Best Public Schools in Zip Code 23523

Zip code 23523 in Norfolk, VA contains two public schools—Southside STEM Academy at Campostella and St. Helena Elementary—serving grades PK–8 and PK–5 respectively, both within the Norfolk City Public Schools district, which ranks in the bottom 15% of Virginia districts. Combined, these schools serve 915 students, with Southside STEM Academy accounting for 75% of the zip code’s enrollment (686 students), while St. Helena is the smaller school with just 229 students. Both schools serve predominantly low-income families, with roughly 98–99% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and both report chronic absenteeism near 27%—nearly double the state average of 14.8%.

St. Helena Elementary is the modestly higher-performing school in the zip code, outranking Southside STEM in every comparable elementary-grade subject in 2025–2026. Notable gaps include 5th grade math proficiency (39.4% vs. 19.4%), 5th grade reading (58.8% vs. 38.0%), and 5th grade science (35.3% vs. 27.1%). St. Helena also spends about $2,380 more per student ($13,366 vs. $10,986), yet both schools remain in the bottom 10% of Virginia schools. Southside STEM Academy, despite its low overall ranking, posts remarkable pockets of excellence: 100% proficiency in 8th grade Algebra I, 100% in 7th grade Civics, and 96% in 8th grade Geography—all well above state averages. Middle school reading scores in grades 6–8 at Southside STEM also surpassed the Norfolk district average in the most recent year.

However, Southside STEM shows severe academic volatility and weak elementary literacy, including a 21-point drop in 3rd grade math and a 32-point plunge in 8th grade math in a single year. Since Southside STEM is the only school in the zip code serving middle-grade students, families have no in-zip stand-alone middle or high school options, and students must leave the area for high school after 8th grade. The most urgent challenges facing both schools are chronic absenteeism, near-universal poverty, and inconsistent achievement across grade levels and subjects.