Summary:
Zip code 23608 in Newport News, VA is served by 10 schools within Newport News City Public Schools — a district ranked 105 out of 131 in Virginia — including six elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools, with a total enrollment of 7,662 students, almost all of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch (average ~98.7%).
The strongest school in the area is Woodside High, which ranks in the 46th percentile statewide and boasts a 98% graduation rate, a 0.2% dropout rate, and exceptional 9th-grade math proficiency (95–98% on Geometry and Algebra II). Among elementary schools, David A. Dutrow Elementary stands out as the highest-ranked (40th percentile) with the lowest chronic absenteeism in the zip code (8.9%) and above-state scores in 3rd-grade reading and math. Mary Passage Middle outperforms its local counterpart Ella J. Fitzgerald Middle in reading, science, and civics, while also posting superb advanced math results (100% Algebra I, 96.8% Geometry). Conversely, Stoney Run Elementary is the most concerning school, ranking in the 4th percentile with 5th-grade proficiency rates roughly 20–25 points below state averages.
Two clear patterns emerge. First, despite extreme poverty, both high schools — Denbigh High and Woodside — post graduation rates near 98%, far above the state average of 92.3%, though Denbigh struggles with a 27.6% chronic absenteeism rate and very weak 12th-grade VA/US History scores. Second, middle school math is sharply split: accelerated tracks thrive (Geometry and Algebra I proficiency above 96%) while grade-level math lags (34–39% vs. state 47–51%). Spending does not predict outcomes, as McIntosh Elementary ($12,275 per student) ranks in the 11th percentile while Woodside High ($9,453) is the area’s top performer. Overall, this high-poverty zip code contains genuine bright spots in Woodside, Dutrow, and Mary Passage, but serious challenges remain at Stoney Run, Denbigh, and in standard middle-school math.
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