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Plaza Middle

Q: Is Plaza Middle a good school?

Plaza Middle ranks 108 th of 416 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

108^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 416 Virginia Middle Schools

Better than 74% of Virginia middle schools

Summary

Plaza Middle is a grades 6–8 school in Virginia Beach, VA, serving approximately 1,033 students as part of Virginia Beach City Public Schools—a district ranked 29th of 131 in Virginia with a 4-star rating. The school itself ranks 108th of 416 Virginia middle schools (74th percentile, 4 stars). About 44.6% of students receive free/reduced lunch, and chronic absenteeism is 12.7%—better than the state's 14.8% but above the district's 10.1%.

The school's clear strengths are reading and civics. Students beat both the district and state in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade reading, and 8th-grade civics proficiency is an impressive 88.4% (district: 82.9%, state: 74.7%). The biggest concern is grade-level math: 7th-grade math proficiency is just 30.6%, well below the district's 39.4% and the state's 51.1%. Eighth-grade math and science also trail the district. Yet students in accelerated courses—Algebra I, Geometry, and Earth Science—pass at near-perfect rates, suggesting the advanced program is excellent while standard math and science classes may need more support.

Plaza Middle is surrounded by some of Virginia's best middle schools. Princess Anne Middle (17th), Old Donation School (20th), Great Neck Middle (28th), and Salem Middle (84th) are all highly ranked. The school trails them in math and science, yet its reading scores rival theirs—an accomplishment given the higher poverty rate it serves. The school also spends $14,077 per student, more than each of those schools, so spending alone doesn't explain the gaps. Military-connected students are a bright spot at the 78th percentile statewide, while students with disabilities and low-income students have declined recently. Reducing chronic absenteeism, above the district average, could help. Overall, this is a strong choice, especially for strong readers—but parents of students who struggle in math or science should ask about support options.

1,033

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,077

Per pupil spending ?

44.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3080 S Lynnhaven Rd
Virginia Beach, VA 23452

(757) 648-4900

District: Virginia Beach City Public Schools

Students who attend Plaza Middle usually attend:

High:

Green Run High

Feeder schools for Plaza Middle:

Elementary:	Brookwood Elementary
	Lynnhaven Elementary
	Windsor Oaks Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.9%

African American:

23.6%

Hispanic:

13.3%

See top rated Virginia middle schools

Compare Plaza Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 56th percentile in 2016 → 74th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (81% vs 70% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 18 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Virginia median (74th percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Science scores 14 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school81%

District avg78%

Virginia avg70%

108^th of 416

Virginia public middle schools ?

Top 26%▲ up 18 pts since 2016

From top 44% (2016) to top 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 14Middle Schools in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools

29^th of 131Virginia Beach 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	69.2	108 of 416	74.0%	★★★★☆
2025	70.2	116 of 419	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	68.6	120 of 417	71.2%	★★★★☆
2023	68.5	129 of 422	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.7	109 of 415	73.7%	★★★★☆
2021	73.2	66 of 419	84.2%	★★★★☆
2019	61.7	144 of 424	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.4	109 of 413	73.6%	★★★★☆
2017	61.7	120 of 415	71.1%	★★★★☆
2016	54.6	178 of 409	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	59.4	146 of 412	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	58.4	137 of 416	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	52.0	175 of 416	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	45.9	237 of 413	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	45.5	243 of 413	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	53.5	180 of 408	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	44.1	234 of 390	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	56.2	154 of 391	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	48.7	207 of 387	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2006	56.7	145 of 383	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2005	62.9	132 of 340	61.2%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	53.3	141 of 297	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.2	142 of 297	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.3	126 of 299	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.3	155 of 298	48.0%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	70.3	36 of 137	73.7%	★★★★☆
2025	75.7	13 of 136	90.4%	★★★★★
2024	59.1	58 of 128	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.2	86 of 132	34.8%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	38.1	173 of 292	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.3	95 of 281	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.8	127 of 278	54.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	70.7	103 of 409	74.8%	★★★★☆
2025	70.8	103 of 403	74.4%	★★★★☆
2024	71.1	103 of 407	74.7%	★★★★☆
2023	69.4	122 of 411	70.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	80.2	35 of 283	87.6%	★★★★☆
2025	76.2	50 of 279	82.1%	★★★★☆
2024	75.8	48 of 272	82.4%	★★★★☆
2023	79.7	33 of 275	88.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	62.0	138 of 401	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.7	94 of 403	76.7%	★★★★☆
2024	68.4	107 of 402	73.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	65.4	121 of 410	70.5%	★★★★☆
2025	67.7	125 of 404	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.4	129 of 407	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.5	128 of 409	68.7%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	72.1	27 of 125	78.4%	★★★★☆
2025	61.2	47 of 130	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.6	40 of 123	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.0	23 of 114	79.8%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	63.3	86 of 249	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.4	72 of 244	70.5%	★★★★☆
2024	58.9	90 of 237	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.0	63 of 231	72.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	76.5	49 of 400	87.8%	★★★★☆
2025	76.4	54 of 400	86.5%	★★★★☆
2024	74.5	65 of 396	83.6%	★★★★☆
2023	77.2	50 of 402	87.6%	★★★★☆

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)

White (2026)88th percentile+14 vs school

Hispanic (2026)88th percentile+14 vs school

Military Connected (2026)78th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)75th percentile~ school

Asian (2026)74th percentile~ school

Male (2026)70th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)66th percentile-8 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)65th percentile-9 vs school

African American (2026)53rd percentile-22 vs school

Disabled (2026)41st percentile-33 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Geometry100%+3 vs state

Algebra I100%+5 vs state

Earth Science98%+7 vs state

Civics and Economics88%+14 vs state

English Reading84%+11 vs state

Mathematics54%~ state avg

Science51%-14 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, May 29, 2018

The school of opportunities! The teachers are amazing, and go out of their way to communicate both positive and negative things. They genuinely care for your child. The curriculum is demanding, but the teachers assist in every way possible. The principals seem to have control over their staff, and thrive on positive growth. Close Quote

Schools Near Plaza 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 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 8th 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 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 Civics and Economics 8th Grade	SOL VA Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Plaza Middle	Public	6-8	3080 S Lynnhaven Rd	Virginia Beach	23452	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 648-4900	1,033	67	15.5	44.6%	474 (45.9%)	244 (23.6%)	137 (13.3%)	54 (5.2%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	120 (11.6%)	69.2	108^th of 416 public middle schools	74.0%		70.2	116^th of 419 public middle schools	72.3%	8	100.0	100.0	100.0				71.2	30.6	43.7		50.9	98.0				83.9	81.4	87.8	88.4		$14,077	$828	$13,249
Lynnhaven Middle	Public	6-8	1250 Bayne Dr	Virginia Beach	23454	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 648-4850	727	73	9.9	93.8%	356 (49.0%)	202 (27.8%)	80 (11.0%)	13 (1.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	73 (10.0%)	60.6	162^nd of 416 public middle schools	61.1%		60.2	174^th of 419 public middle schools	58.5%	12	96.0	97.1	98.9				79.0	33.6	42.9		46.0	98.1				81.2	82.1	78.3	74.8		$19,932	$1,362	$18,570
Larkspur Middle	Public	6-8	4696 Princess Anne Rd	Virginia Beach	23462	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 648-4800	1,488	87	17.1	76.3%	427 (28.7%)	529 (35.6%)	290 (19.5%)	55 (3.7%)	2 (0.1%)	5 (0.3%)	180 (12.1%)	45.1	263^rd of 416 public middle schools	36.8%		44.6	250^th of 419 public middle schools	40.3%	13	94.6	100.0	97.5				59.8	40.2	48.4		54.6	96.6				74.9	66.5	73.2	72.2		$13,929	$1,339	$12,590
Landstown Middle	Public	6-8	2204 Recreation Dr	Virginia Beach	23456	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 648-4750	1,272	75	17.0	39.3%	492 (38.7%)	315 (24.8%)	176 (13.8%)	137 (10.8%)	4 (0.3%)	12 (0.9%)	136 (10.7%)	64.3	143^rd of 416 public middle schools	65.6%		68.7	122^nd of 419 public middle schools	70.9%	21	100.0	100.0	96.3				73.6	40.1	42.6		61.9	97.1				80.0	83.6	82.6	78.6		$13,304	$941	$12,363
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
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
Corporate Landing Middle	Public	6-8	1597 Corporate Landing Pkwy	Virginia Beach	23454	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 648-4500	995	63	15.6	44.9%	497 (49.9%)	177 (17.8%)	136 (13.7%)	39 (3.9%)	3 (0.3%)	5 (0.5%)	138 (13.9%)	61.3	155^th of 416 public middle schools	62.7%		60.5	170^th of 419 public middle schools	59.4%	15	97.7	100.0	96.7				63.8	55.5	44.7		50.5	99.2				79.6	79.5	80.9	83.2		$14,761	$1,135	$13,626
Great Neck Middle	Public	6-8	1848 North Great Neck Rd	Virginia Beach	23454	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 648-4550	1,039	66	15.6	30.1%	674 (64.9%)	103 (9.9%)	130 (12.5%)	29 (2.8%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.5%)	97 (9.3%)	82.7	28^th of 416 public middle schools	93.3%		81.6	37^th of 419 public middle schools	91.2%	9	100.0	100.0	98.7				84.8	331.0	62.5		71.8	98.7				91.3	87.7	85.8	93.3		$13,343	$894	$12,449
Salem Middle	Public	6-8	2380 Lynnhaven Pkwy	Virginia Beach	23464	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 648-5000	1,072	61	17.6	36.1%	380 (35.4%)	228 (21.3%)	152 (14.2%)	160 (14.9%)	3 (0.3%)	10 (0.9%)	139 (13.0%)	74.2	84^th of 416 public middle schools	79.8%		74.8	87^th of 419 public middle schools	79.2%	3	97.5	100.0	100.0				73.3	345.0	58.5		65.4	97.5				84.3	83.6	83.1	88.0		$13,081	$996	$12,086

Frequently Asked Questions about Plaza Middle

What high school do graduates of Plaza Middle attend?

Students who attend Plaza Middle usually go on to attend Green Run High

What is the racial makeup of Plaza Middle?

Students at Plaza Middle are 46% White, 24% African American, 13% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

What district is Plaza Middle in?

Virginia Beach City Public Schools

How many students attend Plaza Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,033 students attended Plaza Middle.

Is Plaza Middle a good school?

Plaza Middle ranks 108^th of 416 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Plaza 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.