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Azalea Gardens Middle

Public Grades 6-8

332^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 416 Virginia Middle Schools

Better than 20% of Virginia middle schools

Summary

Azalea Gardens Middle is a grades 6–8 middle school in Norfolk, VA, serving 792 students in the Norfolk City Public Schools district. Over the past decade, the school has climbed from the bottom 4–8% of Virginia middle schools to a stable 20th percentile ranking, making it the strongest traditional neighborhood middle school in Norfolk. While it remains in the middle-to-lower tier statewide, its sustained three-year improvement points to real structural gains rather than a one-cohort fluke.

The most striking academic finding is 8th-grade math. At Azalea Gardens, 56% of 8th graders are proficient, far outpacing the district average (23.5%) and even the state average (46.9%). That beats every nearby Norfolk middle school: Blair Middle (9.6%), Norview Middle (16.6%), and Northside Middle (24.2%). Advanced coursework is also a standout, with 100% proficiency in 7th-grade Algebra I and 97.9% in 8th-grade Algebra I. Reading is more mixed, but 8th-grade reading (65.8%) still leads every traditional Norfolk middle school, including Blair (54.8%) and Northside (54.1%).

The school's biggest challenge is chronic absenteeism (24.3%), which is well above the district (17.9%) and state (14.8%) rates. A notable dip in 7th-grade math (22.2%, below the district) suggests a transition issue worth watching. Azalea Gardens also runs on a lean budget of $7,416 per student, less than Blair ($8,978) or Northside ($9,160). Yet despite these obstacles, it continues to outperform same-district schools that spend thousands more per pupil. The overall picture is a school on an upward trajectory, with strong advanced-course offerings and impressive efficiency under challenging conditions.

792

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,416

Per pupil spending ?

87.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7721 Azalea Garden Rd
Norfolk, VA 23518

(757) 531-3000

District: Norfolk City Public Schools

Students who attend Azalea Gardens Middle usually attend:

High:

Lake Taylor High

Feeder schools for Azalea Gardens Middle:

Elementary:	Bay View Elementary
	Larrymore Elementary
	Little Creek Elementary
	Tarrallton Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

40.5%

White:

24.7%

Hispanic:

22.2%

See top rated Virginia middle schools

Compare Azalea Gardens Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 8th percentile in 2016 → 20th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (58% vs 70% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (24% vs 15% Virginia)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg51%

Virginia avg70%

332^nd of 416

Virginia public middle schools ?

Bottom 20%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From bottom 8% (2016) to bottom 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 6Middle Schools in the Norfolk City Public Schools

112^th of 131Norfolk 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	28.2	332 of 416	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.5	335 of 419	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.7	333 of 417	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.1	367 of 422	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.7	369 of 415	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.9	391 of 419	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.3	405 of 424	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.5	396 of 413	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	18.5	374 of 415	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	14.7	376 of 409	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	15.7	375 of 412	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	19.7	361 of 416	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	16.6	379 of 416	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	17.6	387 of 413	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	11.5	400 of 413	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	7.6	405 of 408	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	13.1	378 of 390	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	34.3	298 of 391	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	47.3	220 of 387	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2006	52.5	171 of 383	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	68.2	103 of 340	69.7%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	37.1	212 of 297	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	35.1	212 of 297	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.9	240 of 299	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.8	269 of 298	9.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	26.6	217 of 292	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.1	194 of 281	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.7	223 of 278	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	36.7	80 of 134	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	28.7	327 of 409	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.0	322 of 403	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.4	351 of 407	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.6	360 of 411	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	31.4	211 of 283	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.1	212 of 279	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.3	215 of 272	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.4	220 of 275	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	30.4	309 of 401	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.5	280 of 403	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.0	282 of 402	29.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	28.2	331 of 410	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.7	322 of 404	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.1	287 of 407	29.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	20.9	350 of 409	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	30.5	105 of 125	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.0	119 of 130	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	29.8	104 of 123	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	8.2	113 of 114	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	24.5	204 of 249	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	46.6	144 of 244	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.3	135 of 237	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	64.9	79 of 231	65.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	26.8	340 of 400	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.7	328 of 400	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.9	288 of 396	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.1	332 of 402	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)40th percentile+20 vs school

African American (2026)29th percentile+8 vs school

Disabled (2026)26th percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)25th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)23rd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)20th percentile~ school

Male (2026)19th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)18th percentile~ school

Military Connected (2026)16th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)15th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I99%+4 vs state

Earth Science97%+6 vs state

Geography91%+22 vs state

Geometry75%-22 vs state

Civics and Economics63%-10 vs state

English Reading60%-13 vs state

Mathematics41%-14 vs state

Science38%-27 vs state

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Schools Near Azalea Gardens 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 Mathematics (2026)						SOL Science (2026)		SOL Earth Science (2026)		SOL English Reading (2026)						SOL Geography (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 6th Grade	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 6th 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 7th 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 Geography 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	SOL VA Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Azalea Gardens Middle	Public	6-8	7721 Azalea Garden Rd	Norfolk	23518	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 531-3000	792	52	15.2	87.8%	196 (24.7%)	321 (40.5%)	176 (22.2%)	20 (2.5%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.5%)	70 (8.8%)	28.2	332^nd of 416 public middle schools	20.2%		27.5	335^th of 419 public middle schools	20.0%	3		75.0		100.0	97.9				44.4	22.2	56.0		38.0	473.0	96.6				61.4	53.4	65.8	90.7	86.0	50.3			$7,416	$221	$7,195
Norview Middle	Public	6-8	6325 Sewells Point Rd	Norfolk	23513	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 852-4600	1,196	81	14.7	88.9%	105 (8.8%)	789 (66.0%)	212 (17.7%)	19 (1.6%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	65 (5.4%)	7.4	399^th of 416 public middle schools	4.1%		8.7	400^th of 419 public middle schools	4.5%	1		88.9		68.9	78.3				10.6	22.0	16.6		23.3	470.0	86.0				41.1	44.4	48.4	78.7	77.1	44.6			$8,022	$631	$7,391
Northside Middle	Public	6-8	8720 Granby St	Norfolk	23503	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 531-3150	732	54	13.5	89.8%	168 (23.0%)	307 (41.9%)	181 (24.7%)	20 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.8%)	50 (6.8%)	13.4	384^th of 416 public middle schools	7.7%		25.1	348^th of 419 public middle schools	16.9%	36		88.2		93.3	78.0				35.8	30.8	24.2		42.1	478.0	100.0				51.6	55.9	54.1	97.6	100.0	34.2			$9,160	$155	$9,005
Academy For Discovery At Lakewood	Public	3-8	1701 Alsace Ave	Norfolk	23509	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 628-2477	739	50	14.7	100.0%	365 (49.4%)	223 (30.2%)	63 (8.5%)	19 (2.6%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	65 (8.8%)	66.2	133^rd of 416 public middle schools	68.0%		78.6	55^th of 419 public middle schools	86.9%	78		100.0		100.0	88.9	87.7	94.0	85.7	58.4		375.0	81.0			86.1	79.0	92.8	89.3	78.5	81.9	89.8	88.3	88.3		92.8	95.2	$8,184	$64	$8,120
Bayside Middle	Public	6-8	965 Newtown Rd	Virginia Beach	23462	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 648-4400	628	61	10.2	96.3%	100 (15.9%)	340 (54.1%)	106 (16.9%)	13 (2.1%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	65 (10.4%)	38.5	290^th of 416 public middle schools	30.3%		42.3	265^th of 419 public middle schools	36.8%	25		100.0		100.0	100.0				54.1	46.3	58.2		54.3		98.1				61.1	62.7	69.8			73.4			$16,229	$1,936	$14,293
Old Donation School	Public, Magnet	3-8	4633 Honeygrove Road	Virginia Beach	23455	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 648-3240	1,377	86	15.9	14.3%	761 (55.3%)	72 (5.2%)	95 (6.9%)	285 (20.7%)	4 (0.3%)	10 (0.7%)	150 (10.9%)	84.8	20^th of 416 public middle schools	95.2%		85.7	18^th of 419 public middle schools	95.7%	2		100.0		99.3	483.0	100.0	100.0	100.0				100.0			100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0			100.0		100.0	$12,549	$657	$11,892
Independence Middle	Public	6-8	1370 Dunstan Ln	Virginia Beach	23455	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 648-4600	1,193	76	15.6	47.3%	534 (44.8%)	311 (26.1%)	168 (14.1%)	45 (3.8%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.3%)	130 (10.9%)	57.1	187^th of 416 public middle schools	55.0%		58.6	186^th of 419 public middle schools	55.6%	1		93.0		100.0	96.4				64.2	38.1	36.8		54.3		98.8				79.7	78.5	80.7			81.0			$13,654	$999	$12,654
Blair Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	730 Spotswood Ave	Norfolk	23517	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 628-2400	1,141	77	14.8	93.3%	240 (21.0%)	676 (59.2%)	117 (10.3%)	22 (1.9%)	4 (0.4%)	4 (0.4%)	78 (6.8%)	24	354^th of 416 public middle schools	14.9%		20.2	368^th of 419 public middle schools	12.2%	14	≥ 50%	93.5	≥ 50%	99.2	95.7				36.0	19.9	9.6		18.3	95.1	87.3				62.3	61.6	54.8	83.1	95.2	32.1			$8,978	$318	$8,660
Ruffner School	Public	3-8	610 May Ave.	Norfolk	23504	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2466	576	47	12.2	93.4%	9 (1.6%)	531 (92.2%)	17 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	14 (2.4%)	3	410^th of 416 public middle schools	1.4%		2.6	413^th of 419 public middle schools	1.4%	3		397.0		≥ 50%	100.0	17.1	39.1	4.1	19.5	11.9	16.6	4.1	17.0		≥ 50%	26.5	56.5	14.3	33.3	36.9	26.3	50.0	65.5	16.7	41.3	14.3	$12,376	$1,572	$10,804
Kempsville Middle	Public	6-8	860 Churchill Dr	Virginia Beach	23464	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 648-4700	727	48	15.2	42.5%	348 (47.9%)	154 (21.2%)	81 (11.1%)	41 (5.6%)	2 (0.3%)	11 (1.5%)	90 (12.4%)	56.2	193^rd of 416 public middle schools	53.6%		63.5	155^th of 419 public middle schools	63.0%	38		100.0		100.0	97.4				68.4	36.3	43.6		53.5		96.2				77.2	77.6	76.3			79.3			$15,157	$929	$14,227

Frequently Asked Questions about Azalea Gardens Middle

Is Azalea Gardens Middle a good school?

Azalea Gardens Middle ranks in the bottom 20.2% of Virginia middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Azalea Gardens Middle attend?

Students who attend Azalea Gardens Middle usually go on to attend Lake Taylor High

What is the racial makeup of Azalea Gardens Middle?

Students at Azalea Gardens Middle are 41% African American, 25% White, 22% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What district is Azalea Gardens Middle in?

Norfolk City Public Schools

How many students attend Azalea Gardens Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 792 students attended Azalea Gardens Middle.

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 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.