Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Virginia rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Joseph H. Saunders Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1009^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 9% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Joseph H. Saunders Elementary is a PK–5 school in Newport News, VA serving approximately 660 students within Newport News City Public Schools. The school currently ranks in the bottom 10% of Virginia elementary schools (1,009 of 1,111, 9th percentile, 0 stars). Academic proficiency lags well behind both district and state averages in nearly every subject. For example, 5th-grade reading proficiency is 45.2% compared to 72.4% statewide, and 4th-grade math is 49.6% versus 73.3% statewide. The school serves an almost entirely economically disadvantaged population, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Relative strengths include 3rd-grade math (63.4%) and 4th-grade VA Studies (59.5%).

The comparison with Deer Park Elementary is striking. Deer Park is only 1.5 miles away and in the same district with essentially the same poverty rate (100.9% free/reduced lunch), yet it ranks 60th in the state (95th percentile, 5 stars) while Saunders ranks 1,009th. At Deer Park, 5th-grade math proficiency is 97.1% versus 48.5% at Saunders. Nearby York County Public Schools like Tabb Elementary, Mount Vernon Elementary, and Bethel Manor Elementary rank in the top 5–15% of the state, though they serve far fewer economically disadvantaged students. Saunders is not the lowest-performing school in the immediate area — Sedgefield Elementary ranks even lower at the 4th percentile.

There are encouraging signs. Chronic absenteeism has dropped dramatically from 34.8% in 2021–22 to 14.7% in 2024–25, now matching the state average of 14.8%. African American students have shown meaningful improvement in statewide ranking, moving from the 10th to the 27th percentile. Third-grade math improved sharply from 42.7% to 63.4%. However, spending is a concern: Saunders spends $8,526 per student, less than many same-district peers despite its high poverty, and its student-teacher ratio of 18.8 is higher than most comparison schools. The school continues to face challenges, particularly for students with disabilities and Hispanic students, and will need continued support to translate attendance gains into broader academic progress.

660

Students ?

18.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,526

Per pupil spending ?

100.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

853 Harpersville Rd
Newport News, VA 23601

(757) 591-4781

District: Newport News City Public Schools

Students who attend Joseph H. Saunders Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Homer L. Hines Middle
High:	Warwick High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

48.3%

Hispanic:

28.0%

White:

14.7%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Joseph H. Saunders Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 7th percentile in 2016 → 9th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (52% vs 72% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)

!English Reading scores 22 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school52%

District avg61%

Virginia avg72%

1,009^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 9%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

19^th of 24Elementary 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	12.2	1009 of 1111	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.2	1007 of 1110	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.0	1015 of 1114	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.0	1047 of 1114	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.9	1065 of 1109	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	5.3	1060 of 1103	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.7	1082 of 1105	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.2	1052 of 1097	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	13.7	1024 of 1099	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	14.3	1024 of 1096	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	21.6	970 of 1100	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	18.8	1018 of 1110	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	19.3	1010 of 1120	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	15.5	1056 of 1117	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	31.1	928 of 1117	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	41.6	800 of 1113	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	74.7	202 of 1082	81.3%	★★★★☆
2008	77.5	149 of 1081	86.2%	★★★★☆
2007	67.9	321 of 1083	70.4%	★★★★☆
2006	61.6	413 of 1071	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	74.3	207 of 1062	80.5%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	35.2	432 of 591	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.3	465 of 579	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.5	530 of 588	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.2	540 of 579	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	1.3	415 of 420	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2023	26.9	236 of 300	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	11.1	1018 of 1100	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.7	1024 of 1096	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.7	1031 of 1098	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.7	1072 of 1100	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	8.5	605 of 619	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.3	582 of 606	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	28.3	450 of 580	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.3	476 of 564	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	22.9	887 of 1040	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.7	906 of 1046	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.4	917 of 1036	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	15.0	985 of 1099	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.0	946 of 1093	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.2	989 of 1101	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.1	960 of 1093	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	28.8	779 of 974	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	33.4	733 of 973	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.9	767 of 979	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.9	866 of 984	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)27th percentile+18 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)21st percentile+15 vs school

White (2026)20th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)15th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)10th percentile~ school

Female (2026)7th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)2nd percentile-7 vs school

Disabled (2026)1st percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

VA Studies59%-11 vs state

Mathematics54%-20 vs state

English Reading49%-22 vs state

Science47%-22 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Joseph H. Saunders Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Joseph H. Saunders Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Joseph H. Saunders Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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 Earth Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (2026)						SOL Civics and Economics (2026)	SOL VA Studies (2026)	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 (2025)	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 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 Earth 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 Civics and Economics 8th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Joseph H. Saunders Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	853 Harpersville Rd	Newport News	23601	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 591-4781	660	35	18.8	100.9%	97 (14.7%)	319 (48.3%)	185 (28.0%)	10 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.4%)	12.2	1009^th of 1111 public elementary schools	9.2%		12.2	1007^th of 1110 public elementary schools	9.3%	2				63.4	49.6	48.5				46.6			45.5	55.9	45.2					59.5	$8,526	$641	$7,885
Deer Park Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	11541 Jefferson Ave	Newport News	23601	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 591-7470	433	24	18.0	100.9%	101 (23.3%)	232 (53.6%)	41 (9.5%)	11 (2.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	46 (10.6%)	88.7	60^th of 1111 public elementary schools	94.6%		90.2	46^th of 1110 public elementary schools	95.9%	14				89.6	89.9	97.1				94.2			79.1	95.7	89.9					91.3	$9,121	$00	$9,121
Coventry Elementary	Public	K-5	200 Owen Davis Blvd	Yorktown	23693	York County	York County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 898-0403	630	41	15.3	34.8%	285 (45.2%)	90 (14.3%)	68 (10.8%)	110 (17.5%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	71 (11.3%)	82.1	171^st of 1111 public elementary schools	84.6%		78.1	246^th of 1110 public elementary schools	77.8%	75				90.7	83.9	89.5				83.8			83.3	85.4	91.4					80.8	$8,867	$519	$8,348
Bethel Manor Elementary	Public	K-5	1797 First St	Langley AFB	23665	York County	York County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 867-7439	631	41	15.3	45.5%	273 (43.3%)	113 (17.9%)	160 (25.4%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	75 (11.9%)	86.5	98^th of 1111 public elementary schools	91.2%		84.7	130^th of 1110 public elementary schools	88.3%	32				84.9	91.5	88.5				84.6			82.8	93.7	89.7					93.6	$9,255	$1,057	$8,197
Tabb Elementary	Public	K-5	3711 Big Bethel Rd	Yorktown	23693	York County	York County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 898-0372	707	43	16.4	28.9%	357 (50.5%)	94 (13.3%)	111 (15.7%)	48 (6.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	95 (13.4%)	88.7	61^st of 1111 public elementary schools	94.5%		89.4	59^th of 1110 public elementary schools	94.7%	2				94.3	91.3	93.5				89.4			87.0	89.8	93.5					84.3	$8,227	$159	$8,068
L.F. Palmer Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Palmer Lane	Newport News	23602	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 881-5000	465	26	17.8	98.3%	31 (6.7%)	190 (40.9%)	202 (43.4%)	5 (1.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.3%)	39.6	739^th of 1111 public elementary schools	33.5%		22.4	897^th of 1110 public elementary schools	19.2%	158				73.5	59.3	69.2				69.2			59.3	62.6	70.1					73.6	$8,954	$152	$8,802
George P. Phenix Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	1061 Big Bethel Road	Hampton	23666	Hampton city	Hampton City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 268-3500	1,438	151	9.5	87.1%	284 (19.7%)	819 (57.0%)	113 (7.9%)	42 (2.9%)	3 (0.2%)	8 (0.6%)	169 (11.8%)	68.4	368^th of 1111 public elementary schools	66.9%		69.8	357^th of 1110 public elementary schools	67.8%	11	100.0	95.8	100.0	74.7	80.5	82.5	74.1	57.9	82.4	85.3	80.3	100.0	74.0	79.5	82.3	75.7	80.5	83.2	89.7	82.6	$7,917	$437	$7,480
Richard T. Yates Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	73 Maxwell Ln	Newport News	23606	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 881-5450	448	20	22.4	97.8%	178 (39.7%)	170 (37.9%)	43 (9.6%)	9 (2.0%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (9.6%)	35	788^th of 1111 public elementary schools	29.1%		33.6	790^th of 1110 public elementary schools	28.8%	2				71.3	57.8	70.4				67.6			70.0	61.1	68.1					54.4	$9,446	$562	$8,884
Kiln Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1501 Kiln Creek Pkwy	Newport News	23602	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 886-7961	553	26	21.2	102.7%	90 (16.3%)	308 (55.7%)	89 (16.1%)	13 (2.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (9.0%)	32.4	817^th of 1111 public elementary schools	26.5%		38.3	736^th of 1110 public elementary schools	33.7%	81				71.1	58.8	70.6				63.2			60.2	63.9	64.7					61.9	$10,588	$1,047	$9,541
Mount Vernon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	310 Mt Vernon Dr	Yorktown	23693	York County	York County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 898-0480	573	38	15.0	25.0%	352 (61.4%)	38 (6.6%)	53 (9.2%)	71 (12.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (10.1%)	87.6	83^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	92.5%		90.1	49^th of 1110 public elementary schools	95.6%	34				86.5	88.5	91.8				89.8			85.7	94.7	89.8					89.1	$9,804	$308	$9,496

Frequently Asked Questions about Joseph H. Saunders Elementary

Is Joseph H. Saunders Elementary a good school?

Joseph H. Saunders Elementary ranks in the bottom 9.2% of Virginia elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Joseph H. Saunders Elementary attend?

Students who attend Joseph H. Saunders Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Homer L. Hines Middle
High : Warwick High

How many students attend Joseph H. Saunders Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 660 students attended Joseph H. Saunders Elementary.

What district is Joseph H. Saunders Elementary in?

Newport News City Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Joseph H. Saunders Elementary?

Students at Joseph H. Saunders Elementary are 48% African American, 28% Hispanic, 15% White, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Rate Joseph H. Saunders Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

VAVirginia Elementary School Rankings

VAVirginia District Rankings

Schools in Newport News, VA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Joseph H. Saunders Elementary!

Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresNewAug 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.