Heritage High School, Newport News, VA: Phone & Mascot

Heritage High School phone, mascot & school colors

Phone: (757) 928-6100
Mascot: Hurricanes
School colors: Maroon, Silver
Principal: Dr. Diron Ford
Address: 5800 Marshall Ave, Newport News, VA 23605

Official school website ↗

Score breakdown

Compared against all 321 Virginia public high schools. 1–4 is below the state average, 5–6 around it, 7–10 above it.

1.9 · Test scores

SOL pass rate of 61.2% across all subjects — 10th percentile statewide.

5.2 · College readiness

On-time graduation, AP participation, and college enrollment within 16 months — 46th percentile.

2.2 · Attendance

Chronic absenteeism of 26.1% — better attendance than 13% of peers statewide.

Year over year: 3.2 for 2025–26, compared with 3.0 for 2024–25 — up 0.2.

Test scores by subject

Percent of students passing Virginia SOL tests, 2025–26. High school reading and writing compare end-of-course tests with the statewide end-of-course result.

This school Virginia average

Biology

60%state 77%

Algebra I

48%state 86%

Algebra II

74%state 88%

Earth Science

43%state 72%

English Reading

73%state 86%

VA and US History

44%state 38%

Source: Virginia Department of Education, School Quality Profiles — SOL pass rates, 2025–26.

College & career

Class of 2025 cohort of 230 students; AP and dual enrollment are 2025–26, unless noted.

98.7%

On-time graduation rate (class of 2025)

33%

Advanced Studies diplomas

43%

Enrolled in college within 16 months (class of 2022)

0%

Dropout rate

17.2%

Enrolled in AP courses

13.9%

Took an AP exam

2.2%

Dual enrollment (college credit)

185

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 3.2/10 — below the state average among Virginia's 321 public high schools, based on Virginia Department of Education data for 2025–26. That is up from 3.0 in 2024–25.

The school's overall SOL pass rate is 61.2%, with stronger-than-state results in VA and US History (44% vs a 38% state average). 98.7% of the class of 2025 graduated on time, 33% of them with Advanced Studies diplomas. 43% of the school's 2022 graduates enrolled in college within 16 months. Program depth includes 17% AP course enrollment, 2% dual enrollment for college credit, 185 industry certifications through career and technical education. Chronic absenteeism is 26.1%, compared with the 16.4% state median for high schools.

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.
Attendance (20%): chronic absenteeism, ranked statewide (lower is better).
What changed for 2025–26: Virginia retired the accreditation “combined rate” we used for academic progress in 2024–25, so progress now uses the state's student growth rates. Virginia publishes no growth measure for high schools, so their 20% now goes to attendance. The year-over-year comparison at the top uses the score we published for 2024–25; part of a school's change can come from this method update.
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 (2025–26) · 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
Established: 1996
Enrollment: 1,093 students (2025-2026)
Student–teacher ratio: 14:1
Classroom teachers: 78.95 FTE
Accreditation: Fully Accredited (2025-2026)
NCES school ID: 510264001451

Academic performance

SOL pass rates · 2025-2026

Reading

73%

Mathematics

55%

Science

59%

History & Social Sci.

57%

98.7%

On-time graduation (Class of 2025)

0%

Dropout rate

33%

Earned an Advanced Diploma

College & career readiness

2025-2026

17.2%

Students in AP courses

2.2%

Dual-enrollment (college credit)

185

Career & technical credentials earned

AP course enrollment 17.2%; AP exams taken 13.91%; dual enrollment 2.2%; 185 industry certifications, per Virginia School Quality Profiles (2025-26).

Attendance

2025-2026

26.1% 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

Data sources

NCES Common Core of Data — Heritage High ↗ — NCES ID, district, grade span, locale, total enrollment, classroom teachers FTE, student/teacher ratio2024-2025
Virginia School Quality Profiles — Heritage High ↗ — Enrollment by grade, demographics, accreditation, SOL pass rates, graduation rate, chronic absenteeism, AP/dual enrollment, principal, phoneSOL, attendance, enrollment & AP/dual 2025-2026; graduation Class of 2025; accreditation SY2025-2026
Wikipedia — Heritage High School (Newport News, Virginia) ↗ — Founding year (1996), mascot, colors, state championships, notable alumni, magnet programsn/a
Heritage High School official website ↗ — Official website URL2026

Figures reflect the 2025-2026 (Virginia DOE SOL, attendance, enrollment, AP & dual enrollment); Class of 2025 (graduation); 2024-2025 (NCES staffing); accreditation SY2025-2026 unless noted. School zoning, boundaries, and ratings change — verify with the school division before making housing decisions.

Heritage High School