Best Public Schools in Zip Code 23502

Zip code 23502 in Norfolk, VA contains just 3 schools—all part of Norfolk City Public Schools, a district ranked 112th out of 131 in Virginia. The schools include Lake Taylor High (grades 9–12), Lake Taylor (grades K–8), and Ingleside Elementary (grades PK–5). There are no standalone middle or alternative schools here, and every school serves a very high-poverty population, with 93%–101% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Ingleside Elementary is the clear standout, ranking at the 22nd percentile statewide—well above Lake Taylor High (8th percentile) and Lake Taylor K-8 (3rd percentile). Ingleside also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the zip code at 12.8%, beating both the district and state averages, and it outperforms district averages in 5th grade math, reading, and science. Lake Taylor High shows a dramatic split: 12th graders score above state averages in Reading, Writing, Biology, and VA/US History, but the school's 80.6% graduation rate and 11.2% dropout rate are serious concerns. Meanwhile, Lake Taylor K-8 posts perfect 100% proficiency in advanced courses like Algebra I and Earth Science, yet its general education students score far below state averages in nearly every subject.

Perhaps the most striking finding is that Ingleside Elementary dramatically outperforms Lake Taylor K-8 in comparable subjects despite spending less per student ($9,003 vs. $11,890) and having larger class sizes. Attendance appears to be a key differentiator—Lake Taylor High has 26.5% chronic absenteeism, nearly double the state rate. Since poverty is nearly universal across all three schools, the gaps in performance point to school-level effectiveness and attendance as the most important factors for families. No school in this zip code is currently trending upward, with Ingleside slipping from the 40th to 22nd percentile and Lake Taylor K-8 stuck near the bottom for three consecutive years.