Newport News City Public Schools

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Newport News, Virginia - 40 schools

An equity score of 55/100 ranks Newport News City Public Schools #53 of 131 districts in Virginia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,115 per pupil, Newport News City Public Schools ranks #37 of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending (Virginia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

26,531
Total Enrollment
40
Schools
$15,115
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Newport News City Public Schools operates 40 public schools serving 26,531 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Virginia. The school portfolio breaks down into 28 combined, 7 middle, 5 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Newport News City.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,115 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending. See how Virginia compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 31.8% local, 50.6% state, and 17.7% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 55/100, ranked #53 of 131 in Virginia against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 6 of 40 schools offering Advanced Placement (90 AP courses district-wide), a 381.9:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 27.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 53.5% African American, 18.0% White, 17.4% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is General Stanford Elementary, with a diversity index of 73.2/100.

Its largest campus is Woodside High, enrolling 1,723 students (7% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is John Marshall Early Childhood Center, at 213 students, a 8x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Newport News City Public Schools school enrollment varies 8.1× across entities

Newport News City Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 213 students (lowest) to 1,723 students (highest), a spread of 1,510 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Newport News City Public Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 89.2% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Newport News City Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 382:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Newport News City Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 27.8% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Newport News City Public Schools is typically wider than the Newport News City Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

17.7%
Federal
50.6%
State
31.8%
Local

Funding Equity

55
Equity Score
53 / 131
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 40 schools in Newport News City Public Schools.

White 18.0%
Hispanic or Latino 17.4%
African American 53.5%
Asian 1.7%
Multiracial 8.7%
Other 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 59.8/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Newport News City Public Schools's schools, above the Virginia average of 53.7.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 General Stanford Elementary 73.2
  2. 2 Knollwood Meadows Elementary 73.1
  3. 3 Ethel M. Gildersleeve Middle 73.0
  4. 4 T. Ryland Sanford Elementary 71.8
  5. 5 Oliver C. Greenwood Elementary 70.8

Programs & Resources

6 / 40
Schools with AP
90 AP courses total
381.9:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
27.8%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Newport News City Public Schools

School Enrollment
Woodside High
1,723
Menchville High
1,707
Warwick High
1,622
Denbigh High
1,269
Heritage High
1,106
Ethel M. Gildersleeve Middle
1,087
Ella J. Fitzgerald Middle
988
Mary Passage Middle
931
Homer L. Hines Middle
846
Crittenden Middle
781
Joseph H. Saunders Elementary
660
Achievable Dream Academy
641
Carver Elementary
634
Discovery Stem Academy
561
Kiln Creek Elementary
553
Katherine Johnson Elementary
553
Oliver C. Greenwood Elementary
549
Willis a. Jenkins Elementary
507
Riverside Elementary
506
Richneck Elementary
502
T. Ryland Sanford Elementary
498
Achievable Dream Middle/High
498
Hidenwood Elementary
476
L.F. Palmer Elementary
465
Knollwood Meadows Elementary
460
Stoney Run Elementary
453
Richard T. Yates Elementary
448
George J. Mcintosh Elementary
446
Deer Park Elementary
433
General Stanford Elementary
430
Sedgefield Elementary
425
B.T. Washington Middle
413
Denbigh Early Childhood Center
397
B.C. Charles Elementary
388
Newsome Park Elementary
386
Hilton Elementary
368
David a. Dutrow Elementary
341
Watkins Early Childhood Center
326
Huntington Middle
292
John Marshall Early Childhood Center
213

How Newport News City Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Virginia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Norfolk City Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Arlington County Public Schools Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Spotsylvania County Public Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Stafford County Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Richmond City Public Schools Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Newport News City Public Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Virginia

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Newport News City Public Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Fairfax County Public Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Newport News City Public Schools?

Newport News City Public Schools has 40 schools, including 5 high, 7 middle, 28 combined. Total enrollment is 26,531 students.

How much does Newport News City Public Schools spend per student?

Newport News City Public Schools spends $15,115 per student. The district has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #53 in Virginia.

What is the demographic composition of Newport News City Public Schools?

Newport News City Public Schools students are 53.5% African American, 18.0% White, 17.4% Hispanic or Latino, 1.7% Asian, averaged across 40 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Newport News City Public Schools?

Newport News City Public Schools has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #53 out of 131 districts in Virginia.