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L.F. Palmer Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

897^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,110 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 19% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

L.F. Palmer Elementary is a public elementary school in Newport News, Virginia, serving 477 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Newport News City Public Schools district, which is ranked 111 out of 129 districts in the state.

Academically, L.F. Palmer Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Virginia elementary schools, with proficiency rates on SOL (Standards of Learning) tests generally below the district and state averages across grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates in mathematics and reading were around 55-60%, compared to the state averages of 70-73%. Compared to nearby schools in the same district, such as B.C. Charles Elementary and Coventry Elementary, L.F. Palmer Elementary generally performs worse on SOL tests.

Another area of concern is the school's high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 15.7% to 23.4% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, L.F. Palmer Elementary serves a predominantly low-income student population, with 87% to over 100% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in recent years. This socioeconomic factor likely plays a significant role in the school's academic performance and the resources available to support student learning. However, the school's relatively stronger performance for African American and Hispanic students suggests that it may be doing a better job of supporting these subgroups compared to the state average.

465

Students ?

17.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,954

Per pupil spending ?

98.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

100 Palmer Lane
Newport News, VA 23602

(757) 881-5000

District: Newport News City Public Schools

Students who attend L.F. Palmer Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Homer L. Hines Middle
High:	Warwick High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

43.4%

African American:

40.9%

Two or more races:

7.3%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare L.F. Palmer Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 3rd percentile in 2015 → 19th in 2025

Strengths

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

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (58% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (19th percentile)

!VA Studies scores 14 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school58%

District avg58%

Virginia avg71%

897^th of 1,110

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 19%▲ up 16 pts since 2015

From bottom 3% (2015) to bottom 19% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 24Elementary Schools in the Newport News City Public Schools

111^th of 129Newport 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
2025	22.4	897 of 1110	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.0	969 of 1114	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.1	959 of 1114	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.4	862 of 1109	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.0	996 of 1103	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	33.2	838 of 1105	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.1	861 of 1097	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	31.8	866 of 1099	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	22.6	955 of 1096	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	9.0	1063 of 1100	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	5.3	1089 of 1110	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	4.8	1104 of 1120	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	19.3	1029 of 1117	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	34.1	889 of 1117	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	36.5	875 of 1113	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	32.9	882 of 1082	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	15.8	1034 of 1081	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	15.1	1029 of 1083	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	17.1	1004 of 1071	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	23.2	936 of 1062	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	51.6	300 of 579	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.0	398 of 588	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.4	453 of 579	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	25.3	263 of 326	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.8	298 of 306	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	38.6	194 of 300	35.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	20.9	923 of 1096	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.0	1002 of 1098	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.7	973 of 1100	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	27.4	473 of 606	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.9	506 of 580	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.7	417 of 564	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	40.5	672 of 1046	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.0	728 of 1036	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	25.0	876 of 1093	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.5	920 of 1101	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.6	932 of 1093	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)48th percentile+29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)36th percentile+17 vs school

Hispanic (2025)22nd percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)20th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)19th percentile~ school

Female (2025)16th percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

Science61%-8 vs state

Mathematics59%-13 vs state

English Reading57%-14 vs state

VA Studies54%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near L.F. Palmer Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SOL Mathematics (2025)			SOL Science (2025)	SOL English Reading (2025)			SOL VA Studies (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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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%)	22.4	897^th of 1110 public elementary schools	19.2%		16	969^th of 1114 public elementary schools	13.0%	72	58.8	58.7	60.2	61.4	53.9	55.2	61.5	54.2	$8,954	$152	$8,802
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%)	38.3	736^th of 1110 public elementary schools	33.7%		28.7	858^th of 1114 public elementary schools	23.0%	122	67.0	57.5	67.4	70.8	61.7	65.3	71.9	56.9	$10,588	$1,047	$9,541
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%)	33.6	790^th of 1110 public elementary schools	28.8%		36.1	772^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	30.7%	18	56.0	70.6	57.8	60.2	59.0	72.1	63.9	70.6	$9,446	$562	$8,884
Willis A. Jenkins Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	80 Menchville Road	Newport News	23602	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 881-5400	507	27	18.7	100.0%	88 (17.4%)	274 (54.0%)	97 (19.1%)	12 (2.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	33 (6.5%)	12.3	1005^th of 1110 public elementary schools	9.5%		24.4	908^th of 1114 public elementary schools	18.5%	97	59.1	44.2	53.9	57.3	44.3	54.6	48.3	41.6	$9,502	$651	$8,851
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	1007^th of 1110 public elementary schools	9.3%		11	1015^th of 1114 public elementary schools	8.9%	8	42.7	59.5	45.2	50.0	34.3	52.3	48.1	62.2	$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%)	90.2	46^th of 1110 public elementary schools	95.9%		82.6	162^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	85.5%	116	85.5	98.6	95.5	97.0	88.4	89.9	95.5	88.4	$9,121	$00	$9,121
B.C. Charles Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	701 Menchville Road	Newport News	23602	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 886-7750	388	19	20.4	99.7%	141 (36.3%)	158 (40.7%)	44 (11.3%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	39 (10.1%)	35.1	770^th of 1110 public elementary schools	30.6%		27.4	872^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	21.7%	102	66.7	65.7	56.8	60.8	62.3	65.7	70.3	64.3	$10,075	$314	$9,761
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%)	78.1	246^th of 1110 public elementary schools	77.8%		84.8	122^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	89.0%	124	74.8	87.5	89.8	83.9	76.4	90.2	84.6	82.5	$8,867	$519	$8,348
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%)	90.1	49^th of 1110 public elementary schools	95.6%		91.1	33^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	97.0%	16	89.8	88.0	96.7	93.3	88.0	89.0	95.8	91.8	$9,804	$308	$9,496
T. Ryland Sanford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	480 Colony Road	Newport News	23602	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 886-7778	498	27	18.4	99.0%	118 (23.7%)	209 (42.0%)	94 (18.9%)	18 (3.6%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (11.2%)	30.8	818^th of 1110 public elementary schools	26.3%		23.5	915^th of 1114 public elementary schools	17.9%	97	65.4	65.9	52.2	53.6	64.2	67.9	60.9	62.4	$9,561	$749	$8,812

Frequently Asked Questions about L.F. Palmer Elementary

How many students attend L.F. Palmer Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 465 students attended L.F. Palmer Elementary.

Is L.F. Palmer Elementary a good school?

L.F. Palmer Elementary ranks in the bottom 19.2% of Virginia elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of L.F. Palmer Elementary?

Students at L.F. Palmer Elementary are 43% Hispanic, 41% African American, 7% Two or more races, 7% White, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of L.F. Palmer Elementary attend?

Students who attend L.F. Palmer Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Homer L. Hines Middle
High : Warwick High

What district is L.F. Palmer Elementary in?

Newport News City Public Schools

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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.