Best High Schools in Zip Code 23464

Zip code 23464 in Virginia Beach, VA is served by two public high schools—Kempsville High and Tallwood High—both part of Virginia Beach City Public Schools, a district ranked 29th out of 131 districts in Virginia. Kempsville High enrolls 2,046 students in grades 9–12, while Tallwood High enrolls 1,890. Both schools serve a substantial economically disadvantaged population, with 41% and 44% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch, respectively.

These two schools offer distinctly different strengths. Kempsville High is the academic pacesetter, climbing from the 62nd percentile in 2023–24 to the 82nd percentile in 2025–26 (59th out of 331 schools statewide). It recorded 100% proficiency in 9th-grade Algebra II and 11th-grade Algebra I, plus 94% in 11th-grade English Reading. Tallwood High is the completion leader, with a remarkable 98.9% graduation rate and just a 1.0% dropout rate—far better than the state averages and even surpassing the strong 96.6% graduation rate at Kempsville High. Tallwood High also excels in 10th-grade Geometry (72.7% proficient vs. 47.6% at Kempsville High) and 9th-grade Geography (97.3% vs. 90.2%).

Both schools outperform state averages across many metrics despite their high-need populations. However, some gaps remain: 10th-grade writing proficiency lags the district at both schools (63.2% at Kempsville High, 55.0% at Tallwood High vs. 79.7% district), and Tallwood High's 11th-grade Biology proficiency sits at just 50%, well below the state's 63.5%. Chronic absenteeism also runs above the district average at both schools. Notably, Tallwood High spends about $805 more per student ($13,464 vs. $12,659) and has a lower student–teacher ratio, which may help explain its exceptional graduation outcomes. For families, Kempsville High offers strong academic rankings and testing momentum, while Tallwood High offers superior student persistence and completion outcomes.