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Ella J. FitzGerald Middle

Q: Is Ella J. FitzGerald Middle a good school?

Ella J. FitzGerald Middle ranks in the bottom 12.3% of Virginia middle schools.

Q: How many students attend Ella J. FitzGerald Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 988 students attended Ella J. FitzGerald Middle.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Ella J. FitzGerald Middle?

Students at Ella J. FitzGerald Middle are 48% African American, 26% Hispanic, 15% White, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Q: What high school do graduates of Ella J. FitzGerald Middle attend?

Students who attend Ella J. FitzGerald Middle usually go on to attend Woodside High

Public Grades 6-8

365^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 416 Virginia Middle Schools

Better than 12% of Virginia middle schools

Summary

Ella J. Fitzgerald Middle is a large middle school in Newport News, VA, serving 988 students in grades 6–8 as part of Newport News City Public Schools. The school serves a highly economically disadvantaged population — 98% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–2025, up from 87% two years earlier. Despite these challenges, attendance is a clear bright spot. Chronic absenteeism fell from 33.2% in 2021–2022 to 15.2% in 2024–2025, below the district average of 18.5% and nearly matching the Virginia state average of 14.8%. That's the best rate among local Newport News middle schools, including Crittenden Middle, Homer L. Hines Middle, Ethel M. Gildersleeve Middle, and Mary Passage Middle.

Academically, the school shows a striking split. Students in accelerated math pathways perform at near-state levels: 96% of 8th graders passed Geometry and 98% of 7th graders passed Algebra I in 2025–2026. However, on-grade math proficiency is much weaker — only 35% of 7th graders and 38% of 8th graders met the bar. Reading is the school's biggest challenge, with proficiency rates roughly 11 to 22 points below the state average across all three grades. Science proficiency (47%) also trails several same-district peers. On a positive note, English Language Learner students perform closer to state norms than the school's overall ranking would suggest, and advanced course access is working well for the students who reach those classes.

The contrast with schools just a few miles away is striking. Tabb Middle, Poquoson Middle, and Grafton Middle — all in nearby York County Public Schools or Poquoson City Public Schools districts — rank in the 78th–96th percentile statewide and serve far lower-poverty populations. Among its own district peers, Ella J. Fitzgerald Middle ranks above Crittenden Middle and Homer L. Hines Middle, similarly to Mary Passage Middle, and below Ethel M. Gildersleeve Middle. Per-student spending ($8,937) is mid-range: lower than other Newport News middle schools but higher than several York County schools. Overall, this is a high-poverty school that still gets students to class and moves advanced math students to proficiency — but grade-level reading, science, and math remain significant hurdles.

988

Students ?

15.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,930

Per pupil spending ?

98.2%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students receive free meals (Community Eligibility, 2024-25)

432 Industrial Park Dr
Newport News, VA 23608

(757) 888-3300

District: Newport News City Public Schools

Students who attend Ella J. FitzGerald Middle usually attend:

High:

Woodside High

Feeder schools for Ella J. FitzGerald Middle:

Elementary:	Oliver C. Greenwood Elementary
	Richneck Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

47.9%

Hispanic:

25.5%

White:

14.9%

See top rated Virginia middle schools

Compare Ella J. FitzGerald Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 16th percentile in 2016 → 12th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (56% vs 69% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!Civics and Economics scores 18 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school56%

District avg58%

Virginia avg69%

365^th of 416

Virginia public middle schools ?

Bottom 12%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 16% (2016) to bottom 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 7Middle Schools in the Newport News City Public Schools

105^th of 131Newport 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
2026	20.5	365 of 416	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.6	371 of 419	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.6	371 of 417	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.4	332 of 422	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.9	347 of 415	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.4	353 of 419	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.1	387 of 424	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.0	374 of 413	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	22.5	357 of 415	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.8	344 of 409	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	26.6	338 of 412	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	36.1	279 of 416	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	40.7	251 of 416	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	31.9	329 of 413	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	26.9	351 of 413	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	31.8	326 of 408	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	22.3	346 of 390	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	37.1	280 of 391	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	53.1	178 of 387	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	41.9	252 of 383	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	27.9	308 of 340	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	31.1	230 of 297	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	33.9	217 of 297	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.1	224 of 299	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.7	180 of 298	39.6%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	13.3	128 of 136	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.8	124 of 128	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	32.7	103 of 132	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	27.1	213 of 292	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.8	217 of 281	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.1	235 of 278	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	39.1	76 of 134	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.0	83 of 135	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.0	79 of 122	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.0	73 of 100	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	17.6	369 of 409	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.7	365 of 403	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.6	350 of 407	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.3	310 of 411	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	34.9	199 of 283	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.1	217 of 279	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.2	209 of 272	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.0	207 of 275	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	25.9	329 of 401	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.8	342 of 403	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.0	335 of 402	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	24.1	345 of 410	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.5	339 of 404	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.8	366 of 407	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.7	323 of 409	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	7.1	125 of 125	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.8	126 of 130	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.2	122 of 123	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	25.9	98 of 114	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	23.1	210 of 249	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.0	210 of 244	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.2	188 of 237	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.7	168 of 231	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	26.3	344 of 400	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.7	379 of 400	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.4	374 of 396	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	30.2	316 of 402	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)43rd percentile+31 vs school

Hispanic (2026)30th percentile+17 vs school

Disabled (2026)27th percentile+15 vs school

African American (2026)23rd percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)18th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)16th percentile+4 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)16th percentile+3 vs school

White (2026)14th percentile~ school

Female (2026)10th percentile~ school

Asian (2025)6th percentile-6 vs school

Military Connected (2026)<1st percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Geometry96%~ state avg

Algebra I88%-7 vs state

English Reading57%-16 vs state

Civics and Economics56%-18 vs state

Mathematics48%-7 vs state

Science47%-17 vs state

1.5

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What people are saying

by a student
Monday, November 4, 2013

I currently attend this school and I have not liked in the year and a half I've been here. Last year, one of my teachers was extremely rude and inconsiderate. She did not seem to care about any of the students and because of her, I almost failed Math. This year however, seems to be going in the correct direction if it continues this way. My History teacher is out at the moment, and we've had a substitute for several weeks, and she is not exactly nice. She will not let you leave the room or ask you questions in the first 20 minutes of class (apparently it's "too early" to ask. WTH????). The other teachers are pretty nice but you do have some bad apples in there.

Another thing that really ticks me off is that we have to be there by 7: 20, meaning most of the time I'm getting up at 5: 30 to catch a bus, and I am an insomniac, so I get less sleep than the average kid... It really doesn't help. It's only the third month of school and I look like Zombie Summer from the Walking Dead. Close Quote

Schools Near Ella J. FitzGerald Middle

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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 Algebra II (2026)	SOL Mathematics (2026)			SOL Science (2026)	SOL Earth Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (2026)			SOL Geography (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	Free/reduced lunch (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 7th Grade	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 Geography 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ella J. FitzGerald Middle	Public	6-8	432 Industrial Park Dr	Newport News	23608	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 888-3300	988	64	15.1	—	147 (14.9%)	473 (47.9%)	252 (25.5%)	28 (2.8%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	82 (8.3%)	20.5	365^th of 416 public middle schools	12.3%		19.6	371^st of 419 public middle schools	11.5%	6		96.2		97.8	84.0		63.0	35.3	37.5	47.3		61.6	51.0	60.2			56.3	$9,930	$215	$9,715
Mary Passage Middle	Public	6-8	400 Atkinson Way	Newport News	23608	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 886-7600	931	64	15.3	97.9%	176 (18.9%)	478 (51.3%)	162 (17.4%)	19 (2.0%)	3 (0.3%)	5 (0.5%)	88 (9.5%)	26.7	342^nd of 416 public middle schools	17.8%		20.2	369^th of 419 public middle schools	11.9%	27		96.8		100.0	90.7		59.2	34.2	38.9	53.3		63.3	60.6	60.2			62.5	$9,645	$618	$9,027
Grafton Middle	Public	6-8	405 Grafton Dr	Yorktown	23692	York County	York County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 898-0525	937	55	16.8	—	519 (55.4%)	107 (11.4%)	123 (13.1%)	86 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	100 (10.7%)	72.6	93^rd of 416 public middle schools	77.6%		76.8	67^th of 419 public middle schools	84.0%	26		93.3		99.0	95.0		76.6	28.8	35.6	81.0		85.7	83.2	84.4		≥ 50%	88.4	$8,610	$271	$8,339
Yorktown Middle	Public	6-8	11201 Geo Wash Mem Hwy	Yorktown	23692	York County	York County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 898-0360	717	41	17.4	37.1%	433 (60.4%)	91 (12.7%)	75 (10.5%)	21 (2.9%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	91 (12.7%)	65.2	136^th of 416 public middle schools	67.3%		65.7	138^th of 419 public middle schools	67.1%	2		96.6		97.1	82.5		77.7	41.6	53.1	74.2		80.7	80.9	80.3			80.8	$9,413	$639	$8,774
Tabb Middle	Public	6-8	300 Yorktown Rd	Yorktown	23693	York County	York County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 898-0320	968	54	17.8	27.8%	536 (55.4%)	122 (12.6%)	150 (15.5%)	55 (5.7%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (0.8%)	96 (9.9%)	86.8	15^th of 416 public middle schools	96.4%		87.9	10^th of 419 public middle schools	97.6%	5		100.0		100.0	98.9		90.2	62.9	86.9	83.3		90.9	86.9	90.8			90.7	$8,261	$258	$8,003
Ethel M. Gildersleeve Middle	Public	6-8	1 Minton Dr	Newport News	23606	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 591-4862	1,087	73	15.0	97.7%	345 (31.7%)	354 (32.6%)	252 (23.2%)	26 (2.4%)	5 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	102 (9.4%)	36.1	308^th of 416 public middle schools	26.0%		32.5	313^th of 419 public middle schools	25.3%	5	≥ 50%	93.6		100.0	94.7		72.8	34.8	48.2	61.0	≥ 50%	68.1	58.9	62.2			65.4	$10,883	$310	$10,573
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%)	19.5	367^th of 416 public middle schools	11.8%		27.3	337^th of 419 public middle schools	19.6%	30		98.2		100.0	71.0		56.2	23.4	19.2	55.9		59.9	57.0	53.9			57.7	$10,240	$376	$9,864
Queens Lake Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	124 W Queens Dr	Williamsburg	23185	York County	York County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 220-4080	554	42	13.2	31.9%	264 (47.7%)	107 (19.3%)	93 (16.8%)	18 (3.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	69 (12.5%)	68.2	115^th of 416 public middle schools	72.4%		74.5	90^th of 419 public middle schools	78.5%	25		97.9		100.0	100.0		66.1	47.1	61.6	70.3		83.4	84.0	82.4			75.8	$10,935	$249	$10,686
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%)	83.3	26^th of 416 public middle schools	93.8%		83	33^rd of 419 public middle schools	92.1%	7		97.6		100.0	100.0		72.4	59.4	77.4	91.0		81.9	87.1	91.0		< 50%	92.7	$9,283	$182	$9,101
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%)	45.5	260^th of 416 public middle schools	37.5%		38.9	286^th of 419 public middle schools	31.7%	26	≥ 50%	90.6	519.0	100.0	100.0	516.0	57.1	32.1	57.1	69.7	100.0	66.2	64.5	68.8	≥ 50%		79.3	$11,151	$918	$10,234

Frequently Asked Questions about Ella J. FitzGerald Middle

What district is Ella J. FitzGerald Middle in?

Newport News City Public Schools

How many students attend Ella J. FitzGerald Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 988 students attended Ella J. FitzGerald Middle.

What high school do graduates of Ella J. FitzGerald Middle attend?

Students who attend Ella J. FitzGerald Middle usually go on to attend Woodside High

What is the racial makeup of Ella J. FitzGerald Middle?

Students at Ella J. FitzGerald Middle are 48% African American, 26% Hispanic, 15% White, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Is Ella J. FitzGerald Middle a good school?

Ella J. FitzGerald Middle ranks in the bottom 12.3% of Virginia middle schools.

Rate Ella J. FitzGerald Middle!

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2023–24 school spending data (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataOct 12, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 12, 2026

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 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.