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	755
Creekside Elementary	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23435Suburb: Large	PK–5	Primary	752
Hillpoint Elementary	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23434Suburb: Large	PK–5	Primary	737
Mack Benn Jr. Elementary	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23434Suburb: Large	PK–5	Primary	684
Elephant's Fork Elementary	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23434Suburb: Large	PK–5	Primary	599
Southwestern Elementary	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23437Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	595
JOHN F. KENNEDY MIDDLE	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23434Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	544
JOHN YEATES MIDDLE	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23435Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	506
Oakland Elementary	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23434Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	469
Nansemond Parkway Elementary	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23434Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	457
Kilby Shores Elementary	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23434Suburb: Large	PK–5	Primary	449
FOREST GLEN MIDDLE	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23434Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	426
Booker T. Washington Elementary	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23434Suburb: Large	PK–5	Primary	355
FIRST ACADEMY	Record	Suffolk City Public Schools	Suffolk, 23434Rural: Fringe	—	Vocational	—

NANSEMOND RIVER HIGH

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23435 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,698 students

KING'S FORK HIGH

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23434 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,697 students

LAKELAND HIGH

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23434 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,083 students

KING'S FORK MIDDLE

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23434 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle1,031 students

Florence Bowser Elementary

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23435 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary831 students

Northern Shores Elementary

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23435 / Suburb: Large

RecordPK–5Primary822 students

COLONEL FRED CHERRY MIDDLE

Suffolk City Public Schools

SUFFOLK, 23435 / Suburb: Large

Record6–8Middle755 students

Creekside Elementary

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23435 / Suburb: Large

RecordPK–5Primary752 students

Hillpoint Elementary

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23434 / Suburb: Large

RecordPK–5Primary737 students

Mack Benn Jr. Elementary

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23434 / Suburb: Large

RecordPK–5Primary684 students

Elephant's Fork Elementary

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23434 / Suburb: Large

RecordPK–5Primary599 students

Southwestern Elementary

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23437 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary595 students

JOHN F. KENNEDY MIDDLE

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23434 / Suburb: Large

Record6–8Middle544 students

JOHN YEATES MIDDLE

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23435 / Suburb: Large

Record6–8Middle506 students

Oakland Elementary

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23434 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary469 students

Nansemond Parkway Elementary

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23434 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary457 students

Kilby Shores Elementary

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23434 / Suburb: Large

RecordPK–5Primary449 students

FOREST GLEN MIDDLE

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23434 / Suburb: Large

Record6–8Middle426 students

Booker T. Washington Elementary

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23434 / Suburb: Large

RecordPK–5Primary355 students

FIRST ACADEMY

Suffolk City Public Schools

Suffolk, 23434 / Rural: Fringe

RecordVocationalEnrollment not available

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,028

State avg $7,941

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Suffolk 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 Suffolk city?

Suffolk city has a school score of 41/100, 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 Suffolk city?

The high school graduation rate in Suffolk city is 83.0%, 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 Suffolk city spend per student?

Suffolk city spends $8,028 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

Lynchburg city

Virginia

0 pts

41/100

School score

Giles County

Virginia

+1 pts

41/100

School score

Charlotte County

Virginia

-1 pts

40/100

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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