Booker T. Washington High School, Norfolk, VA

At a glance

School district: Norfolk City Public Schools
Grades served: 9-12
School type: Regular public school
Principal: Matthew Mason
Established: 1911 · this campus 1974
Mascot & colors: Bookers (The Mighty Bookers) · Maroon, White, Gold
Enrollment: 904 students (2024-2025)
Student–teacher ratio: 12:1
Classroom teachers: 75 FTE
Accreditation: Fully Accredited (2024-2025)
NCES school ID: 510267001079

Academic performance

SOL pass rates · 2024-2025

Reading

73%

Mathematics

57%

Science

56%

History & Social Sci.

32%

77%

On-time graduation (2025)

15%

Dropout rate

College & career readiness

2024-2025

17.37%

Students in AP courses

1.99%

Dual-enrollment (college credit)

Advanced diplomas: 61 of the Class of 2025 cohort earned an Advanced Studies diploma; 113 earned a Standard diploma.

Attendance

2024-2025

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

About Booker T. Washington High School

Booker T. Washington High School was founded in 1911 and in 1917 became Virginia's first accredited public high school for African Americans. Its historic marching band was the first African-American marching band to perform in a televised presidential inauguration parade, appearing for President Harry Truman in 1949, and later performed at inaugurations for President Eisenhower and at the 2014 Virginia governor's inaugural parade. The current facility, located at 1111 Park Avenue in Norfolk, opened in 1974 at a cost of roughly $8 million.

The school sits in Norfolk's Park Avenue area and operates as part of Norfolk City Public Schools, serving grades 9-12. It is also known as BTW and operates the Academy of Visual and Performing Arts.

Notable alumni

Bruce Smith· Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive endPernell Whitaker· Multiple-time world boxing championTony Brothers· NBA refereeAline Elizabeth Black· Educator and civil-rights figureDon Carey· NFL cornerback (2009 draft)Samuel L. Green Jr.· Pastor and bishop

Contact

Phone: (757) 628-3575

Official school website ↗

Data sources

NCES Common Core of Data - Booker T Washington High — NCES ID, address, phone, district, grades, enrollment, teachers FTE, student/teacher ratio, locale, free-lunch eligibility, race/ethnicity counts2024-2025 link ↗
Virginia School Quality Profiles - Booker T Washington High — Accreditation, SOL pass rates, graduation/dropout rates, demographics, chronic absenteeism, AP/dual enrollment, principal2024-2025 link ↗
Wikipedia - Booker T. Washington High School (Virginia) — Founding history, current campus year, mascot, colors, marching band history, notable alumnin/a link ↗
Booker T. Washington High School official website — Official website URL2026 link ↗

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

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