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Churchland Elementary

Q: Is Churchland Elementary a good school?

Churchland Elementary ranks 734 th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

734^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 34% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Churchland Elementary is a K-6 elementary school in Portsmouth, Virginia, serving 721 students as part of the Portsmouth City Public Schools district. The school ranks in the 34th percentile statewide (734th out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools), earning 2 stars — above its district's 13th-percentile standing but below the state median. Nearly the entire student body, 99.6%, qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch.

Despite universal poverty, Churchland Elementary posts some standout results. Its chronic absenteeism rate is just 5.8%, compared to 14.8% for both the district and state. Sixth-grade reading proficiency is 84% — 11 points above the state average — and sixth-grade math proficiency is 79%, roughly 16 points above the state. The school's low-income students rank in the 72nd percentile statewide, earning 4 stars, and it outperforms most neighboring Portsmouth schools, including Waterview Elementary (8th percentile) and Westhaven Elementary (10th percentile). Only Churchland Primary & Intermediate ranks slightly higher.

The most concerning trend is early literacy: third-grade reading proficiency has dropped from 77% to 56% over the past four years, and early-grade reading and Virginia Studies scores trail state averages by wide margins. Military-connected students rank in the bottom 15th percentile statewide, and male students are also below average. The school's overall state rank has slipped from the 49th percentile to the 34th percentile in two years. Nearby cross-district schools like Northern Shores Elementary in the Suffolk City Public Schools district and Edwin W. Chittum Elementary in the Chesapeake City Public Schools district post higher results, though both serve less disadvantaged populations. Churchland Elementary is a bright spot in a struggling district, but reversing the early-literacy decline will be critical.

721

Students ?

16.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,406

Per pupil spending ?

99.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5601 Michael Ln
Portsmouth, VA 23703-3822

(757) 686-2523

District: Portsmouth City Public Schools

Students who attend Churchland Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Churchland Middle
High:	Churchland High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

48.7%

White:

27.2%

Two or more races:

11.5%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Churchland Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 79th percentile in 2016 → 34th in 2026

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Portsmouth City Public Schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 45 percentile points since 2016

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

!VA Studies scores 16 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school67%

District avg56%

Virginia avg71%

734^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 34%▼ down 45 pts since 2016

From top 21% (2016) to bottom 34% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 13Elementary Schools in the Portsmouth City Public Schools

114^th of 131Portsmouth 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	40.1	734 of 1111	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.3	583 of 1110	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.5	563 of 1114	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.7	526 of 1114	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.7	620 of 1109	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.2	542 of 1103	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.1	435 of 1105	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.6	348 of 1097	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	54.2	561 of 1099	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	74.6	230 of 1096	79.0%	★★★★☆
2015	68.8	318 of 1100	71.1%	★★★★☆
2014	51.2	582 of 1110	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	60.9	442 of 1120	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	55.2	534 of 1117	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	60.0	449 of 1117	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	63.7	380 of 1113	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	78.2	128 of 1082	88.2%	★★★★☆
2008	79.5	118 of 1081	89.1%	★★★★☆
2007	74.8	195 of 1083	82.0%	★★★★☆
2006	76.0	182 of 1071	83.0%	★★★★☆
2005	75.9	186 of 1062	82.5%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	49.1	329 of 591	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	58.1	251 of 579	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.8	236 of 588	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.1	157 of 579	72.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	45.0	664 of 1100	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	59.6	465 of 1096	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.3	462 of 1098	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.9	552 of 1100	49.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	45.7	353 of 619	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	86.6	52 of 606	91.4%	★★★★★
2024	71.5	154 of 580	73.4%	★★★★☆
2023	57.2	262 of 564	53.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	67.4	294 of 1040	71.7%	★★★★☆
2025	54.6	493 of 1046	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.2	522 of 1036	49.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	35.3	783 of 1099	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	40.8	712 of 1093	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.3	666 of 1101	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.6	489 of 1093	55.3%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	25.9	176 of 206	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	39.4	134 of 192	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.0	144 of 195	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.5	144 of 182	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	45.2	188 of 306	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.2	173 of 271	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	69.3	76 of 247	69.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	33.9	735 of 974	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	43.6	618 of 973	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.0	602 of 979	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.0	533 of 984	45.8%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)72nd percentile+38 vs school

African American (2026)44th percentile+10 vs school

Hispanic (2026)43rd percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)40th percentile+6 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)39th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)29th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)25th percentile-9 vs school

Military Connected (2026)15th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics72%~ state avg

English Reading66%-5 vs state

Science63%-5 vs state

VA Studies55%-16 vs state

4.2

5 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★4

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, February 6, 2018

They care very little about the students well being and care more about them testing great on the benchmark test. All curriculum is geared around that test. They have very strict teachers who have been there for years that need to move on because it seems they do not like there jobs anymore and all its doing is hurting the kids. I have had nothing but problems for 2 years now and I will be putting in a transfer for next year. Its so sad that I moved here just for this top rated school in the area and this is what we get. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, March 1, 2017

The principal , Dr. Jones, is an exceptionally wonderful educator and leader. You won't find any better anywhere! Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, March 26, 2015

The staff are kind and very helpful. The Vice Principal Is very understanding and very professional. If you are going to move to Portsmouth this is the best school to send your child. Close Quote

Schools Near Churchland 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 (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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th 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
Churchland Elementary	Public	K-6	5601 Michael Ln	Portsmouth	23703	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 686-2523	721	44	16.3	99.6%	196 (27.2%)	351 (48.7%)	77 (10.7%)	13 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	83 (11.5%)	40.1	734^th of 1111 public elementary schools	33.9%		51.3	583^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	47.5%	151	66.0	67.3	76.5	79.0	63.3	56.0	60.0	69.4	84.0	54.6		$9,406	$1,438	$7,969
Western Branch Intermediate	Public	3-5	4013 Terry Dr	Chesapeake	23321	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 638-7941	795	46	17.2	73.7%	306 (38.5%)	286 (36.0%)	78 (9.8%)	33 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	88 (11.1%)	59.8	480^th of 1111 public elementary schools	56.8%		59.2	485^th of 1110 public elementary schools	56.3%	5	80.1	79.2	77.4		69.6	75.6	75.5	72.8		71.2	76.2	$9,546	$684	$8,862
Western Branch Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	4122 Terry Dr	Chesapeake	23321	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 638-7951	801	48	16.6	73.7%	272 (34.0%)	305 (38.1%)	99 (12.4%)	29 (3.6%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	92 (11.5%)								(n/a)												$9,100	$499	$8,602
Churchland Academy Elementary	Public	K-6	4061 River Shore Rd	Portsmouth	23703	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 686-2527	626	40	15.6	118.1%	63 (10.1%)	446 (71.2%)	58 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	57 (9.1%)	27	876^th of 1111 public elementary schools	21.2%		29.5	834^th of 1110 public elementary schools	24.9%	42	53.6	62.8	71.4	64.6	65.7	42.0	61.5	67.1	58.5	55.1		$10,207	$2,337	$7,870
Churchland Primary & Intermediate	Public	K-6	5700 Hedgerow Ln	Portsmouth	23703	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 686-2519	503	36	13.9	100.4%	59 (11.7%)	371 (73.8%)	35 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.0%)	45	676^th of 1111 public elementary schools	39.2%		42.4	693^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	37.6%	17	73.9	61.0	56.6	81.3	56.6	67.7	69.5	67.9	80.0	68.3		$9,887	$2,314	$7,572
Waterview Elementary	Public	K-6	3649 Hartford St	Portsmouth	23707	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 393-8879	576	38	15.1	99.7%	71 (12.3%)	410 (71.2%)	43 (7.5%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	44 (7.6%)	10.4	1025^th of 1111 public elementary schools	7.7%		6.6	1058^th of 1110 public elementary schools	4.7%	33	43.5	32.9	65.7	62.9	47.8	46.4	35.7	42.9	44.3	30.9		$9,034	$2,451	$6,582
Simonsdale Elementary	Public	K-6	4841 Clifford Street	Portsmouth	23701	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 465-2917	613	40	15.3	99.5%	250 (40.8%)	258 (42.1%)	46 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.7%)	53 (8.6%)	18.3	959^th of 1111 public elementary schools	13.7%		21.9	902^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	18.7%	57	49.4	57.9	46.6	55.2	64.4	48.2	65.3	57.5	58.2	56.0		$8,887	$1,900	$6,987
Northern Shores Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6701 Respass Beach Rd	Suffolk	23435	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 923-4169	798	41	19.4	69.0%	249 (31.2%)	335 (42.0%)	95 (11.9%)	36 (4.5%)	7 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	74 (9.3%)	71.9	323^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	70.9%		75.2	285^th of 1110 public elementary schools	74.3%	38	82.4	78.1	86.1		83.5	77.4	75.0	82.0		81.3		$7,174	$544	$6,630
Westhaven Elementary	Public	K-6	3701 Clifford St	Portsmouth	23707	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 393-8855	401	35	11.4	100.0%	64 (16.0%)	268 (66.8%)	31 (7.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (8.7%)	14.2	996^th of 1111 public elementary schools	10.4%		8.2	1043^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	6.0%	47	66.1	59.3	51.1	52.8	44.4	50.0	47.5	57.8	48.1	49.2		$11,875	$2,810	$9,065
Hodges Manor Elementary	Public	K-6	1201 Cherokee Rd	Portsmouth	23701	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 465-2921	466	31	15.0	101.3%	68 (14.6%)	315 (67.6%)	39 (8.4%)	3 (0.6%)	6 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (7.3%)	26.7	879^th of 1111 public elementary schools	20.9%		15.6	976^th of 1110 public elementary schools	12.1%	97	50.0	59.4	64.1	69.7	51.6	50.0	62.5	65.6	67.7	60.9		$11,018	$2,750	$8,268

Frequently Asked Questions about Churchland Elementary

Is Churchland Elementary a good school?

Churchland Elementary ranks 734^th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Churchland Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 721 students attended Churchland Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Churchland Elementary?

Students at Churchland Elementary are 49% African American, 27% White, 12% Two or more races, 11% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Churchland Elementary attend?

Students who attend Churchland Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Churchland Middle
High : Churchland High

What district is Churchland Elementary in?

Portsmouth City Public Schools

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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.