Summary:
Zip code 23324 in Chesapeake, VA contains five elementary-level schools within Chesapeake City Public Schools—a district ranked 34th of 131 in Virginia—serving a combined 2,004 students, with Portlock Primary and Rena B. Wright Primary covering PK–2, George W. Carver Intermediate and Truitt Intermediate covering grades 3–5, and Thurgood Marshall Elementary covering PK–5. All five schools serve similar high-poverty populations, with free/reduced lunch eligibility between 72.9% and 75.0%.
The clearest academic standout is Truitt Intermediate, which ranks highest in the zip code (20th percentile statewide) and posted the strongest overall SOL proficiency at roughly 59.4%, including 3rd-grade math scores above the state average. This is especially notable because Truitt has the highest student-teacher ratio (16.1) in the group. At the other end, Thurgood Marshall Elementary shows the most concerning trend: its state rank has fallen sharply from the 32nd percentile in 2023–24 to the 8th percentile in 2025–26, overall proficiency dropped 3.7 points, and its chronic absenteeism rate of 24.3% is more than double the district rate—all despite having the smallest class sizes among the tested schools.
Chronic absenteeism is a systemic red flag across the area: Rena B. Wright Primary has the highest rate at 28.6%, followed by Thurgood Marshall Elementary at 24.3%, while George W. Carver Intermediate has the lowest at 14.1%—just under the state average. Spending is not aligned with results: Rena B. Wright Primary spends the most per student ($16,494) yet has no tested grades and the worst attendance, while George W. Carver Intermediate spends the least ($12,185) and showed a 3.4-point proficiency improvement. Even the strongest local schools trail far behind the district: all tested schools sit in the 8th–20th percentiles compared to the district's 74th-percentile ranking, with 5th-grade science and Virginia Studies being the weakest subjects across the board.
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