Summary:
Zip code 23607 is home to one middle school, B.T. Washington Middle, which serves grades 6-8 with an enrollment of 413 students in the Newport News City Public Schools district. This school stands out for its rapid improvement: its state rank jumped from #152 in 2023-2024 to #69 in 2025-2026, placing it in the 83rd percentile with a 4-star rating, despite having a free/reduced lunch rate of 100.24%.
Academically, B.T. Washington Middle outperforms its district in every subject and grade level tested in 2025-2026, and beats the state average in 8 of 10 tested categories. Notable results include 100% proficiency in Algebra I for both 7th and 8th graders, 96.51% proficiency in Geometry, and strong reading scores across all grades, ranging from 77.46% in 7th grade to 89.26% in 6th grade. The most dramatic improvement came in 8th-grade math, which rose from 18.18% proficiency in 2024-2025 to 61.11% in 2025-2026—a 42.9-point gain that pushed the school well above the state average. The only relative weak spot is 7th-grade math at 48.65% proficiency, slightly below the state's 51.11%.
The school also reports exceptionally low chronic absenteeism at 8.1%, compared to 18.5% for the district and 14.8% statewide, which likely contributes to its academic success. With per-student spending of $10,066 and a 4-star rating, B.T. Washington Middle is a high-poverty school achieving remarkable results. Its combination of strong reading and math outcomes, advanced math acceleration, and steadily improving state ranking points to a positive trajectory for families in the area.
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