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Middle Schools in Portsmouth City Public Schools

At a glance

DistrictPortsmouth City Public Schools114^th of 131 Virginia districtsFull district overview →

Schools

1,863

Students

Top rankedChurchland Middle351^st of 416 Virginia middle schools

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Biggest riser

Churchland Middle up 14 spots statewide this year

Compare Virginia districts →See the top-ranked Virginia schools →

Summary:

Portsmouth City Public Schools has three middle schools serving grades 7–8 in a high-poverty, urban Virginia district that ranks in the bottom 13th percentile statewide. Churchland Middle is the strongest overall performer, with the highest state rank (351 of 416), the lowest chronic absenteeism (14.4%), and the best proficiency rates in reading, science, and civics. It also spends the least per student ($10,307), suggesting relatively efficient resource use despite being the largest school with 798 students.

William E. Waters Middle stands out for perfect 100% proficiency in 7th-grade Algebra I and strong Geometry scores, yet it lags Churchland in reading, science, and civics and has a higher chronic absenteeism rate (18.6%). Its 8th-grade general math proficiency plunged from 44.75% to 28.14% in one year, and its state rank slipped from 367 to 385. Cradock Middle spends the most per student ($13,319) but is the lowest-ranked school (390 of 416) with the highest chronic absenteeism (18.8%) and the lowest proficiency in most grade-level subjects. Cradock did improve 8th-grade general math from 25.77% to 31.40%, the only school to rise in that subject.

The most striking finding is the divide between advanced and grade-level math: all three schools score 80–100% proficient in Algebra I and Geometry, yet just 23.76–31.40% of students pass grade-level math, roughly 20–27 points below the state average. Chronic absenteeism tracks performance, with Churchland’s lower rate matching its stronger outcomes. Higher spending clearly does not predict success, as Cradock spends the most while ranking last. Across all schools, reading, science, and civics trail the state by 10–25 percentage points, and the entire cohort sits in the bottom 6th–16th percentile of Virginia schools. The district’s middle schools share common challenges—high poverty, elevated absenteeism, and a two-tiered math system—making grade-level math and reading improvement the most urgent opportunity for Portsmouth City Public Schools.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SOL Geometry (2026)	SOL Algebra I (2026)		SOL Mathematics (2026)		SOL Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (2026)		SOL Civics and Economics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cradock Middle	Public	7-8	21 Alden Ave	Portsmouth	23702	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 393-8788	516	38	13.5	99.4%	36 (7.0%)	395 (76.6%)	36 (7.0%)	4 (0.8%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (7.9%)	12.1	390^th of 416 public middle schools	6.3%		11.5	389^th of 419 public middle schools	7.2%	1	87.5	100.0	98.5	25.0	31.4	45.1	46.9	48.7	48.2	$14,627	$2,280	$12,347
Churchland Middle	Public	7-8	4051 River Shore Rd	Portsmouth	23703	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 686-2512	798	54	14.7	99.6%	122 (15.3%)	555 (69.5%)	56 (7.0%)	3 (0.4%)	10 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (6.5%)	24.6	351^st of 416 public middle schools	15.6%		21	365^th of 419 public middle schools	12.9%	14	97.7	96.3	91.3	23.9	23.8	51.2	61.2	63.0	66.5	$12,064	$1,834	$10,230
William E. Waters Middle	Public	7-8	600 Roosevelt Blvd	Portsmouth	23701	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 558-2813	549	46	11.9	98.9%	113 (20.6%)	358 (65.2%)	39 (7.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	34 (6.2%)	13	385^th of 416 public middle schools	7.5%		20.6	367^th of 419 public middle schools	12.4%	18	80.8	100.0	91.1	29.5	28.1	41.4	54.2	53.7	56.6	$15,122	$2,009	$13,113

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Suffolk City Public Schools	2.41 mi	23	72^nd
Chesapeake City Public Schools	2.71 mi	48	34^th
Norfolk City Public Schools	3.78 mi	50	112^th
Kings Daughters	3.93 mi	1
Virginia Department of Corrections	4.88 mi	62

See the top VA Virginia districts

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.