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Oscar F. Smith High

Public Grades 9-12
195th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 331 Virginia High Schools
Better than 41% of Virginia high schools
Summary

Oscar F. Smith High is a large public high school in Chesapeake, VA, serving 2,264 students in grades 9–12 as part of Chesapeake City Public Schools, a district ranked in the top 30% of Virginia districts. The school itself ranks 195th out of 331 Virginia high schools, placing it in the 41st percentile, with a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 12.7 and per-pupil spending of $10,705. About 71% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch—a poverty profile very similar to Deep Creek High and Indian River High, but quite different from Hickory High and Grassfield High, where fewer than 15% of students qualify.

Despite its mid-range ranking, Oscar F. Smith has genuine bright spots. English Learner students rank in the 90th percentile statewide—a sustained area of strength—and Asian students rank in the 89th percentile. Students in upper-level science and history courses also outperform district and state averages: 74.2% of 11th graders passed Biology, compared to 63.9% districtwide, and World History I proficiency was 68.4% versus 63.2% for the district. African American, White, and low-income students all perform at or above the state median for their groups, showing that the school supports a wide range of learners.

The biggest challenges are attendance and graduation. Oscar F. Smith's chronic absenteeism rate of 20.2% is nearly double the district rate of 11.1% and far higher than Deep Creek's 12.3% or Indian River's 10.9%. Its 88.0% graduation rate is the lowest among Chesapeake's high schools, compared to 97.7% at Great Bridge High and 96.9% at Grassfield High. Literacy scores also trail the district, with 11th-grade writing at 71.3% versus 82.7% districtwide. The school has improved its state ranking for three consecutive years, but reducing chronic absenteeism is likely the key to turning that momentum into sustained gains.

2,264
Students ?
12.7
Student/teacher ratio ?
$10,705
Per pupil spending ?
71.4%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 1994 Tiger Dr
       Chesapeake, VA  23320

(757) 548-0696

District: Chesapeake City Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:
54.0%
Hispanic:
17.6%
White:
17.1%
more
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 Compare Oscar F. Smith High to nearby high schools!
At a glance
▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 31st percentile in 2024 → 41st in 2026
Strengths
✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 41st (2026) from a 31st-percentile low (2024)
Worth a look
!Near the bottom of Chesapeake City Public Schools's ranking
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school75%
District avg82%
Virginia avg77%
195th of 331
Virginia public high schools ?
Bottom 41%▼ down 7 pts since 2016
From bottom 48% (2016) to bottom 41% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Virginia High Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
6th of 7High Schools in the Chesapeake City Public Schools
34th of 131Chesapeake 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202650.7195 of 33141.1%★★☆☆☆
202549.8202 of 32838.4%★★☆☆☆
202445.2226 of 32931.3%★★☆☆☆
202345.6217 of 32633.4%★★☆☆☆
202246.7179 of 32544.9%★★☆☆☆
202149.1147 of 32755.0%★★★☆☆
201950.4158 of 32751.7%★★★☆☆
201842.8206 of 32636.8%★★☆☆☆
201747.4177 of 32445.4%★★☆☆☆
201648.3167 of 32148.0%★★☆☆☆
201543.5184 of 32242.9%★★☆☆☆
201434.5242 of 32224.8%★☆☆☆☆
201334.0239 of 32125.5%★☆☆☆☆
201233.5251 of 32121.8%★☆☆☆☆
201132.7253 of 32020.9%★☆☆☆☆
201033.9251 of 31720.8%★☆☆☆☆
200923.6292 of 3136.7%☆☆☆☆☆
200836.8231 of 31626.9%★☆☆☆☆
200743.6192 of 31338.7%★★☆☆☆
200648.8157 of 31450.0%★★★☆☆
200539.0229 of 30825.6%★☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202651.2119 of 24250.8%★★★☆☆
202544.8154 of 24537.1%★★☆☆☆
202450.1136 of 24945.4%★★☆☆☆
202348.0132 of 24045.0%★★☆☆☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202674.513 of 12089.2%★★★★☆
202555.867 of 12546.4%★★☆☆☆
202423.7108 of 1188.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202336.398 of 12018.3%★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202644.8150 of 25240.5%★★☆☆☆
202452.2120 of 25352.6%★★★☆☆
202339.0159 of 24936.1%★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202683.114 of 13589.6%★★★★★
202579.111 of 10189.1%★★★★★
202460.242 of 12265.6%★★★☆☆
202358.034 of 9764.9%★★★☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202651.8188 of 32241.6%★★☆☆☆
202548.2202 of 32137.1%★★☆☆☆
202445.5215 of 32233.2%★★☆☆☆
202346.6206 of 32035.6%★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202653.1127 of 24247.5%★★☆☆☆
202571.448 of 23679.7%★★★★☆
202448.6128 of 23345.1%★★☆☆☆
202361.885 of 23263.4%★★★☆☆

Homeless

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202643.66 of 1040.0%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202653.4159 of 32150.5%★★★☆☆
202545.5199 of 32438.6%★★☆☆☆
202445.4201 of 32037.2%★★☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202644.6213 of 32534.5%★★☆☆☆
202545.5207 of 32235.7%★★☆☆☆
202438.2231 of 32228.3%★☆☆☆☆
202340.5228 of 32129.0%★☆☆☆☆

Military Connected

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202644.274 of 10529.5%★★☆☆☆
202543.270 of 9828.6%★★☆☆☆
202447.555 of 9240.2%★★☆☆☆
202346.361 of 9233.7%★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202651.6106 of 19645.9%★★☆☆☆
202559.679 of 19860.1%★★★☆☆
202446.4123 of 19837.9%★★☆☆☆
202342.8125 of 19335.2%★★☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202663.3111 of 31264.4%★★★☆☆
202568.783 of 31373.5%★★★★☆
202459.3131 of 31458.3%★★★☆☆
202360.2127 of 31559.7%★★★☆☆
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)
English Language Learner (2026)90th percentile+49 vs school
Asian (2026)89th percentile+48 vs school
White (2026)64th percentile+23 vs school
African American (2026)51st percentile+10 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)50th percentile+9 vs school
Hispanic (2026)48th percentile+6 vs school
Multi-racial (2026)46th percentile+5 vs school
Female (2026)42nd percentile~ school
Disabled (2026)40th percentile~ school
Homeless (2026)40th percentile~ school
Male (2026)34th percentile-7 vs school
Military Connected (2026)30th percentile-12 vs school
By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?
Geometry90%+14 vs state
Algebra II90%+3 vs state
Geography83%+13 vs state
Algebra I82%+3 vs state
English Reading82%-4 vs state
Biology80%+3 vs state
Writing72%-4 vs state
World History II67%+26 vs state
World History I67%-4 vs state
Earth Science61%~ state avg
VA and US History45%+7 vs state

5.0
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What people are saying
by a student
Thursday, August 9, 2012

Open Quote Oscar Smith High was a great school that gave me plenty of opportunities to succeed. All of my teachers had a positive impact on me academically and it was a great environment to learn in. In my four years there the faculty and staff truly had the best interest of the students at heart. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Oscar F. Smith High

Students at Oscar F. Smith High are 54% African American, 18% Hispanic, 17% White, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,264 students attended Oscar F. Smith High.

Oscar F. Smith High ranks 195th of 331 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Oscar F. Smith High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : George W. Carver Intermediate
Elementary : Portlock Primary
Elementary : Rena B. Wright Primary
Elementary : Thurgood Marshall Elementary
Elementary : Truitt Intermediate
Middle : Crestwood Middle
Middle : Oscar Smith Middle

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Latest Virginia data All new data »
2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026
2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 2026
2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataFeb 10, 2026
2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 6, 2026


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.

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