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Vernon Johns Middle

Q: Is Vernon Johns Middle a good school?

Vernon Johns Middle ranks in the bottom 1.2% of Virginia middle schools.

Q: How many students attend Vernon Johns Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 949 students attended Vernon Johns Middle.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Vernon Johns Middle?

Students at Vernon Johns Middle are 83% African American, 11% Hispanic, 5% White.

Q: What high school do graduates of Vernon Johns Middle attend?

Students who attend Vernon Johns Middle usually go on to attend Petersburg High

Public Grades 6-8

414^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 419 Virginia Middle Schools

Better than 1% of Virginia middle schools

Summary

Vernon Johns Middle is a public middle school located in Petersburg, Virginia, serving 901 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Petersburg City Public Schools district, which is ranked 129 out of 129 school districts in Virginia and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Vernon Johns Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Virginia middle schools over the past several years.

Vernon Johns Middle faces significant challenges, with extremely high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 38.8% to 43.1% in recent years, which are significantly higher than the state average. The school's students also perform poorly on state assessments (SOL tests) compared to the state and district averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 30.99% of 6th graders, 11.69% of 7th graders, and 14.58% of 8th graders were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 61.99%, 52.97%, and 50.48%, respectively. Additionally, Vernon Johns Middle has an extremely high percentage of students (over 100%) qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Interestingly, the nearby schools in Chesterfield County and Hopewell City generally outperform Vernon Johns Middle on test scores, chronic absenteeism, and other metrics. For example, Bailey Bridge Middle and Elizabeth Davis Middle in Chesterfield County have significantly higher proficiency rates in Mathematics and English Reading compared to Vernon Johns Middle. However, the school's performance is particularly low for African American, Hispanic, and low-socioeconomic status students, with these subgroups ranking in the bottom 10-20% of Virginia middle schools.

949

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,047

Per pupil spending ?

92.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3101 Homestead Drive
Petersburg, VA 23805

(804) 862-7020

District: Petersburg City Public Schools

Students who attend Vernon Johns Middle usually attend:

High:

Petersburg High

Feeder schools for Vernon Johns Middle:

Elementary:	Cool Spring Elementary
	Lakemont Elementary
	Pleasants Lane Elementary
	Walnut Hill Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

82.7%

Hispanic:

11.3%

White:

5.2%

See top rated Virginia middle schools

Compare Vernon Johns Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 12th percentile in 2015 → 1st in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (32% vs 69% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (42% vs 15% Virginia)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school32%

District avg31%

Virginia avg69%

414^th of 419

Virginia public middle schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 11 pts since 2015

From bottom 12% (2015) to bottom 1% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

129^th of 129Petersburg 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	2.0	414 of 419	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.3	408 of 417	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.0	411 of 422	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	3.6	405 of 415	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.7	407 of 419	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.4	404 of 424	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	2.6	409 of 413	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	1.2	411 of 415	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	17.4	371 of 409	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	18.2	363 of 412	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	26.5	325 of 416	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	19.8	367 of 416	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	22.0	370 of 413	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	19.5	378 of 413	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	18.1	383 of 408	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	7.1	287 of 297	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.5	279 of 299	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.2	272 of 298	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2024	12.8	259 of 281	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.5	277 of 278	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	31.9	95 of 135	29.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	1.8	401 of 403	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.5	399 of 407	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.4	399 of 411	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	5.4	277 of 279	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.6	270 of 272	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.8	274 of 275	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	4.3	398 of 403	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.6	384 of 402	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	2.4	401 of 404	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.5	395 of 407	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.4	399 of 409	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	4.7	396 of 400	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.2	382 of 396	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

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 (2025)30th percentile+28 vs school

Disabled (2024)8th percentile+6 vs school

African American (2025)3rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)1st percentile~ school

White (2025)1st percentile~ school

Male (2025)1st percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)1st percentile~ school

Female (2025)<1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

Algebra I69%-25 vs state

Civics and Economics41%-33 vs state

English Reading37%-36 vs state

Science30%-36 vs state

Mathematics20%-36 vs state

★

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Schools Near Vernon Johns 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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SOL Geometry (2025)	SOL Algebra I (2025)		SOL Algebra II (2025)	SOL Mathematics (2025)			SOL Science (2025)	SOL Earth Science (2025)	SOL English Reading (2025)			SOL Civics and Economics (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 Geometry 8th 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 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
Vernon Johns Middle	Public	6-8	3101 Homestead Drive	Petersburg	23805	Petersburg city	Petersburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 862-7020	949	61	15.5	92.4%	49 (5.2%)	785 (82.7%)	107 (11.3%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.4%)	2	414^th of 419 public middle schools	1.2%		4.3	408^th of 417 public middle schools	2.2%	6		93.3	62.3		31.0	11.7	14.6	30.1		42.1	30.5	36.9		40.6	$10,047	$1,490	$8,556
Colonial Heights Middle	Public	6-8	500 Conduit Rd	Colonial Heights	23834	Colonial Heights city	Colonial Heights City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 524-3420	700	55	12.7	98.4%	283 (40.4%)	216 (30.9%)	108 (15.4%)	30 (4.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (8.9%)	41	272^nd of 419 public middle schools	35.1%		36.2	288^th of 417 public middle schools	30.9%	16			97.9		59.7	60.5	47.4	60.5		70.7	64.1	59.5		71.6	$11,049	$782	$10,268
Matoaca Middle	Public	6-8	6001 Hickory Road	Petersburg	23803	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 590-3130	775	52	14.9	76.3%	333 (43.0%)	324 (41.8%)	65 (8.4%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	45 (5.8%)	19.4	374^th of 419 public middle schools	10.7%		20.3	361^st of 417 public middle schools	13.4%	13	100.0	100.0	71.3		47.7	37.8		25.2	79.4	71.4	65.6	56.8		54.8	$8,561	$223	$8,338
J.E.J. Moore Middle	Public	6-8	11455 Prince George Dr	Disputanta	23842	Prince George County	Prince George County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 733-2740	1,387	68	20.4	39.6%	589 (42.5%)	457 (32.9%)	220 (15.9%)	9 (0.6%)	10 (0.7%)	11 (0.8%)	91 (6.6%)	59	183^rd of 419 public middle schools	56.3%		61.8	161^st of 417 public middle schools	61.4%	22	96.3	100.0	98.0		70.5	66.4	65.5	63.4		72.0	76.8	75.3		70.5	$11,435	$401	$11,033
Carver Middle	Public	6-8	3800 Cougar Trail	Chester	23831	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 524-3620	970	76	12.7	74.9%	237 (24.4%)	503 (51.9%)	157 (16.2%)	18 (1.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	52 (5.4%)	9.5	397^th of 419 public middle schools	5.3%		7.8	400^th of 417 public middle schools	4.1%	3	100.0		61.0		35.5	34.6	10.6	32.8	82.2	54.3	56.4	55.7		50.7	$8,494	$485	$8,009
Carter G. Woodson Middle	Public	6-8	1000 Winston Churchill Drive	Hopewell	23860	Hopewell city	Hopewell City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 541-6404	803	66	12.1	101.0%	152 (18.9%)	469 (58.4%)	125 (15.6%)	9 (1.1%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (5.4%)	11.3	391^st of 419 public middle schools	6.7%		9.8	392^nd of 417 public middle schools	6.0%	1		100.0	100.0	95.5	30.7	37.6	34.4	21.7	84.6	51.9	53.0	49.4		52.7	$9,573	$1,355	$8,218
Elizabeth Davis Middle	Public	6-8	601 Corvus Court	Chester	23836	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 541-4700	1,364	93	14.5	75.3%	452 (33.1%)	445 (32.6%)	338 (24.8%)	48 (3.5%)	2 (0.1%)	4 (0.3%)	75 (5.5%)	44.2	252^nd of 419 public middle schools	39.9%		45.9	243^rd of 417 public middle schools	41.7%	9	100.0	100.0	88.0		54.2	59.4	16.7	54.5	93.1	71.1	67.4	73.2		76.4	$8,417	$68	$8,349
Dinwiddie County Middle	Public	6-8	11608 Courthouse Road	Dinwiddie	23841	Dinwiddie County	Dinwiddie County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 469-5430	919	72	12.7	93.9%	444 (48.3%)	333 (36.2%)	81 (8.8%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (6.0%)	22.4	359^th of 419 public middle schools	14.3%		20.7	359^th of 417 public middle schools	13.9%				80.4		53.3	13.8	54.7	55.4		62.2	60.5	61.6	47.0		$10,645	$492	$10,153
Salem Church Middle	Public	6-8	9700 Salem Church Rd.;	North Chesterfield	23237	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 768-6225	876	62	14.1	75.3%	186 (21.2%)	288 (32.9%)	341 (38.9%)	13 (1.5%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	42 (4.8%)	6.6	402^nd of 419 public middle schools	4.1%		7.7	401^st of 417 public middle schools	3.8%	1			65.3		31.0	39.8	18.5	33.5	86.3	44.1	46.5	48.6		51.2	$8,366	$122	$8,244
Falling Creek Middle	Public	6-8	4780 Hopkins Rd.	North Chesterfield	23234	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 743-3640	1,443	115	12.5	75.7%	81 (5.6%)	518 (35.9%)	788 (54.6%)	15 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (2.8%)	1.4	416^th of 419 public middle schools	0.7%		4.4	406^th of 417 public middle schools	2.6%	10			35.8		17.8	20.3	4.2	17.9	42.5	40.0	39.7	39.1		45.4	$7,856	$769	$7,087

Frequently Asked Questions about Vernon Johns Middle

What is the racial makeup of Vernon Johns Middle?

Students at Vernon Johns Middle are 83% African American, 11% Hispanic, 5% White.

Is Vernon Johns Middle a good school?

Vernon Johns Middle ranks in the bottom 1.2% of Virginia middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Vernon Johns Middle attend?

Students who attend Vernon Johns Middle usually go on to attend Petersburg High

What district is Vernon Johns Middle in?

Petersburg City Public Schools

How many students attend Vernon Johns Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 949 students attended Vernon Johns Middle.

Rate Vernon Johns Middle!

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

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

2024–25 attendance dataSep 2, 2025

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.