Enrollment
1,009
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Portsmouth, VA
I.C. Norcom High
Federal NCES profile for I.C. Norcom High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510300001250
👥 S:T ratio 53
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
I.C. Norcom High earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Virginia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Portsmouth · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.7:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 99.9%
- free-lunch eligible
I.C. Norcom High has class sizes smaller than 82% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, I.C. Norcom High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Portsmouth, VA.
School address
District: Portsmouth City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510300001250 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
86.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.9%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How I.C. Norcom High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at I.C. Norcom High
I.C. Norcom High is a high-poverty, large high school in Portsmouth, Virginia, enrolling 1,009 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.9% of students qualify for free meals, 73% above the Virginia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 1,009 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 87 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #50.
Its student body is predominantly African American (88% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 23/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 252 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 270 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,009 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Portsmouth's high schools, it stands alongside Churchland High (1,453 students): I.C. Norcom High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.7:1 vs 15.5:1).
Portsmouth City Public Schools also operates Churchland High (1,453 students) and Manor High (1,149 students) alongside I.C. Norcom High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How I.C. Norcom High compares
I.C. Norcom High on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.7:1 | ▼ 16% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.9% | ▲ 73% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,009 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,009
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 18% in Virginia - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
41.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,493
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 252 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
37
in-school suspensions + 233 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 87.5%
White 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.1%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 87.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.0, I.C. Norcom High is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Portsmouth City Public Schools, which includes I.C. Norcom High.
$13,493
Per student
-8%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.7%
State 54.9%
Federal 12.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How I.C. Norcom High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Churchland High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manor High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Churchland Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Churchland Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Churchland Academy Elementary | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to I.C. Norcom High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,453
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,149
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 798
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 626
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar high schools in Portsmouth
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,009 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on I.C. Norcom High's federal record.
- Compare I.C. Norcom High against another school. Compare schools
- Portsmouth City Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about I.C. Norcom High
How many students attend I.C. Norcom High?
I.C. Norcom High has 1,009 students enrolled. It is a high school in Portsmouth, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at I.C. Norcom High?
The student-teacher ratio at I.C. Norcom High is 11.7:1, which is 16% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at I.C. Norcom High?
99.9% of students at I.C. Norcom High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of I.C. Norcom High?
The largest demographic group at I.C. Norcom High is African American at 87.5% of enrollment, in Portsmouth, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for I.C. Norcom High?
I.C. Norcom High has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does I.C. Norcom High rank among high schools in Portsmouth?
By Resource Investment Index, I.C. Norcom High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Portsmouth, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Portsmouth on the city page.
Is I.C. Norcom High a good school?
I.C. Norcom High earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Virginia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Portsmouth City Public Schools?
Besides I.C. Norcom High, Portsmouth City Public Schools also operates Churchland High (1,453 students), Manor High (1,149 students), and Churchland Middle (798 students). See the Portsmouth City Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.