Best Public Schools in Zip Code 23452

Zip code 23452 contains 10 schools within Virginia Beach City Public Schools — 9 elementary schools serving grades PK-5 and one middle school serving grades 6-8 — with no high schools in the area and a combined enrollment of 5,346 students across an economically diverse but heavily high-poverty landscape (70.4% average FRPL rate). Chronic absenteeism is a bright spot at 8.4%, better than the district (10.1%) and state (14.8%) averages.

The standout school is Kingston Elementary, ranked 69th in Virginia (94th percentile) with 5 stars and roughly 90% average SOL proficiency — far ahead of every other school in the zip. Kingston also has the lowest poverty rate (10.8%) and excellent attendance. The most impressive high-poverty performer is Windsor Woods Elementary, achieving an 81.7% proficiency average and 4 stars despite a 73.9% FRPL rate. Malibu Elementary is the most improved, jumping from the 33rd to 52nd percentile, with 3rd grade math rising from 58.8% to 80.9%. Plaza Middle, the only middle school, posts perfect scores in Algebra I and Geometry but only 30.6% proficiency in 7th grade on-grade math.

Several schools are trending downward, including Holland Elementary, Thalia Elementary, Lynnhaven Elementary, and Brookwood Elementary, all ranking in the bottom 40% of Virginia schools. Higher spending and smaller classes do not guarantee results: Lynnhaven spends the most per student ($18,980) yet ranks in the bottom 40%, while the lowest-spending elementary school, Kingston, is the top performer. With no high schools in 23452, the pipeline from these elementary schools into Plaza Middle is critical — 5th grade weaknesses at schools like Holland and Lynnhaven help explain Plaza's on-grade-level math and science struggles.