L.F. Palmer Elementary School, Newport News, VA

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.

2.8 · Test scores

SOL pass rate of 57.9% across all subjects — 20th percentile statewide.

4.2 · Academic progress

Virginia's accreditation combined rate for English and Math, which credits schools for student growth — 35th percentile.

1.7 · Attendance

Chronic absenteeism of 21.4% — better attendance than 8% of peers statewide.

Test scores by subject

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

This school Virginia average

Grade 5 Science

61%state 69%

Virginia Studies

54%state 69%

Grade 3 Mathematics

59%state 73%

Grade 4 Mathematics

59%state 73%

Grade 5 Mathematics

60%state 71%

Grade 3 English Reading

54%state 67%

Grade 4 English Reading

55%state 73%

Grade 5 English Reading

61%state 72%

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

L.F. Palmer Elementary School & its school zone

L.F. Palmer Elementary School serves Newport News, VA 23602 students as a public elementary school in Newport News Public Schools. Buyers searching homes for sale near L.F. Palmer 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 3.0/10 — 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 57.9%. Virginia's accreditation measures — which credit schools for student growth, not just pass rates — come in at 85% for English and 86% for Math. Chronic absenteeism is 21.4%, 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 L.F. Palmer 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: Public elementary (regular school, non-charter)
Principal: Dr. Melody Camm
Established: 1971
Enrollment: 465 students (2024-2025)
Student–teacher ratio: 18:1
Classroom teachers: 26 FTE
Accreditation: Fully Accredited (2025-2026)
NCES school ID: 510264001060

Academic performance

SOL pass rates · 2024-2025

Reading

57%

Mathematics

59%

Science

61%

History & Social Sci.

54%

Attendance

2024-2025

15% of students were chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days).

About L.F. Palmer Elementary School

L.F. Palmer Elementary School is a public PK-5 school in the Newport News City Public Schools division, located at 100 Palmer Lane in the Denbigh area of Newport News, Virginia. The school was named in 1971 for Lutrelle Fleming Palmer (1888-1950), a nationally prominent educator who served as principal of Huntington High School from 1920 to 1943, taught at Hampton Institute (now Hampton University), and was a pioneer in the effort to equalize teacher salaries.

The school is classified by the U.S. Department of Education as being in a midsize city locale and serves a diverse student body. As of the 2024-2025 school year it enrolled 465 students and held Fully Accredited status from the Virginia Department of Education for 2025-2026.

Contact

Phone: (757) 881-5000
Office hours: 8:30 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Official school website ↗

Data sources

NCES Common Core of Data - L.F. Palmer Elementary — NCES ID, state ID, address, phone, grades, school type, locale, 2024-25 enrollment (465), FTE teachers (26.0), student/teacher ratio (17.88), racial/ethnic counts, free/reduced lunch counts2024-2025 link ↗
Virginia School Quality Profiles - L.F. Palmer Elementary — 2025-26 Fully Accredited status, 2024-25 SOL pass rates (Reading 57, Math 59, Science 61, History 54), demographics, economically disadvantaged, English learners, students with disabilities, chronic absenteeism, principal2024-2025 (accreditation 2025-2026) link ↗
Palmer Elementary School official website — Principal (Dr. Melody Camm), phone, office hours (8:30am-4:45pm)2026 link ↗
Newport News Public Schools - School Namesakes & History — Named 1971 for Lutrelle Fleming Palmer (1888-1950); biographical historycurrent link ↗

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

L.F. Palmer Elementary School