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Public middle school · Hampton City Public Schools · Hampton, Virginia

Benjamin Syms Middle

Benjamin Syms Middle rates 5.9, right at the middle of Hampton City Public Schools's middle schools, whose rated median is 6.2.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.9this school

5.9 on a one-to-ten scale; the Hampton City Public Schools median is 6.2.

#1,089 of 1,854 schools in Virginia · Hampton City Public Schools: 5 middle schools rated, median 6.2

The brief

A Hampton City Public Schools middle school serving grades 6th – 8th.

Students at Benjamin Syms Middle score 70% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 71%).

It ranks 1,089 of 1,854 schools in Virginia and 29 of 30 in Hampton City Public Schools.

Math63%3 points below the Virginia average of 66%2025 SOL
Reading68%6 points below the Virginia average of 74%2025 SOL
Proficiency has fallen 7 points since 2019, to 65% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).2025 SOL; 33 test records from VA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.1
40% of the rating
Academics
5.5
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
4.6
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 67% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 70% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 SOL · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 SOL. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 SOL · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 SOL. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 23669; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Benjamin Syms Middle and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$66,999
Median home value
$246,400
Median rent
$1,202/mo
College educated
31.4%
Homeownership
58.7%
Poverty rate
16.9%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 23669; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
25
Car-Dependent
Transit Score
28
Some Transit
Bike Score
45
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
3,138/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Hampton. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Hampton), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
69.4%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 9.1Compare →
  2. 6.4Compare →
  3. 6.2Compare →
  4. 6.2Compare →
  5. Benjamin Syms Middlethis school
    5.9
Four grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and four rate higher than Benjamin Syms Middle.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Benjamin Syms Middle serve?

Benjamin Syms Middle serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Benjamin Syms Middle?

Benjamin Syms Middle has an enrollment of approximately 865 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Benjamin Syms Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Benjamin Syms Middle is 14.7:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Benjamin Syms Middle rank in VA?

Benjamin Syms Middle ranks #1,089 of 1,854 schools in VA.

What is Benjamin Syms Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Benjamin Syms Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.9 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Benjamin Syms Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Benjamin Syms Middle has 67% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 70% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Benjamin Syms Middle a charter school?

No, Benjamin Syms Middle is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Benjamin Syms Middle a Title I school?

No, Benjamin Syms Middle is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Benjamin Syms Middle?

69.4% of students at Benjamin Syms Middle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
865
Student-teacher ratio
14.7:1
Teachers (FTE)
59
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Hampton city
Rank in district
#29 of 30
Schools in district
33
District spending per student
$15,034
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
20.9%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 23669)
39,730
Area average commute
22.5 min
Area median age
36.2

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Virginia Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.