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Public high school · Newport News City Public Schools · Newport News, Virginia

Heritage High

Heritage High rates 5.9, below most Newport News City Public Schools high schools, whose rated median is 6.5.

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

5.9 on a one-to-ten scale; the Newport News City Public Schools median is 6.5.

#1,099 of 1,854 schools in Virginia · Newport News City Public Schools: 6 high schools rated, median 6.5

The brief

A Newport News City Public Schools high school serving grades 9th – 12th.

Students at Heritage High score 67% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 65%).

It ranks 1,099 of 1,854 schools in Virginia and 11 of 40 in Newport News City Public Schools.

Math65%10 points below the Virginia average of 75%334 students tested · 2025 SOL
Reading69%7 points below the Virginia average of 76%229 students tested · 2025 SOL
Proficiency has fallen 12 points since 2019, to 67% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).2025 SOL; 27 test records from VA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.5
25% of the rating
Academics
5.8
25% of the rating
College Readiness
6.7
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
2.8
20% 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 · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 61% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 79% (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 23605; 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.
Heritage High and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$52,899
Median home value
$178,400
Median rent
$1,187/mo
College educated
17.5%
Homeownership
40.4%
Poverty rate
14.1%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 23605; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
19
Car-Dependent
Transit Score
43
Some Transit
Bike Score
31
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
3,060/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Newport News. 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 (Newport News), 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

AP and IB
4 AP courses
21.5% participation · state average 2.9 AP courses · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics
5 sports
3 boys' · 2 girls' · 9 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM courses
5 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
91.9%
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. 8.2Compare →
  2. 7.7Compare →
  3. 6.5Compare →
  4. 6.5Compare →
  5. Heritage Highthis school
    5.9
Four grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and four rate higher than Heritage High.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 Heritage High serve?

Heritage High serves students in grades 9th through 12th.

How many students attend Heritage High?

Heritage High has an enrollment of approximately 1,076 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Heritage High?

The student-teacher ratio at Heritage High 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 Heritage High rank in VA?

Heritage High ranks #1,099 of 1,854 schools in VA.

What is Heritage High's MySchoolScout rating?

Heritage High 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 Heritage High?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Heritage High has 61% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 79% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Heritage High a charter school?

No, Heritage High is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Heritage High a Title I school?

No, Heritage High is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Heritage High?

91.9% of students at Heritage High 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
9th – 12th
Enrollment
1,076
Student-teacher ratio
14.7:1
Teachers (FTE)
73
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Midsize City
County
Newport News city
4-year graduation
89.0%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#11 of 40
Schools in district
43
District spending per student
$16,082
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
17.3%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 23605)
13,334
Area average commute
20.5 min
Area median age
36.4

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.