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Norfolk City Public Schools · Middle School · Grades 3-8

Ruffner Middle School

610 May Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23504 · Home of the Bulldogs

✓ Conditionally Accredited · 2025-2026
This year · 2025–26
1.1/10
Below state average
Last year · 2024–25
1.1/10
Below state average
No change from 2024–25
VaHome School Score

Rating: VaHome School Score, computed from Virginia Department of Education data (2025–26) — methodology on this page. Profile data: NCES & Virginia DOE. School boundaries can change — verify zoning with the district before relying on it.

Ruffner Middle School phone, hours & mascot

Phone
(757) 628-2466
Hours
Office hours 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; school day 8:15 a.m.-2:45 p.m.
Mascot
Bulldogs
Principal
Tracey K. Flemings
Address
610 May Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23504
Official school website ↗

Score breakdown

Compared against all 337 Virginia public middle schools. 1–4 is below the state average, 5–6 around it, 7–10 above it.

1.0 · Test scores

SOL pass rate of 27.2% across all subjects — 0th percentile statewide.

1.0 · Academic progress

45% of students showed growth in reading and 38% in math — 0th percentile.

1.5 · Attendance

Chronic absenteeism of 24.0% — better attendance than 6% of peers statewide.

Year over year: 1.1 for 2025–26, compared with 1.1 for 2024–25 — unchanged.

Test scores by subject

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

This school Virginia average
Civics & Econ
25%state 73%
Grade 8 Science
26%state 66%
Grade 6 Mathematics
21%state 66%
Grade 7 Mathematics
13%state 60%
Grade 8 Mathematics
26%state 62%
Grade 6 English Reading
34%state 73%
Grade 7 English Reading
37%state 73%
Grade 8 English Reading
27%state 74%

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

Ruffner Middle School & its school zone

Ruffner Middle School serves Norfolk, VA 23504 students as a public middle school in Norfolk Public Schools. Buyers searching homes for sale near Ruffner Middle School are shopping this Norfolk school zone, one of the areas families compare when weighing Norfolk middle school zones. On the VaHome School Score the school earns 1.1/10 — below the state average among Virginia's 337 public middle schools, based on Virginia Department of Education data for 2025–26. That matches its 2024–25 score of 1.1.

The school's overall SOL pass rate is 27.2%. On Virginia's 2025–26 growth measures, 45% of students showed growth in English reading and 38% in math. Chronic absenteeism is 24.0%, compared with the 11.9% state median for middle schools.

For house hunters comparing Norfolk school zones, the listings on this page show active REIN MLS homes near Ruffner Middle School. School zoning and attendance boundaries can change between school years — always verify a specific address's assignment directly with Norfolk 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
Norfolk City Public Schools
Grades served
3-8
School type
Public
Established
1922 · this campus 1993
Enrollment
600 students (2025-2026)
Student–teacher ratio
12:1
Classroom teachers
47 FTE
Accreditation
Conditionally Accredited (2025-2026)
NCES school ID
510267001134

Academic performance

SOL pass rates · 2025-2026
Reading
32%
Mathematics
24%
Science
22%
History & Social Sci.
28%

Attendance

2025-2026

24% of students were chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days).

About Ruffner Middle School

Ruffner Academy (officially William H. Ruffner Academy, also listed by NCES as Ruffner School) is a public school in the Norfolk City Public Schools division, located at 610 May Avenue in Norfolk, Virginia. The school was established in 1922 and is named for William Henry Ruffner (1824-1908), the designer and first superintendent of Virginia's public school system. In 1993 the school was rebuilt on a new site across the street from its original location.

Although commonly referred to as a middle school, the school serves grades 3 through 8. It sits in southeastern Norfolk and functions as a community-based neighborhood school within Norfolk City Public Schools. Athletic teams compete in the Norfolk Middle School Athletic League as the Ruffner Bulldogs.

Data sources

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.

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