Joseph H. Saunders Elementary School, Newport News, VA

Joseph H. Saunders Elementary School phone & hours

Phone: (757) 591-4781
Hours: 8:30 am - 4:45 pm (school hours 9:20 am - 3:55 pm)
Principal: Shannon Pipkin
Address: 853 Harpersville Rd, Newport News, VA 23601

Score breakdown

Compared against all 1,074 Virginia public elementary schools. 1–4 is below the state average, 5–6 around it, 7–10 above it.

1.9 · Test scores

SOL pass rate of 51.9% across all subjects — 10th percentile statewide.

1.7 · Academic progress

65% of students showed growth in reading and 62% in math — 7th percentile.

1.9 · Attendance

Chronic absenteeism of 16.1% — better attendance than 10% of peers statewide.

Year over year: 1.8 for 2025–26, compared with 1.8 for 2024–25 — unchanged.

Test scores by subject

Percent of students passing Virginia SOL tests, 2025–26.

This school Virginia average

Grade 5 Science

47%state 69%

Virginia Studies

59%state 71%

Grade 3 Mathematics

63%state 74%

Grade 4 Mathematics

50%state 73%

Grade 5 Mathematics

49%state 72%

Grade 3 English Reading

46%state 68%

Grade 4 English Reading

56%state 74%

Grade 5 English Reading

45%state 73%

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

Joseph H. Saunders Elementary School & its school zone

Joseph H. Saunders Elementary School is a public elementary school in Newport News, VA 23601, part of Newport News Public Schools. Buyers searching homes for sale near Joseph H. Saunders Elementary School are shopping this Newport News school zone, one of the areas families compare when weighing Newport News elementary school zones. On the VaHome School Score the school earns 1.8/10 — below the state average among Virginia's 1,074 public elementary schools, based on Virginia Department of Education data for 2025–26. That matches its 2024–25 score of 1.8.

The school's overall SOL pass rate is 51.9%. On Virginia's 2025–26 growth measures, 65% of students showed growth in English reading and 62% in math. Chronic absenteeism is 16.1%, compared with the 9.0% state median for elementary schools.

For house hunters comparing Newport News school zones, the listings on this page show active REIN MLS homes near Joseph H. Saunders Elementary School. 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 (50%): the school's SOL pass rate across all subjects, ranked against every Virginia public school of the same level.
Academic progress (30%): Virginia's growth rates — the share of students who showed year-over-year growth in English reading and in math — ranked statewide.
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: PK-5
School type: Regular school (public)
Enrollment: 672 students (2025-2026)
Student–teacher ratio: 19:1
Classroom teachers: 35 FTE
Accreditation: Fully Accredited (2025-2026)
NCES school ID: 510264001059

Academic performance

SOL pass rates · 2025-2026

Reading

49%

Mathematics

54%

Science

47%

History & Social Sci.

59%

Attendance

2025-2026

Consistent attenders

83.9%

16.1% of students were chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days).

About Joseph H. Saunders Elementary School

Joseph H. Saunders Elementary School is a public Pre-K through grade 5 school in Newport News, Virginia, operated by Newport News City Public Schools. It is named for Joseph Henry Saunders (1876-1946), a Portsmouth native and College of William and Mary graduate who served as superintendent of Newport News schools from 1921 to 1946. The school sits at 853 Harpersville Road in the Harpersville area of the city's midsize-city locale.

The school serves a diverse student body and hosts a Dual Language Immersion program that launched at the kindergarten level in 2022. It is fully accredited by the Virginia Department of Education for the 2025-2026 school year.

Data sources

NCES Common Core of Data - School Detail ↗ — NCES ID (510264001059), grades PK-5, total enrollment 660, enrollment by grade, 35.0 FTE teachers, 18.86 student/teacher ratio, locale (City, Midsize), school type/status, phone, address2024-2025
Virginia School Quality Profiles - Joseph H. Saunders Elementary ↗ — Fully Accredited (2025-2026); SOL pass rates (Reading 45%, Math 49%, Science 50%, History/Social Science 62%); enrollment 664; race/ethnicity, economically disadvantaged 62.7%, English learners 20.6%, students with disabilities 8.9%; chronic absenteeism 14.8%; principal Shannon PipkinSOL, attendance & enrollment 2025-2026; accreditation SY2025-2026
Saunders Elementary School official website ↗ — Principal, phone, office hours (8:30am-4:45pm), school hours (9:20am-3:55pm), district mission statement2026
Newport News Public Schools - School Namesakes & History ↗ — Namesake history: Joseph Henry Saunders (1876-1946), superintendent 1921-1946n/a

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

Joseph H. Saunders Elementary School