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Katherine Johnson Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

866^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 22% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Katherine Johnson Elementary is a PK–5 school in Newport News, VA, serving 553 students as part of Newport News City Public Schools. The school has made remarkable progress in recent years, climbing from the bottom 3% of Virginia elementary schools to the 22nd percentile statewide — ranking 866th out of 1,111 elementary schools in 2025–26, up from 1,077th just four years earlier. That upward trajectory stands out against nearby schools serving similar populations, including George J. McIntosh Elementary (11th percentile) and Stoney Run Elementary (4th percentile), both of which remain well below Katherine Johnson’s current position.

One of the school’s biggest success stories is attendance. Chronic absenteeism has fallen from 30.6% in 2020–21 to just 12.3% in 2024–25 — better than both the district average (18.5%) and the state average (14.8%). The school also shows notable strengths for specific student groups: Hispanic students rank at the 71st percentile statewide (earning 4 stars), and low-income students at the 42nd percentile, both significantly higher than the school’s overall rank. Upper-grade performance is another bright spot, with 5th grade reading, math, and science all exceeding district averages in 2025–26. In fact, 5th grade reading was the second-highest among nearby district elementary schools, trailing only T. Ryland Sanford Elementary.

Katherine Johnson also delivers solid results relative to its resources. It spends $9,883 per student — less than James River Elementary ($12,450) — yet matched or exceeded James River in 3rd grade reading, 5th grade reading, and 5th grade science. With 98.55% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, the school faces real challenges, and most proficiency rates remain below state averages. Early-grade math is the clearest area for improvement: 4th grade math proficiency (52%) trails the state by roughly 21 points. Still, the momentum is undeniable. By building on its attendance gains and the strong supports already helping many students, Katherine Johnson has a solid foundation for continued improvement.

553

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,833

Per pupil spending ?

98.6%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

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

17346 Warwick Blvd
Newport News, VA 23603

(757) 888-3320

District: Newport News City Public Schools

Students who attend Katherine Johnson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Mary Passage Middle
High:	Woodside High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

60.0%

Hispanic:

16.6%

White:

11.9%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Katherine Johnson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 4th percentile in 2016 → 22nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 18 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (62% vs 72% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school62%

District avg61%

Virginia avg72%

866^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 22%▲ up 18 pts since 2016

From bottom 4% (2016) to bottom 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^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	28.1	866 of 1111	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.0	940 of 1110	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.3	942 of 1114	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	6.1	1068 of 1114	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.3	1077 of 1109	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.4	1046 of 1103	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.7	979 of 1105	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.3	1003 of 1097	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	11.0	1039 of 1099	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	8.2	1056 of 1096	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	8.1	1068 of 1100	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	10.1	1069 of 1110	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	11.0	1076 of 1120	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	19.1	1030 of 1117	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	33.3	899 of 1117	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	33.8	915 of 1113	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	22.6	983 of 1082	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	49.5	629 of 1081	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	36.2	817 of 1083	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	23.3	959 of 1071	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	43.2	679 of 1062	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	44.0	371 of 591	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.2	434 of 579	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.1	451 of 588	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.3	533 of 579	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	26.7	872 of 1100	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.9	962 of 1096	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.4	968 of 1098	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	9.4	1030 of 1100	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	66.8	178 of 619	71.2%	★★★★☆
2025	34.9	428 of 606	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.1	409 of 580	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	46.3	607 of 1040	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.0	732 of 1046	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.1	832 of 1036	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	30.0	839 of 1099	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.1	873 of 1093	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	902 of 1101	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	4.7	1066 of 1093	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	34.0	162 of 206	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	1.8	192 of 192	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	36.1	217 of 306	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.7	179 of 271	33.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	13.0	923 of 974	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.1	952 of 973	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.1	952 of 979	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	33.9	731 of 984	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)71st percentile+49 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)42nd percentile+20 vs school

African American (2026)37th percentile+15 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)29th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)24th percentile~ school

Military Connected (2026)21st percentile~ school

Female (2026)21st percentile~ school

White (2026)5th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Science64%-5 vs state

English Reading63%-8 vs state

VA Studies61%-9 vs state

Mathematics60%-14 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, August 5, 2017

My daughter has been going here for three years. The teachers are very nice and helpful. The principal Mrs. Walters really cares about her students. At the end last year one of the students went missing. She was out in our neighbor hood searching with us for hours until he was found. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, September 26, 2014

this was the best school ever Close Quote

Schools Near Katherine Johnson Elementary

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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 Mathematics (2026)			SOL Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (2026)			SOL VA Studies (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	Directly certified (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 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
Katherine Johnson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	17346 Warwick Blvd	Newport News	23603	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 888-3320	553	30	18.4	98.6%	66 (11.9%)	332 (60.0%)	92 (16.6%)	4 (0.7%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	54 (9.8%)	28.1	866^th of 1111 public elementary schools	22.1%		19	940^th of 1110 public elementary schools	15.3%	74	61.4	52.0	64.7	63.5	60.2	60.0	68.2	61.3	$9,833	$422	$9,411
General Stanford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	929 Madison Ave.	Fort Eustis	23604	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 888-3200	430	22	19.5	99.3%	173 (40.2%)	82 (19.1%)	98 (22.8%)	16 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.2%)	55 (12.8%)	72.1	321^st of 1111 public elementary schools	71.1%		68.2	373^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	66.4%	52	80.6	81.1	83.3	74.1	80.6	84.9	79.3	78.9	$10,605	$3,508	$7,097
Oliver C. Greenwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13460 Woodside Lane	Newport News	23608	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 886-7744	549	31	17.7	99.5%	99 (18.0%)	237 (43.2%)	137 (25.0%)	23 (4.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (9.1%)	38.3	752^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	32.3%		23.4	891^st of 1110 public elementary schools	19.7%	139	68.0	62.3	69.7	68.5	71.4	66.7	62.9	59.4	$9,813	$398	$9,415
James River Elementary	Public	K-5	8901 Pocahontas Trail	Williamsburg	23185	James City County	Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 887-1768	449	38	11.8	64.4%	108 (24.1%)	80 (17.8%)	219 (48.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (9.1%)	22.3	922^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	17.0%		30.6	820^th of 1110 public elementary schools	26.1%	102	57.1	65.0	68.4	54.0	41.7	62.5	55.3	66.1	$12,775	$662	$12,114
David A. Dutrow Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	60 Curtis Tignor Rd	Newport News	23608	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 886-7760	341	20	17.0	99.1%	55 (16.1%)	169 (49.6%)	64 (18.8%)	5 (1.5%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	44 (12.9%)	45.6	668^th of 1111 public elementary schools	39.9%		33.3	797^th of 1110 public elementary schools	28.2%	129	76.8	75.0	63.6	50.9	73.2	73.2	63.6	75.0	$10,982	$277	$10,705
Richneck Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	205 Tyner Drive	Newport News	23608	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 886-7772	502	26	19.3	99.4%	115 (22.9%)	225 (44.8%)	86 (17.1%)	17 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	57 (11.4%)	32.9	812^th of 1111 public elementary schools	26.9%		21.9	904^th of 1110 public elementary schools	18.6%	92	74.3	64.9	52.7	60.2	63.5	68.8	67.7	58.4	$9,748	$101	$9,647
George J. McIntosh Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	185 Richneck Rd	Newport News	23608	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 886-7767	446	25	17.8	99.3%	49 (11.0%)	236 (52.9%)	114 (25.6%)	6 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.0%)	14.8	990^th of 1111 public elementary schools	10.9%		14	988^th of 1110 public elementary schools	11.0%	2	60.9	54.7	42.9	39.7	52.2	63.5	48.3	61.9	$13,038	$1,217	$11,822
Yorktown Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	131 Siege Ln	Yorktown	23692	York County	York County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(757) 898-0358	599	41	14.6	43.7%	267 (44.6%)	136 (22.7%)	84 (14.0%)	15 (2.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	95 (15.9%)	71.2	336^th of 1111 public elementary schools	69.8%		71.8	328^th of 1110 public elementary schools	70.5%	8	87.1	78.1	81.2	76.1	82.8	81.7	80.3	75.2	$10,999	$747	$10,252
Stoney Run Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	855 Lucas Creek Rd	Newport News	23608	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 886-7755	453	26	17.4	99.3%	75 (16.6%)	221 (48.8%)	114 (25.2%)	9 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	31 (6.8%)	5.2	1067^th of 1111 public elementary schools	4.0%		9.6	1028^th of 1110 public elementary schools	7.4%	39	51.9	41.0	48.7	42.3	43.2	45.9	46.2	40.7	$12,521	$1,363	$11,159
Knollwood Meadows Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	826 Moyer Rd	Newport News	23608	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 886-7783	460	23	20.0	99.3%	147 (32.0%)	161 (35.0%)	76 (16.5%)	16 (3.5%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (12.4%)	30.4	838^th of 1111 public elementary schools	24.6%		35.5	764^th of 1110 public elementary schools	31.2%	74	69.7	56.7	65.5	63.6	60.6	61.2	63.6	63.6	$10,726	$369	$10,357

Frequently Asked Questions about Katherine Johnson Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Katherine Johnson Elementary?

Students at Katherine Johnson Elementary are 60% African American, 17% Hispanic, 12% White, 10% Two or more races.

Is Katherine Johnson Elementary a good school?

Katherine Johnson Elementary ranks in the bottom 22.1% of Virginia elementary schools.

How many students attend Katherine Johnson Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 553 students attended Katherine Johnson Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Katherine Johnson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Katherine Johnson Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mary Passage Middle
High : Woodside High

What district is Katherine Johnson Elementary in?

Newport News City Public Schools

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataOct 12, 2026

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

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026

2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 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.