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Below Average

#1489 of 1,851 schools in VA

Mary Passage Middle

Middle School · Newport News City Public Schools · Newport News, VA

A Newport News City Public Schools middle school where students score 9 points below what's typical for similar communities.

400 Atkinson Way, Newport News, VA 23608

  • Math 45% vs VA 66% (2025)
  • Reading 60% vs VA 74% (2025)
  • 15.5:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress5.5Average40%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change-1.04 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics3.6Needs Improvement35%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency52% (2025 SOL)
Reading/ELA Proficiency60% (2025 SOL)
Math vs. State Avg-23.4 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-15.7 pts
Overall Proficiency56% (2025 SOL, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)65% (model expectation from 2025 SOL)
vs. Expected-8.6 pts
Adjusted Percentile17th
Resources & Environment4.1Below Average25%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio15.5:1
District spending per student$16,082
Chronic Absenteeism25.8%

Students at Mary Passage Middle score 56% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 65%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 SOL proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. VA average.

Math Proficiency45%(2025 SOL)
School
State
66%(2025 SOL)
ELA Proficiency60%(2025 SOL)
School
State
74%(2025 SOL)

Trend

↓ Declining

Proficiency has fallen 11 points since 2019, to 52% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
66%
ELA
79%
2010
Math
69%
ELA
78%
2011
Math
47%
ELA
79%
2012
Math
50%
ELA
53%
2013
Math
51%
ELA
52%
2014
Math
64%
ELA
55%
2015
Math
61%
ELA
55%
2016
Math
38%
ELA
58%
2017
ELA
59%
2018
Math
67%
ELA
59%
2019
Math
67%
ELA
59%
2020*
Math
38%
ELA
53%
2021*
Math
38%
ELA
53%
2025
Math
45%
ELA
60%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 52% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 61% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 33 test records from VA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

94.9%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Mary Passage Middle sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 41Car-Dependent
  • Transit 34Some Transit
  • Bike 35Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High3,173/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Newport News), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$67,556

Median home value

$243,300

Median rent

$1,245/mo

College educated

27%

Homeownership

51.4%

Poverty rate

14.2%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 23608; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Ella J. Fitzgerald MiddleEnrollment path unverified3.86–81.1 mi969Compare →
Denbigh Baptist Christian SchoolPrivate · tuition6.8privatePK–123.5 mi248Compare →
Grafton MiddleEnrollment path unverified7.76–84.3 mi913Compare →
Hampton Roads AcademyPrivate · tuition5.9privatePK–124.7 mi627Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Newport News City Public Schools

Schools in district
43
Rank in district
#19 of 40
District spending per student
$16,082NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
17.3%Census SAIPE · 2024

Mary Passage Middle is listed in Newport News City Public Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Mary Passage Middle

Mary Passage Middle is a public middle school in Newport News, VA, part of Newport News City Public Schools, serving approximately 976 students in grades 6th-8th with a 15.5:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.5 out of 10 and ranks #1,489 of 1,851 schools in VA. State assessment records show 52% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 61% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Mary Passage Middle

What grades does Mary Passage Middle serve?

Mary Passage Middle serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Mary Passage Middle?

Mary Passage Middle has an enrollment of approximately 976 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary Passage Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Mary Passage Middle is 15.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Mary Passage Middle rank in VA?

Mary Passage Middle ranks #1,489 of 1,851 schools in VA.

What is Mary Passage Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Mary Passage Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.5 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 Mary Passage Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Mary Passage Middle has 52% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 61% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Mary Passage Middle a charter school?

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

Is Mary Passage Middle a Title I school?

No, Mary Passage Middle is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Mary Passage Middle?

94.9% of students at Mary Passage 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 factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
976
Student-Teacher Ratio
15.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
63
Type
regular
Setting
Midsize City
County
Newport News city
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
25.8%
Area population (ZIP 23608)
43,841
Area average commute
27.9 min
Area median age
33.6
About this school's data

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

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 23608; 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

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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