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Churchland Academy Elementary

Public Grades K-6

876^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 21% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Churchland Academy Elementary is a K-6 school in Portsmouth, VA, serving 626 students in a high-poverty community as part of Portsmouth City Public Schools, with per-pupil spending of $10,207 and a student-teacher ratio of 15.6:1. Its statewide rank has slipped over the past decade, from the 54th percentile in 2015-16 to the 21st percentile in 2025-26, placing it behind nearby Churchland Elementary (34th percentile) and Churchland Primary & Intermediate (39th percentile) within the same district.

Academically, the school is mixed but generally above district averages: math proficiency across grades 3-6 is about 63% versus the district's 59%, and reading is about 57% versus 56%. Upper grades are a relative strength — 5th grade math (71.4%), science (65.7%), and reading (67.1%), along with 4th grade math (62.8%), all beat district averages. Third grade, however, is a clear weak point: reading proficiency is just 42.0%, far below the 67.7% posted by nearby Churchland Primary & Intermediate. Since early literacy is foundational to later success, this is an area parents will want to watch closely.

One of the school's most powerful differentiators is attendance: chronic absenteeism was just 7.5% in 2024-25, dramatically better than the 14.8% district and state average and far below Waterview Elementary's 28.0%. The school also posts relatively strong statewide percentile ranks for its African American students (38th), multiracial students (65th), and low-income students (37th). Still, there is significant headroom — Larchmont Elementary in Norfolk, serving a similarly high-poverty population, achieves 81.4% proficiency in 3rd grade reading versus the Academy's 42.0%, and Northern Shores Elementary in Suffolk also outperforms it. Sustaining the attendance gains while addressing early-grade reading will be critical to reversing the school's long-term decline.

626

Students ?

15.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,675

Per pupil spending ?

99.5%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

4061 River Shore Rd
Portsmouth, VA 23703-2001

(757) 686-2527

District: Portsmouth City Public Schools

Students who attend Churchland Academy Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Churchland Middle
High:	Churchland High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

71.2%

White:

10.1%

Hispanic:

9.3%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 54th percentile in 2016 → 21st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (60% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 33 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school60%

District avg56%

Virginia avg71%

876^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 21%▼ down 33 pts since 2016

From top 46% (2016) to bottom 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th 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	27.0	876 of 1111	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.5	834 of 1110	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.7	698 of 1114	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.4	781 of 1114	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.1	722 of 1109	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	18.4	922 of 1103	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	46.9	672 of 1105	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.6	618 of 1097	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	57.5	506 of 1099	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	57.7	501 of 1096	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.3	577 of 1100	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	44.1	686 of 1110	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	51.8	577 of 1120	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	35.1	868 of 1117	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	51.5	611 of 1117	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	50.1	643 of 1113	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	19.5	1006 of 1082	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	25.6	951 of 1081	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	24.6	959 of 1083	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	22.9	963 of 1071	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	19.9	960 of 1062	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	44.1	369 of 591	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.2	354 of 579	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.7	226 of 588	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.4	276 of 579	52.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	29.3	846 of 1100	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.3	812 of 1096	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.0	734 of 1098	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.9	781 of 1100	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	42.7	660 of 1040	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.7	682 of 1046	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.6	496 of 1036	52.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	28.5	855 of 1099	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.3	850 of 1093	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	49.3	608 of 1101	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.7	762 of 1093	30.3%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	65.8	106 of 306	65.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	47.0	586 of 973	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	69.5	269 of 979	72.5%	★★★★☆
2023	29.2	783 of 984	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Multi-racial (2026)65th percentile+44 vs school

White (2025)40th percentile+15 vs school

African American (2026)38th percentile+16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)37th percentile+15 vs school

Female (2026)23rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)22nd percentile~ school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Science66%-3 vs state

Mathematics63%-8 vs state

English Reading58%-14 vs state

VA Studies55%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Churchland Academy 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 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 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	99.5%	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		$10,675	$2,427	$8,248
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	99.4%	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		$12,320	$2,513	$9,807
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		$10,983	$1,180	$9,803
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		$7,666	$423	$7,243
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	$10,452	$507	$9,945
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)												$9,956	$434	$9,521
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	99.5%	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		$12,477	$2,471	$10,006
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		$11,329	$2,952	$8,378
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	99.3%	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		$14,948	$4,009	$10,939
Walter Herron Taylor Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1122 W. Princess Anne Road	Norfolk	23507	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 628-2525	403	26	15.5	99.3%	160 (39.7%)	172 (42.7%)	34 (8.4%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	28 (6.9%)	65.4	406^th of 1111 public elementary schools	63.5%		65.4	410^th of 1110 public elementary schools	63.1%	4	81.0	80.9	72.2		64.8	81.0	77.9	79.6		80.9	79.6	$12,816	$783	$12,032

Frequently Asked Questions about Churchland Academy Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Churchland Academy Elementary?

Students at Churchland Academy Elementary are 71% African American, 10% White, 9% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races.

Is Churchland Academy Elementary a good school?

Churchland Academy Elementary ranks in the bottom 21.2% of Virginia elementary schools.

How many students attend Churchland Academy Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 626 students attended Churchland Academy Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Churchland Academy Elementary attend?

Students who attend Churchland Academy Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Churchland Middle
High : Churchland High

What district is Churchland Academy Elementary in?

Portsmouth 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.