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Benjamin Syms Middle

Q: Is Benjamin Syms Middle a good school?

Benjamin Syms Middle ranks 273 rd of 419 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Benjamin Syms Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 850 students attended Benjamin Syms Middle.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Benjamin Syms Middle?

Students at Benjamin Syms Middle are 50% African American, 29% White, 11% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

Q: What high school do graduates of Benjamin Syms Middle attend?

Students who attend Benjamin Syms Middle usually go on to attend Kecoughtan High

Public Grades 6-8

273^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 419 Virginia Middle Schools

Better than 35% of Virginia middle schools

Summary

Benjamin Syms Middle is a public middle school located in Hampton, Virginia, serving 865 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Hampton City Public Schools district, which is ranked 52 out of 129 school districts in the state.

Benjamin Syms Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Virginia middle schools over the past several years, with proficiency rates below the state and district averages in most subject areas. The school struggles the most in Mathematics, with proficiency rates ranging from 33-67% across grades 6-8, and in English Reading, with proficiency rates in the 60-70% range. However, the school performs well in Algebra I, Geometry, and Earth Science, with proficiency rates on par with or exceeding state and district averages.

Comparisons to nearby schools suggest that factors beyond just student demographics may play a role in Benjamin Syms Middle's performance. The nearby Poquoson Middle School, which is part of the Poquoson City Public Schools district, consistently outperforms Benjamin Syms Middle and the other Hampton City middle schools across most subject areas. The school's strong performance for military-connected students also indicates that it has the potential to improve outcomes for other student subgroups with the right strategies and resources.

850

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,229

Per pupil spending ?

72.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

170 Fox Hill Rd
Hampton, VA 23669

(757) 850-5050

District: Hampton City Public Schools

Students who attend Benjamin Syms Middle usually attend:

High:

Kecoughtan High

Feeder schools for Benjamin Syms Middle:

Elementary:	Albert W. Patrick III Elementary
	Francis Asbury Elementary
	Jane H. Bryan Elementary
	Mary T. Christian Elementary
	More...
	Phillips Elementary
	Samuel P. Langley Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

49.9%

White:

28.8%

Two or more races:

11.1%

See top rated Virginia middle schools

Compare Benjamin Syms Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 19th percentile in 2015 → 35th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 16 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school66%

District avg71%

Virginia avg69%

273^rd of 419

Virginia public middle schools ?

Bottom 35%▲ up 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 19% (2015) to bottom 35% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5Middle Schools in the Hampton City Public Schools

52^nd of 129Hampton 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	41.0	273 of 419	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.0	255 of 417	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.9	247 of 422	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.1	256 of 415	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.6	243 of 419	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.5	360 of 424	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.1	355 of 413	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	30.3	324 of 415	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	27.6	332 of 409	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	27.3	332 of 412	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	34.2	291 of 416	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	30.9	313 of 416	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	29.7	338 of 413	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	30.4	337 of 413	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	39.5	280 of 408	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	39.8	258 of 390	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	51.8	186 of 391	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	63.5	107 of 387	72.4%	★★★★☆
2006	61.8	106 of 383	72.3%	★★★★☆
2005	59.7	154 of 340	54.7%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	35.9	209 of 297	29.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.2	167 of 299	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.6	167 of 298	44.0%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2024	35.9	170 of 281	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.2	135 of 278	51.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	40.8	267 of 403	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.0	221 of 407	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.8	246 of 411	40.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	76.2	49 of 279	82.4%	★★★★☆
2024	57.3	108 of 272	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.4	104 of 275	62.2%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	29.9	3 of 3	0.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	44.3	236 of 403	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.2	192 of 402	52.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	38.7	272 of 404	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.9	267 of 407	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.3	237 of 409	42.1%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	46.7	74 of 130	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	65.9	33 of 123	73.2%	★★★★☆
2023	64.4	33 of 114	71.1%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	34.3	175 of 244	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	53.4	104 of 237	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.6	105 of 231	54.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	66.7	105 of 400	73.8%	★★★★☆
2024	55.0	182 of 396	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.0	132 of 402	67.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)82nd percentile+48 vs school

White (2025)74th percentile+39 vs school

Military Connected (2025)43rd percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)41st percentile+7 vs school

Disabled (2024)40th percentile~ school

Female (2025)34th percentile~ school

Male (2025)33rd percentile~ school

African American (2025)30th percentile-5 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)28th percentile-7 vs school

Homeless (2025)<1st percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

Algebra II100%~ state avg

Earth Science100%+10 vs state

Algebra I98%+4 vs state

Geometry97%~ state avg

English Reading68%-5 vs state

Civics and Economics66%-8 vs state

Science57%-9 vs state

Mathematics54%~ state avg

3.3

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, September 12, 2016

The administration and staff are committed to the academic, emotional, and social well-being of the students. Yes it is a tough job , but I have witnessed that the care and concern for our children is genuine. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, July 30, 2014

I do not recommend Syms Middle School for any child. It is over crowded and bullying problems are out of control (not just with children). Administration talks down to parents and they are not helpful at all. It's all together an unpleasant experience. Close Quote

Schools Near Benjamin Syms Middle

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 Algebra II (2025)	SOL Mathematics (2025)			SOL Science (2025)	SOL Earth Science (2025)	SOL English Reading (2025)			SOL Civics and Economics (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 6th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Algebra II 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL Earth Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th 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
Benjamin Syms Middle	Public	6-8	170 Fox Hill Rd	Hampton	23669	Hampton city	Hampton City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 850-5050	850	57	15.0	72.4%	245 (28.8%)	424 (49.9%)	73 (8.6%)	10 (1.2%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	94 (11.1%)	41	273^rd of 419 public middle schools	34.8%		44	255^th of 417 public middle schools	38.8%	18	96.8	100.0	100.0	96.7	100.0	67.4	40.3	46.3	57.1	100.0	66.3	69.7	67.6	65.7	$9,229	$904	$8,326
Francis W. Jones Magnet Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1819 Nickerson Blvd	Hampton	23663	Hampton city	Hampton City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 850-7900	613	44	13.8	94.3%	232 (37.8%)	258 (42.1%)	48 (7.8%)	9 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	63 (10.3%)	82.7	34^th of 419 public middle schools	91.9%		79.2	62^nd of 417 public middle schools	85.1%	28	97.0		100.0	98.3		83.6			90.6		85.1	88.6	90.1	91.7	$10,916	$450	$10,466
Thomas Eaton Middle	Public	6-8	2108 Cunningham Dr	Hampton	23666	Hampton city	Hampton City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 825-4540	581	46	12.5	94.3%	111 (19.1%)	381 (65.6%)	34 (5.9%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (8.6%)	51	217^th of 419 public middle schools	48.2%		64.6	150^th of 417 public middle schools	64.0%	67	100.0		100.0	97.6		63.5	24.4	51.1	71.2		68.0	72.4	70.6	77.9	$10,906	$621	$10,285
C. Alton Lindsay Middle	Public	6-8	1636 Briarfield Rd	Hampton	23661	Hampton city	Hampton City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 825-4560	612	46	13.4	80.1%	62 (10.1%)	441 (72.1%)	47 (7.7%)	14 (2.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	45 (7.4%)	35.9	299^th of 419 public middle schools	28.6%		30.2	318^th of 417 public middle schools	23.7%	19	100.0		96.4	100.0		64.4	36.0	40.7	67.2	92.9	63.9	58.7	60.9	74.6	$9,671	$1,056	$8,615
Cesar Tarrant Middle	Public	6-8	1435 Todds Ln	Hampton	23666	Hampton city	Hampton City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 825-4520	737	44	16.6	82.8%	110 (14.9%)	488 (66.2%)	48 (6.5%)	14 (1.9%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.5%)	70 (9.5%)	38.9	286^th of 419 public middle schools	31.7%		41.6	270^th of 417 public middle schools	35.3%	16	100.0		100.0	100.0		55.1	20.8	62.6	64.0	100.0	64.5	63.8	67.8	69.2	$9,251	$936	$8,315
Poquoson Middle	Public	6-8	985 Poquoson Ave	Poquoson	23662	Poquoson city	Poquoson City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 868-6031	491	36	13.6	20.2%	403 (82.1%)	7 (1.4%)	34 (6.9%)	8 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.7%)	83	33^rd of 419 public middle schools	92.1%		84.5	27^th of 417 public middle schools	93.5%	6	100.0		100.0	100.0		65.7	79.2	81.3	88.1		83.1	92.9	90.6	86.2	$8,858	$276	$8,582
B.T. Washington Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	3700 Chestnut Ave	Newport News	23607	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 928-6860	413	27	15.7	100.2%	108 (26.2%)	215 (52.1%)	30 (7.3%)	8 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (12.3%)	65.5	141^st of 419 public middle schools	66.3%		63.9	152^nd of 417 public middle schools	63.5%	11	98.6		96.8	96.9		78.0	38.6	18.2	83.1		74.5	81.8	83.9	83.1	$10,066	$00	$10,066
Huntington Middle	Public	6-8	5800 Marshall Ave	Newport News	23605	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 928-6846	292	38	7.7	99.0%	9 (3.1%)	238 (81.5%)	23 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.8%)	2.8	412^th of 419 public middle schools	1.7%		4.5	405^th of 417 public middle schools	2.9%	7	45.8			91.3		19.6		17.8	29.5		37.0		45.0	34.6	$12,208	$173	$12,034
Crittenden Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	6158 Jefferson Ave	Newport News	23605	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 591-4900	781	69	12.3	98.3%	60 (7.7%)	552 (70.7%)	100 (12.8%)	13 (1.7%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	51 (6.5%)	13.3	386^th of 419 public middle schools	7.9%		14.6	381^st of 417 public middle schools	8.6%	5	95.5		84.4	95.5		54.2	22.7	37.2	38.6	88.5	48.7	43.6	60.9	50.8	$10,632	$447	$10,185
Homer L. Hines Middle	Public	6-8	561 McLawhorne Dr	Newport News	23601	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 591-4878	846	54	15.6	97.3%	133 (15.7%)	454 (53.7%)	151 (17.8%)	15 (1.8%)	4 (0.5%)	3 (0.4%)	86 (10.2%)	27.3	337^th of 419 public middle schools	19.6%		19.7	363^rd of 417 public middle schools	12.9%	26	91.6		100.0	92.2		52.4	30.2	32.6	64.7		61.0	55.6	66.3	63.5	$9,185	$517	$8,669

Frequently Asked Questions about Benjamin Syms Middle

What is the racial makeup of Benjamin Syms Middle?

Students at Benjamin Syms Middle are 50% African American, 29% White, 11% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

Is Benjamin Syms Middle a good school?

Benjamin Syms Middle ranks 273^rd of 419 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Benjamin Syms Middle in?

Hampton City Public Schools

How many students attend Benjamin Syms Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 850 students attended Benjamin Syms Middle.

What high school do graduates of Benjamin Syms Middle attend?

Students who attend Benjamin Syms Middle usually go on to attend Kecoughtan High

Rate Benjamin Syms Middle!

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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.