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 1,106 Virginia public elementary schools. 1–4 is below the state average, 5–6 around it, 7–10 above it.

1.7 · Test scores

SOL pass rate of 49.3% across all subjects — 8th percentile statewide.

1.9 · Academic progress

Virginia's accreditation combined rate for English and Math, which credits schools for student growth — 10th percentile.

1.6 · Attendance

Chronic absenteeism of 22.7% — better attendance than 7% of peers statewide.

Test scores by subject

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

This school Virginia average

Grade 5 Science

50%state 69%

Virginia Studies

62%state 69%

Grade 3 Mathematics

43%state 73%

Grade 4 Mathematics

59%state 73%

Grade 5 Mathematics

45%state 71%

Grade 3 English Reading

34%state 67%

Grade 4 English Reading

52%state 73%

Grade 5 English Reading

48%state 72%

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

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 1,106 public elementary schools, based on Virginia Department of Education data for 2024–25.

The school's overall SOL pass rate is 49.3%. Virginia's accreditation measures — which credit schools for student growth, not just pass rates — come in at 77% for English and 75% for Math. Chronic absenteeism is 22.7%, compared with the 11.7% 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.
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: Newport News City Public Schools
Grades served: PK-5
School type: Regular school (public)
Enrollment: 660 students (2024-2025)
Student–teacher ratio: 19:1
Classroom teachers: 35 FTE
Accreditation: Fully Accredited (2025-2026)
NCES school ID: 510264001059

Academic performance

SOL pass rates · 2024-2025

Reading

45%

Mathematics

49%

Science

50%

History & Social Sci.

62%

Attendance

2024-2025

Consistent attenders

85.2%

14.8% 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 Pipkin2024-2025 / 2025-2026
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 2024-2025 (SOL, demographics, attendance); 2025-2026 (accreditation); NCES CCD 2024-2025 unless noted. School zoning, boundaries, and ratings change — verify with the school division before making housing decisions.

Joseph H. Saunders Elementary School