Benjamin Syms Middle School, Hampton, VA

Score breakdown

Compared against all 337 Virginia public middle schools. 1–4 is below the state average, 5–6 around it, 7–10 above it.

4.9 · Test scores

SOL pass rate of 68.7% across all subjects — 43th percentile statewide.

4.3 · Academic progress

Virginia's accreditation combined rate for English and Math, which credits schools for student growth — 36th percentile.

4.1 · Attendance

Chronic absenteeism of 17.8% — better attendance than 34% of peers statewide.

Test scores by subject

Percent of students passing Virginia SOL tests, 2024–2025.

This school Virginia average

Geometry

97%state 82%

Algebra I

98%state 85%

Civics & Econ

66%state 72%

Grade 8 Science

63%state 68%

Grade 6 Mathematics

68%state 65%

Grade 7 Mathematics

41%state 62%

Grade 8 Mathematics

70%state 63%

Grade 6 English Reading

67%state 73%

Grade 7 English Reading

70%state 73%

Grade 8 English Reading

68%state 74%

Source: Virginia Department of Education, School Quality Profiles — SOL pass rates, 2024–2025.

Benjamin Syms Middle School & its school zone

A public middle school in Hampton Public Schools, Benjamin Syms Middle School anchors its attendance zone in Hampton, VA 23669. Buyers searching homes for sale near Benjamin Syms Middle School are shopping this Hampton school zone, one of the areas families compare when weighing Hampton middle school zones. On the VaHome School Score the school earns 4.5/10 — around the state average among Virginia's 337 public middle schools, based on Virginia Department of Education data for 2024–25.

The school's overall SOL pass rate is 68.7%, with standout results in Geometry (97% vs a 82% state average) and Algebra I (98% vs a 85% state average). Virginia's accreditation measures — which credit schools for student growth, not just pass rates — come in at 78% for English and 77% for Math. Chronic absenteeism is 17.8%, compared with the 15.2% state median for middle schools.

For house hunters comparing Hampton school zones, the listings on this page show active REIN MLS homes near Benjamin Syms Middle School. School zoning and attendance boundaries can change between school years — always verify a specific address's assignment directly with Hampton Public Schools before making a housing decision based on school zone.

How the VaHome School Score works

Test scores (50%): the school's SOL pass rate across all subjects, ranked against every Virginia public school of the same level.
Attendance (20%): chronic absenteeism, ranked statewide (lower is better).
Academic progress (30%): Virginia's accreditation combined rate for English and Math, which gives schools credit for students showing growth.
The weighted statewide percentile maps to a score from 1.0 to 10.0: score = 1 + 9 × percentile. 1–4 is below the state average, 5–6 around it, 7–10 above it.
Every input is public data from the Virginia Department of Education, refreshed each school year. No opinions, no black box — you can check our math.

Data: Virginia Department of Education School Quality Profiles (2024–2025) · NCES. VaHome is not affiliated with VDOE, NCES, or GreatSchools.

At a glance

School district: Hampton City Public Schools
Grades served: 6-8
School type: Public
Principal: Ms. Patrina L. Jenkins
Mascot & colors: Spartans · Burgundy, Gold
Enrollment: 850 students (2024-2025)
Student–teacher ratio: 15:1
Classroom teachers: 56.5 FTE
Accreditation: Fully Accredited (2024-2025)
NCES school ID: 510180000730

Academic performance

SOL pass rates · 2024-2025

Reading

68%

Mathematics

71%

Science

67%

History & Social Sci.

66%

About Benjamin Syms Middle School

Benjamin Syms Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in the Hampton City Public Schools division, located at 170 Fox Hill Road in the Fox Hill area of Hampton, Virginia. The school is named for Benjamin Syms, a colonist who in 1634 endowed a free school in Elizabeth City County by donating 200 acres of land and eight cows to educate local children; that endowment is often cited as the origin of one of the earliest free schools in colonial America and is memorialized in the later Syms-Eaton Academy. The current middle school carries the Syms name and feeds into Kecoughtan High School.

The school sits in a large-suburban locale on the lower Virginia Peninsula near the Chesapeake Bay. In the 2024-2025 school year it enrolled roughly 850 students and was fully accredited by the Virginia Department of Education. Its mascot is the Spartan and its colors are burgundy and gold.

Contact

Phone: (757) 850-5050
Office hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday

Official school website ↗

Data sources

NCES Common Core of Data - Search for Public Schools — NCES School ID, district, address, phone, grades, locale, total enrollment, FTE teachers, student/teacher ratio, free-lunch count, race/ethnicity counts2024-2025 (directory 2025-2026 preliminary) link ↗
Virginia School Quality Profiles - Benjamin Syms Middle — Accreditation status, SOL pass rates (reading/math/science/history), enrollment, demographics (econ disadvantaged, EL, SWD, race/ethnicity), principal2024-2025 link ↗
Syms Middle School official website — Phone, fax, office hours, mascot (Spartan), colors (burgundy and gold), address2026 link ↗
Wikipedia - Syms-Eaton Academy — Historical background of Benjamin Syms' 1634 free-school endowment (namesake context)historical link ↗
Wikimedia Commons media search — Checked for freely-licensed building photo - none found2026 link ↗

Figures reflect the 2024-2025 unless noted. School zoning, boundaries, and ratings change — verify with the school division before making housing decisions.

Benjamin Syms Middle School