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Joseph H. Saunders Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1007^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,110 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 9% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Joseph H. Saunders Elementary is a PK-5 school in Newport News, VA, serving 660 students within the Newport News City Public Schools district, which ranks in the bottom 14th percentile statewide. The school has historically performed in the bottom 10% of Virginia elementary schools, currently ranking in the 9th percentile for the 2024-2025 school year, and serves a student population with extremely high economic need, with a free/reduced lunch rate of over 100% due to community eligibility programs.

Academically, Saunders is the lowest-performing school in its immediate comparison group, with a state rank dramatically lower than nearby schools like Deer Park Elementary (96th percentile, just 1.5 miles away) and York County schools such as Coventry Elementary (78th percentile) and Tabb Elementary (95th percentile). However, there is a notable bright spot: in 4th-grade VA Studies, 62.16% of students were proficient in 2024-2025, which is 10 points higher than the district average and a remarkable 25-point improvement from the previous year. This success is not replicated in other subjects, suggesting a subject-specific factor like a highly effective teacher or new curriculum. Additionally, chronic absenteeism has dropped significantly from 34.8% in 2021-2022 to 14.7% in 2024-2025, now below the district average of 18.5% and nearly matching the state average.

Despite serving a high-need population, Saunders spends less per student ($8,526) than other Newport News elementary schools like Kiln Creek Elementary ($10,588) and Sedgefield Elementary ($10,365). The school has shown a slow but positive trajectory, improving from the 2nd percentile in 2018-2019 to the 9th percentile in 2024-2025, and an interesting pattern shows male students consistently outperforming female students over three consecutive years. The stark contrast with Deer Park Elementary, which serves a similarly high-poverty population but achieves 5-star status, highlights that school-level factors like leadership and instruction can drive dramatically different outcomes.

660

Students ?

18.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,526

Per pupil spending ?

100.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

853 Harpersville Rd
Newport News, VA 23601

(757) 591-4781

District: Newport News City Public Schools

Students who attend Joseph H. Saunders Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Homer L. Hines Middle
High:	Warwick High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

48.3%

Hispanic:

28.0%

White:

14.7%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 12th percentile in 2015 → 9th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (49% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)

!English Reading scores 26 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school49%

District avg58%

Virginia avg71%

1,007^th of 1,110

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 9%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

18^th of 24Elementary Schools in the Newport News City Public Schools

111^th of 129Newport News City Public Schools among Virginia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	12.2	1007 of 1110	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.0	1015 of 1114	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.0	1047 of 1114	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.9	1065 of 1109	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	5.3	1060 of 1103	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.7	1082 of 1105	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.2	1052 of 1097	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	13.7	1024 of 1099	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	14.3	1024 of 1096	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	21.6	970 of 1100	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	18.8	1018 of 1110	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	19.3	1010 of 1120	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	15.5	1056 of 1117	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	31.1	928 of 1117	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	41.6	800 of 1113	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	74.7	202 of 1082	81.3%	★★★★☆
2008	77.5	149 of 1081	86.2%	★★★★☆
2007	67.9	321 of 1083	70.4%	★★★★☆
2006	61.6	413 of 1071	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	74.3	207 of 1062	80.5%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	28.3	465 of 579	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.5	530 of 588	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.2	540 of 579	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2023	26.9	236 of 300	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	9.7	1024 of 1096	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.7	1031 of 1098	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.7	1072 of 1100	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	9.3	582 of 606	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	28.3	450 of 580	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.3	476 of 564	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	20.7	906 of 1046	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.4	917 of 1036	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	18.0	946 of 1093	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.2	989 of 1101	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.1	960 of 1093	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	33.4	733 of 973	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.9	767 of 979	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.9	866 of 984	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2025)25th percentile+15 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)21st percentile+15 vs school

African American (2025)20th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2025)13th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)13th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)7th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)4th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

VA Studies62%-6 vs state

Science50%-19 vs state

Mathematics49%-23 vs state

English Reading45%-26 vs state

★

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Schools Near Joseph H. Saunders Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SOL Geometry (2025)	SOL Algebra I (2025)		SOL Mathematics (2025)						SOL Science (2025)		SOL English Reading (2025)						SOL Civics and Economics (2025)	SOL VA Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Joseph H. Saunders Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	853 Harpersville Rd	Newport News	23601	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 591-4781	660	35	18.8	100.9%	97 (14.7%)	319 (48.3%)	185 (28.0%)	10 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.4%)	12.2	1007^th of 1110 public elementary schools	9.3%		11	1015^th of 1114 public elementary schools	8.9%	8				42.7	59.5	45.2				50.0		34.3	52.3	48.1					62.2	$8,526	$641	$7,885
Deer Park Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	11541 Jefferson Ave	Newport News	23601	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 591-7470	433	24	18.0	100.9%	101 (23.3%)	232 (53.6%)	41 (9.5%)	11 (2.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	46 (10.6%)	90.2	46^th of 1110 public elementary schools	95.9%		82.6	162^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	85.5%	116				85.5	98.6	95.5				97.0		88.4	89.9	95.5					88.4	$9,121	$00	$9,121
Coventry Elementary	Public	K-5	200 Owen Davis Blvd	Yorktown	23693	York County	York County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 898-0403	630	41	15.3	34.8%	285 (45.2%)	90 (14.3%)	68 (10.8%)	110 (17.5%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	71 (11.3%)	78.1	246^th of 1110 public elementary schools	77.8%		84.8	122^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	89.0%	124				74.8	87.5	89.8				83.9		76.4	90.2	84.6					82.5	$8,867	$519	$8,348
Bethel Manor Elementary	Public	K-5	1797 First St	Langley AFB	23665	York County	York County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 867-7439	631	41	15.3	45.5%	273 (43.3%)	113 (17.9%)	160 (25.4%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	75 (11.9%)	84.7	130^th of 1110 public elementary schools	88.3%		84.3	132^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	88.2%	2				89.7	83.7	91.6				89.7		87.9	82.6	91.6					79.8	$9,255	$1,057	$8,197
Tabb Elementary	Public	K-5	3711 Big Bethel Rd	Yorktown	23693	York County	York County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 898-0372	707	43	16.4	28.9%	357 (50.5%)	94 (13.3%)	111 (15.7%)	48 (6.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	95 (13.4%)	89.4	59^th of 1110 public elementary schools	94.7%		91	34^th of 1114 public elementary schools	96.9%	25				87.7	93.3	93.1				90.0		87.0	95.0	90.7					89.1	$8,227	$159	$8,068
L.F. Palmer Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Palmer Lane	Newport News	23602	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 881-5000	465	26	17.8	98.3%	31 (6.7%)	190 (40.9%)	202 (43.4%)	5 (1.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.3%)	22.4	897^th of 1110 public elementary schools	19.2%		16	969^th of 1114 public elementary schools	13.0%	72				58.8	58.7	60.2				61.4		53.9	55.2	61.5					54.2	$8,954	$152	$8,802
George P. Phenix Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	1061 Big Bethel Road	Hampton	23666	Hampton city	Hampton City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 268-3500	1,438	151	9.5	87.1%	284 (19.7%)	819 (57.0%)	113 (7.9%)	42 (2.9%)	3 (0.2%)	8 (0.6%)	169 (11.8%)	69.8	357^th of 1110 public elementary schools	67.8%		70.4	347^th of 1114 public elementary schools	68.9%	10	100.0	100.0	96.1	77.9	80.0	77.1	88.4	66.7	70.2	75.4	84.3	73.2	81.6	75.0	83.5	78.4	77.7	89.8	80.0	$7,917	$437	$7,480
Richard T. Yates Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	73 Maxwell Ln	Newport News	23606	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 881-5450	448	20	22.4	97.8%	178 (39.7%)	170 (37.9%)	43 (9.6%)	9 (2.0%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (9.6%)	33.6	790^th of 1110 public elementary schools	28.8%		36.1	772^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	30.7%	18				56.0	70.6	57.8				60.2		59.0	72.1	63.9					70.6	$9,446	$562	$8,884
Kiln Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1501 Kiln Creek Pkwy	Newport News	23602	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 886-7961	553	26	21.2	102.7%	90 (16.3%)	308 (55.7%)	89 (16.1%)	13 (2.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (9.0%)	38.3	736^th of 1110 public elementary schools	33.7%		28.7	858^th of 1114 public elementary schools	23.0%	122				67.0	57.5	67.4				70.8		61.7	65.3	71.9					56.9	$10,588	$1,047	$9,541
Mount Vernon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	310 Mt Vernon Dr	Yorktown	23693	York County	York County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 898-0480	573	38	15.0	25.0%	352 (61.4%)	38 (6.6%)	53 (9.2%)	71 (12.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (10.1%)	90.1	49^th of 1110 public elementary schools	95.6%		91.1	33^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	97.0%	16				89.8	88.0	96.7				93.3		88.0	89.0	95.8					91.8	$9,804	$308	$9,496

Frequently Asked Questions about Joseph H. Saunders Elementary

Is Joseph H. Saunders Elementary a good school?

Joseph H. Saunders Elementary ranks in the bottom 9.3% of Virginia elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Joseph H. Saunders Elementary?

Students at Joseph H. Saunders Elementary are 48% African American, 28% Hispanic, 15% White, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Joseph H. Saunders Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 660 students attended Joseph H. Saunders Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Joseph H. Saunders Elementary attend?

Students who attend Joseph H. Saunders Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Homer L. Hines Middle
High : Warwick High

What district is Joseph H. Saunders Elementary in?

Newport News City Public Schools

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.