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Northern Shores Elementary

Q: Is Northern Shores Elementary a good school?

Northern Shores Elementary ranks 285 th of 1110 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

285^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,110 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 74% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Northern Shores Elementary is a public elementary school in Suffolk, Virginia, serving 837 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Suffolk City Public Schools district.

Northern Shores Elementary consistently ranks among the top 30% of Virginia elementary schools, with particularly strong performance in Mathematics and Science. In the 2024-2025 school year, 92.86% of 5th-grade students achieved proficiency in Mathematics, compared to 74.69% for the district and 71.56% for the state. The school also excels in serving its Hispanic, African American, White, and Multi-racial student populations, ranking among the top 20-25% of Virginia elementary schools in these subgroups. Despite having a relatively high percentage of students from low-income families, the school's academic performance remains strong, indicating effective support for its diverse student population.

When compared to nearby schools, Northern Shores Elementary outperforms Creekside Elementary, another Suffolk City Public Schools institution, across various academic metrics. However, the school's performance is significantly higher than schools in the neighboring Portsmouth City Public Schools district, such as Waterview Elementary and Simonsdale Elementary, highlighting the disparities in academic achievement between the two districts.

798

Students ?

19.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,174

Per pupil spending ?

69%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6701 Respass Beach Rd
Suffolk, VA 23435

(757) 923-4169

District: Suffolk City Public Schools

Students who attend Northern Shores Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Colonel Fred Cherry Middle
High:	Nansemond River High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

42.0%

White:

31.2%

Hispanic:

11.9%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Northern Shores Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 62nd percentile in 2015 → 74th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (82% vs 71% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school82%

District avg70%

Virginia avg71%

285^th of 1,110

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Top 26%▲ up 13 pts since 2015

From top 38% (2015) to top 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 11Elementary Schools in the Suffolk City Public Schools

74^th of 129Suffolk 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	75.2	285 of 1110	74.3%	★★★★☆
2024	70.1	356 of 1114	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.1	429 of 1114	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	74.4	286 of 1109	74.2%	★★★★☆
2021	70.2	337 of 1103	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.0	212 of 1105	80.8%	★★★★☆
2018	75.8	213 of 1097	80.6%	★★★★☆
2017	69.2	317 of 1099	71.2%	★★★★☆
2016	59.6	465 of 1096	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	62.9	423 of 1100	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	67.0	336 of 1110	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	74.5	237 of 1120	78.8%	★★★★☆
2012	75.8	194 of 1117	82.6%	★★★★☆
2011	64.8	372 of 1117	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	75.3	180 of 1113	83.8%	★★★★☆
2009	64.8	355 of 1082	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	68.8	293 of 1081	72.9%	★★★★☆
2007	67.8	323 of 1083	70.2%	★★★★☆
2006	47.4	662 of 1071	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	52.8	541 of 1062	49.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	74.1	117 of 579	79.8%	★★★★☆
2024	69.4	159 of 588	73.0%	★★★★☆
2023	67.0	175 of 579	69.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	72.3	300 of 1096	72.6%	★★★★☆
2024	69.5	342 of 1098	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.4	421 of 1100	61.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	90.6	21 of 606	96.5%	★★★★★
2024	92.7	19 of 580	96.7%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	82.0	114 of 1046	89.1%	★★★★☆
2024	69.2	269 of 1036	74.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	75.4	273 of 1093	75.0%	★★★★☆
2024	67.7	365 of 1101	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.5	450 of 1093	58.8%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	62.1	73 of 192	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.4	93 of 195	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.1	112 of 182	38.5%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	71.1	77 of 271	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	55.8	124 of 247	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.4	143 of 245	41.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	75.3	199 of 973	79.5%	★★★★☆
2024	67.9	294 of 979	70.0%	★★★★☆
2023	52.7	507 of 984	48.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)97th percentile+22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)89th percentile+15 vs school

African American (2025)80th percentile+5 vs school

White (2025)80th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2025)75th percentile~ school

Female (2025)73rd percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2025)72nd percentile-3 vs school

Military Connected (2025)62nd percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

Science87%+18 vs state

Mathematics85%+13 vs state

English Reading79%+8 vs state

VA Studies78%+9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Northern Shores Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SOL Mathematics (2025)				SOL Science (2025)	SOL English Reading (2025)				SOL VA Studies (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 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
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%)	75.2	285^th of 1110 public elementary schools	74.3%		70.1	356^th of 1114 public elementary schools	68.0%	71	82.0	80.8	92.9		87.3	70.5	80.0	85.7		77.6		$7,174	$544	$6,630
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%)	42.4	693^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	37.6%		56.6	529^th of 1114 public elementary schools	52.5%	164	74.7	71.9	63.4	69.5	51.8	68.7	76.6	57.3	63.8	75.0		$9,887	$2,314	$7,572
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%)	29.5	834^th of 1110 public elementary schools	24.9%		42.7	698^th of 1114 public elementary schools	37.3%	136	66.7	51.9	72.0	62.8	46.3	53.8	59.3	72.0	65.7	50.6		$10,207	$2,337	$7,870
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%)	51.3	583^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	47.5%		54.5	563^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	49.5%	20	73.9	69.8	81.2	67.2	64.7	61.3	72.4	78.8	76.2	63.1		$9,406	$1,438	$7,969
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
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%)	59.2	485^th of 1110 public elementary schools	56.3%		59.3	497^th of 1114 public elementary schools	55.4%	12	77.8	73.9	81.8		68.9	66.8	76.5	70.9			79.1	$9,546	$684	$8,862
Creekside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 Bennetts Creek Park Road	Suffolk	23435	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 923-4251	764	47	16.2	69.4%	175 (22.9%)	403 (52.7%)	89 (11.6%)	17 (2.2%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	76 (9.9%)	49.1	612^th of 1110 public elementary schools	44.9%		57.8	512^th of 1114 public elementary schools	54.0%	100	71.6	77.5	77.7		73.8	59.0	70.8	69.4		61.2		$7,668	$685	$6,983
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%)	6.6	1058^th of 1110 public elementary schools	4.7%		7.4	1057^th of 1114 public elementary schools	5.1%	1	28.8	31.5	35.6	62.8	28.8	25.0	37.0	33.3	52.6	37.1		$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%)	21.9	902^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	18.7%		31.3	819^th of 1114 public elementary schools	26.5%	83	50.6	56.0	48.3	51.8	43.3	63.9	62.7	65.0	60.2	60.0		$8,887	$1,900	$6,987
Edwin W. Chittum Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2008 Dock Landing Rd	Chesapeake	23321	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 465-6300	762	51	15.0	20.1%	470 (61.7%)	128 (16.8%)	64 (8.4%)	13 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	85 (11.2%)	83	163^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	85.3%		80.6	211^th of 1114 public elementary schools	81.1%	48	93.2	94.4	84.4		83.1	78.0	88.8	81.8			87.1	$11,008	$1,307	$9,701

Frequently Asked Questions about Northern Shores Elementary

What schools do graduates of Northern Shores Elementary attend?

Students who attend Northern Shores Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Colonel Fred Cherry Middle
High : Nansemond River High

What is the racial makeup of Northern Shores Elementary?

Students at Northern Shores Elementary are 42% African American, 31% White, 12% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

How many students attend Northern Shores Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 798 students attended Northern Shores Elementary.

Is Northern Shores Elementary a good school?

Northern Shores Elementary ranks 285^th of 1110 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Northern Shores Elementary in?

Suffolk City Public Schools

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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.