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St. Helena Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1002^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,110 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 10% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

St. Helena Elementary is a public elementary school in Norfolk, Virginia, serving 230 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Norfolk City Public Schools district, which is ranked 109 out of 129 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

St. Helena Elementary consistently ranks among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Virginia, with rankings between 994 and 1101 out of over 1,100 schools over the past 10 years. The school's performance on SOL (Standards of Learning) tests is significantly below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. Additionally, St. Helena Elementary has a very high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 15.7% to 27.5% over the past few years, which is much higher than the state and district averages. The school has an extremely high percentage of students (over 99%) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a very low-income student population.

While the nearby schools, such as P.B. Young Senior Elementary, Jacox Elementary, and Chesterfield Elementary, also perform poorly on academic measures and have high percentages of low-income students, St. Helena Elementary consistently ranks among the lowest-performing schools in the state, even within this low-performing district. Despite the higher spending per student at St. Helena Elementary compared to nearby schools, the academic outcomes remain very poor, suggesting that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution to improving the school's performance.

229

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,366

Per pupil spending ?

99.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

903 S Main St
Norfolk, VA 23523

(757) 494-3884

District: Norfolk City Public Schools

Students who attend St. Helena Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Blair Middle
High:	Matthew Fontaine Maury High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

87.8%

Two or more races:

7.0%

Hispanic:

3.9%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare St. Helena Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 1st percentile in 2015 → 10th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2015

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (47% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (10th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (27% vs 15% Virginia)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school47%

District avg59%

Virginia avg71%

1,002^nd of 1,110

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 10%▲ up 9 pts since 2015

From bottom 1% (2015) to bottom 10% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

22^nd of 29Elementary Schools in the Norfolk City Public Schools

109^th of 129Norfolk 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	12.6	1002 of 1110	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.0	1046 of 1114	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.0	1036 of 1114	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.3	1080 of 1109	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	1.7	1101 of 1103	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	0.4	1099 of 1105	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	2.3	1082 of 1097	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	18.1	994 of 1099	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	3.6	1081 of 1096	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	1.9	1093 of 1100	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	7.0	1082 of 1110	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	6.2	1097 of 1120	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	22.0	1011 of 1117	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	39.7	808 of 1117	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	17.1	1055 of 1113	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	45.0	706 of 1082	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	44.8	707 of 1081	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	54.1	531 of 1083	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	65.3	343 of 1071	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	71.4	247 of 1062	76.7%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	19.4	510 of 579	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.4	531 of 588	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.1	473 of 579	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	33.4	784 of 1096	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.1	707 of 1098	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.7	917 of 1100	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	18.7	928 of 1046	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.9	932 of 1036	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	18.4	941 of 1093	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.7	983 of 1093	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2025)28th percentile+19 vs school

Male (2025)14th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2025)12th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)11th percentile~ school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

English Reading54%-17 vs state

Science47%-22 vs state

VA Studies44%-26 vs state

Mathematics42%-30 vs state

★

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Schools Near St. Helena Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SOL Algebra I (2025)	SOL Mathematics (2025)						SOL Science (2025)		SOL English Reading (2025)						SOL Geography (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 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 Geography 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	SOL VA Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
St. Helena Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	903 S Main St	Norfolk	23523	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 494-3884	229	19	12.0	99.6%	3 (1.3%)	201 (87.8%)	9 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.0%)	12.6	1002^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	9.7%		8	1046^th of 1114 public elementary schools	6.1%	44		50.0	36.1	41.2				47.1		56.7	38.9	67.7								44.1	$13,366	$1,541	$11,825
Rena B. Wright Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	600 Park Ave	Chesapeake	23324	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 494-7585	300	24	12.5	74.7%	48 (16.0%)	182 (60.7%)	39 (13.0%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.3%)								(n/a)																					$16,494	$2,538	$13,956
Southside Stem Academy At Campostella	Public	K-8	1106 Campostella Rd.	Norfolk	23523	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2555	686	57	12.0	98.4%	10 (1.5%)	600 (87.5%)	47 (6.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.9%)	9.4	1033^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	6.9%		5.8	1072^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	3.8%	39	100.0	51.4	34.3	39.4	53.2	32.7	40.0	38.0	16.7	48.0	50.0	48.6	58.0	50.0	44.1	71.4	80.0	25.5		39.1	$10,986	$1,357	$9,629
Truitt Intermediate	Public	3-5	1100 Holly Ave	Chesapeake	23324	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 494-8014	256	16	16.1	75.0%	46 (18.0%)	155 (60.5%)	27 (10.5%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (10.2%)	27	861^st of 1110 public elementary schools	22.4%		15.7	974^th of 1114 public elementary schools	12.6%	113		79.2	63.4	48.3				38.9		69.2	67.1	52.3								46.6	$15,318	$2,065	$13,253
Brighton Elementary	Public	K-6	1100 Portsmouth Blvd.	Portsmouth	23704	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 393-8870	483	31	15.5	99.4%	15 (3.1%)	401 (83.0%)	33 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.4%)	16.4	967^th of 1110 public elementary schools	12.9%		12.8	997^th of 1114 public elementary schools	10.5%	30		50.7	70.0	62.9	62.9			32.3		33.3	55.0	47.5	55.7						40.7		$11,238	$3,029	$8,208
P.B. Young Senior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	543 E. Olney Rd	Norfolk	23510	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2588	241	19	12.6	101.2%	2 (0.8%)	217 (90.0%)	11 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)								(n/a)																					$13,538	$1,957	$11,581
Park View Elementary	Public	K-6	260 Elm Ave	Portsmouth	23704	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 393-8647	400	34	11.7	101.0%	37 (9.3%)	303 (75.8%)	30 (7.5%)	2 (0.5%)	5 (1.3%)	2 (0.5%)	21 (5.3%)	22.2	898^th of 1110 public elementary schools	19.1%		27.3	873^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	21.6%	25		43.5	56.3	72.2	56.9			64.8		42.7	66.7	59.3	56.9						43.8		$11,253	$2,948	$8,305
Thurgood Marshall Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2706 Border Road	Chesapeake	23324	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 494-7515	395	32	12.2	74.9%	26 (6.6%)	313 (79.2%)	29 (7.3%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.6%)	20.1	927^th of 1110 public elementary schools	16.5%		37.5	754^th of 1114 public elementary schools	32.3%	173		65.2	67.4	59.1				34.1		47.0	56.3	60.5								45.2	$14,573	$2,844	$11,730
Chesterfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2915 Westminster Ave	Norfolk	23504	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2544	325	28	11.6	100.6%	5 (1.5%)	280 (86.2%)	21 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	14 (4.3%)	4.3	1078^th of 1110 public elementary schools	2.9%		2.9	1100^th of 1114 public elementary schools	1.3%	22		34.6	33.3	40.0				52.0		42.3	35.9	52.0								28.0	$11,841	$2,032	$9,809
Jacox Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1300 Marshall Ave	Norfolk	23504	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2433	596	44	13.5	99.3%	18 (3.0%)	521 (87.4%)	38 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	16 (2.7%)	3.5	1084^th of 1110 public elementary schools	2.3%		2.8	1102^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	1.1%	18		32.5	54.7	39.3				28.6		26.8	45.4	35.7								25.0	$9,796	$1,811	$7,985

Frequently Asked Questions about St. Helena Elementary

What is the racial makeup of St. Helena Elementary?

Students at St. Helena Elementary are 88% African American, 7% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 1% White.

Is St. Helena Elementary a good school?

St. Helena Elementary ranks in the bottom 9.7% of Virginia elementary schools.

What district is St. Helena Elementary in?

Norfolk City Public Schools

What schools do graduates of St. Helena Elementary attend?

Students who attend St. Helena Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Blair Middle
High : Matthew Fontaine Maury High

How many students attend St. Helena Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 229 students attended St. Helena Elementary.

Rate St. Helena Elementary!

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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.