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Needs Improvement

#1846 of 1,851 schools in VA

Waterview Elementary

Elementary School · Portsmouth City Public Schools · Portsmouth, VA

A Portsmouth City Public Schools elementary school where students score 24 points below what's typical for similar communities.

3649 Hartford St, Portsmouth, VA 23707

  • Math 40% vs VA 72% (2025)
  • Reading 38% vs VA 72% (2025)
  • 16.2:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress1.6Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change-2.69 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics1.7Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency40% (2025 SOL)
Reading/ELA Proficiency38% (2025 SOL)
Math vs. State Avg-33.2 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-37.7 pts
Overall Proficiency39% (2025 SOL, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)63% (model expectation from 2025 SOL)
vs. Expected-24.3 pts
Adjusted Percentile3th
Resources & Environment1.7Needs Improvement20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio16.2:1
District spending per student$14,888
Chronic Absenteeism39.3%

Students at Waterview Elementary score 39% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 63%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 SOL proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. VA average.

Math Proficiency40%(2025 SOL)
School
State
72%(2025 SOL)
ELA Proficiency38%(2025 SOL)
School
State
72%(2025 SOL)

Trend

↓ Declining

Proficiency has fallen 23 points since 2019, to 39% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
87%
ELA
79%
2010
Math
84%
ELA
80%
2011
Math
57%
ELA
82%
2012
Math
63%
ELA
64%
2013
Math
57%
ELA
56%
2014
Math
61%
ELA
63%
2015
Math
65%
ELA
64%
2016
Math
62%
ELA
63%
2017
ELA
61%
2018
Math
65%
ELA
59%
2019
Math
65%
ELA
59%
2020*
Math
19%
ELA
36%
2021*
Math
19%
ELA
36%
2025
Math
40%
ELA
38%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 53% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 55% (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 35 test records from VA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

99.7%

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 Waterview Elementary 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 36Car-Dependent
  • Transit 34Some Transit
  • Bike 40Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High4,615/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Portsmouth), 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

$51,070

Median home value

$222,100

Median rent

$1,076/mo

College educated

26%

Homeownership

56.4%

Poverty rate

21.5%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 23707; 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
Westhaven ElementaryEnrollment path unverified2.7K–60.8 mi474Compare →
Simonsdale ElementaryEnrollment path unverified4.1K–61.5 mi609Compare →
Portsmouth Catholic Regional SchoolPrivate · tuition6.8privatePK–81.6 mi138Compare →
Douglass Park ElementaryEnrollment path unverified2.2K–61.7 mi528Compare →

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.

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Schools in district
23
Rank in district
#22 of 22
District spending per student
$14,888NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
22.5%Census SAIPE · 2024

Waterview Elementary is listed in Portsmouth City Public Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Waterview Elementary

Waterview Elementary is a public elementary school in Portsmouth, VA, part of Portsmouth City Public Schools, serving approximately 614 students in grades Kindergarten-6th with a 16.2:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 1.7 out of 10 and ranks #1,846 of 1,851 schools in VA. State assessment records show 53% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 55% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Waterview Elementary

What grades does Waterview Elementary serve?

Waterview Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 6th.

How many students attend Waterview Elementary?

Waterview Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 614 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Waterview Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Waterview Elementary is 16.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Waterview Elementary rank in VA?

Waterview Elementary ranks #1,846 of 1,851 schools in VA.

What is Waterview Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Waterview Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 1.7 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 Waterview Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Waterview Elementary has 53% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 55% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Waterview Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Waterview Elementary a Title I school?

No, Waterview Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Waterview Elementary?

99.7% of students at Waterview Elementary 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
Kindergarten – 6th
Enrollment
614
Student-Teacher Ratio
16.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
38
Type
regular
Setting
Small City
County
Portsmouth city
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
39.3%
Area population (ZIP 23707)
14,311
Area average commute
22.7 min
Area median age
38.2
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 23707; 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

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