Heritage High School, Newport News, VA

Score breakdown

Compared against all 325 Virginia public high schools. 1–4 is below the state average, 5–6 around it, 7–10 above it.

1.2 · Test scores

SOL pass rate of 49.2% across all subjects — 2th percentile statewide.

3.0 · Academic progress

Virginia's accreditation combined rate for English and Math, which credits schools for student growth — 22th percentile.

4.9 · College readiness

On-time graduation, AP participation, and college enrollment within 16 months — 43th percentile.

Test scores by subject

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

This school Virginia average

Biology

58%state 78%

Geometry

48%state 82%

Algebra I

68%state 85%

Algebra II

69%state 89%

Earth Science

37%state 70%

World History I

28%state 66%

World History II

13%state 37%

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

College & career

Class of 2024 cohort of 221 students, unless noted.

97.7%

On-time graduation rate

35%

Advanced Studies diplomas

41%

Enrolled in college within 16 months

0.5%

Dropout rate

18.3%

Enrolled in AP courses

15.5%

Took an AP exam

1.1%

Dual enrollment (college credit)

329

Industry certifications earned (CTE)

Source: Virginia Department of Education — Graduation, Diplomas, Advanced Programs, Postsecondary Enrollment, and CTE datasets.

Heritage High School & its school zone

Heritage High School is a public high school in Newport News, VA 23605, part of Newport News Public Schools. Buyers searching homes for sale near Heritage High School are typically shopping the Heritage zone, one of the areas families compare when weighing Newport News high school zones. On the VaHome School Score the school earns 3.0/10 — below the state average among Virginia's 325 public high schools, based on Virginia Department of Education data for 2024–25.

The school's overall SOL pass rate is 49.2%. 97.7% of the class of 2024 graduated on time, 35% of them with Advanced Studies diplomas. 41% of graduates enrolled in college within 16 months. Program depth includes 18% AP course enrollment, 1% dual enrollment for college credit, 329 industry certifications through career and technical education.

For house hunters comparing Newport News school zones, homes zoned to Heritage High School sit in the Heritage attendance area — use the listings on this page to see every active REIN MLS home in the zone. School zoning and attendance boundaries can change between school years — always verify a specific address's assignment directly with Newport News Public Schools before making a housing decision based on school zone.

How the VaHome School Score works

Test scores (40%): the school's SOL pass rate across all subjects, ranked against every Virginia public school of the same level.
College readiness (40%): average statewide rank in on-time graduation rate, AP course enrollment, and college enrollment within 16 months of graduation.
Academic progress (20%): 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: Newport News City Public Schools
Grades served: 9-12
School type: Regular public school
Principal: Dr. Diron Ford
Established: 1996
Mascot & colors: Hurricanes · Maroon, Silver
Enrollment: 1,108 students (2024-2025)
Student–teacher ratio: 14:1
Classroom teachers: 78.95 FTE
Accreditation: Fully Accredited (2025-2026)
NCES school ID: 510264001451

Academic performance

SOL pass rates · 2024-2025

Reading

69%

Mathematics

65%

Science

58%

History & Social Sci.

23%

98%

On-time graduation (Class of 2025)

College & career readiness

2024-2025

18.3%

Students in AP courses

1.1%

Dual-enrollment (college credit)

AP enrollment 203 students (18.32%); dual enrollment 12 students (1.08%).

Attendance

2024-2025

26.6% of students were chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days).

About Heritage High School

Heritage High School is a public high school in Newport News, Virginia, established in 1996 as part of Newport News City Public Schools. It was built simultaneously with, and to a similar design as, its sister school Woodside High School. The school houses the division's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) magnet program and a University magnet program in addition to its neighborhood attendance zone.

The campus sits at 5800 Marshall Avenue in the Southeast Community (East End) of Newport News, near the downtown/lower peninsula area of the city. Its athletic teams, the Hurricanes, compete with maroon and silver colors; the football team won a Virginia state championship in 2000 and the girls' basketball team won a state title in 2008.

Athletics & activities

2

State athletic titles

1

Football state championship (2000, 14-0)

Notable alumni

Khalid Abdullah· NFL running backDarryl Blackstock· NFL linebacker

Contact

Phone: (757) 928-6100

Official school website ↗

Data sources

NCES Common Core of Data — Heritage High — NCES ID, district, grade span, locale, total enrollment, classroom teachers FTE, student/teacher ratio2024-2025 link ↗
Virginia School Quality Profiles — Heritage High — Enrollment by grade, demographics, accreditation, SOL pass rates, graduation rate, chronic absenteeism, AP/dual enrollment, principal, phone2024-2025 (accreditation 2025-2026) link ↗
Wikipedia — Heritage High School (Newport News, Virginia) — Founding year (1996), mascot, colors, state championships, notable alumni, magnet programsn/a link ↗
Heritage High School official website — Official website URL2026 link ↗

Figures reflect the 2024-2025 (SOL, enrollment, demographics, attendance); 2025-2026 (accreditation) unless noted. School zoning, boundaries, and ratings change — verify with the school division before making housing decisions.

Heritage High School