Churchland High School, Portsmouth, VA

Score breakdown

Compared against all 325 Virginia public high schools. 1–4 is below the state average, 5–6 around it, 7–10 above it.

9.0 · Test scores

SOL pass rate of 87.9% across all subjects — 89th percentile statewide.

5.4 · Academic progress

Virginia's accreditation combined rate for English and Math, which credits schools for student growth — 49th percentile.

3.1 · College readiness

On-time graduation, AP participation, and college enrollment within 16 months — 23th percentile.

Test scores by subject

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

This school Virginia average

Biology

85%state 78%

Geometry

76%state 82%

Algebra I

90%state 85%

Algebra II

91%state 89%

Earth Science

75%state 70%

English Writing

77%state 76%

World History I

94%state 66%

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

College & career

Class of 2024 cohort of 364 students, unless noted.

92.9%

On-time graduation rate

48%

Advanced Studies diplomas

49%

Enrolled in college within 16 months

5.5%

Dropout rate

4.1%

Enrolled in AP courses

4.1%

Took an AP exam

16.1%

Dual enrollment (college credit)

343

Industry certifications earned (CTE)

Source: Virginia Department of Education — Graduation, Diplomas, Advanced Programs, Postsecondary Enrollment, and CTE datasets.

Churchland High School & its school zone

A public high school in Portsmouth Public Schools, Churchland High School anchors its attendance zone in Portsmouth, VA 23703. Buyers searching homes for sale near Churchland High School are typically shopping the Churchland zone, one of the areas families compare when weighing Portsmouth high school zones. On the VaHome School Score the school earns 5.9/10 — around the state average among Virginia's 325 public high schools, based on Virginia Department of Education data for 2024–25.

The school's overall SOL pass rate is 87.9%, with standout results in World History I (94% vs a 66% state average). 92.9% of the class of 2024 graduated on time, 48% of them with Advanced Studies diplomas. 49% of graduates enrolled in college within 16 months. Program depth includes 4% AP course enrollment, 16% dual enrollment for college credit, 343 industry certifications through career and technical education.

For house hunters comparing Portsmouth school zones, homes zoned to Churchland High School sit in the Churchland attendance area — use the listings on this page to see every active REIN MLS home in the zone. School zoning and attendance boundaries can change between school years — always verify a specific address's assignment directly with Portsmouth Public Schools before making a housing decision based on school zone.

How the VaHome School Score works

Test scores (40%): the school's SOL pass rate across all subjects, ranked against every Virginia public school of the same level.
College readiness (40%): average statewide rank in on-time graduation rate, AP course enrollment, and college enrollment within 16 months of graduation.
Academic progress (20%): 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: Portsmouth City Public Schools
Grades served: 9-12
School type: Regular public high school; designated a magnet school for the visual and performing arts
Principal: Brandi Smedley
Established: 1840 · this campus 1992
Mascot & colors: Truckers · Black, Orange
Enrollment: 1,453 students (2024-2025)
Student–teacher ratio: 15:1
Classroom teachers: 98 FTE
Accreditation: Fully Accredited (2025-2026)
NCES school ID: 510300000375

Academic performance

SOL pass rates · 2024-2025

Reading

95%

Mathematics

87%

Science

85%

History & Social Sci.

94%

93%

On-time graduation (2025)

Dropout rate

48%

Earned an Advanced Diploma

College & career readiness

2024-2025

Students in AP courses

16%

Dual-enrollment (college credit)

AP course enrollment 60 students (4%); dual enrollment 235 students (16%); Governor's School 16 students (1%). CTE credential count not found.

Attendance

2024-2025

14% of students were chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days).

About Churchland High School

Churchland High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in the Churchland section of Portsmouth, Virginia, part of Portsmouth City Public Schools. The Churchland community historically centered on truck farming, and its athletic teams took the nickname 'Truckers' in the 1920s-30s in honor of the area's truck farmers; the school colors are black and orange. Churchland became part of Portsmouth Public Schools in 1968 following the annexation of part of the former Western Branch District of Norfolk County. Construction on the current building at 4301 Cedar Lane began in 1990, and the campus was occupied in January 1992.

The school is designated a magnet program for the visual and performing arts, offering dance, chorus, orchestra, band, drama, and visual arts. It enrolls roughly 1,450 students on the west side of Portsmouth near the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River.

Notable alumni

Richard Thomas Shea· Medal of Honor recipient (Korean War, posthumous 1953); Virginia Tech track starW. Nathaniel 'Nat' Howell· U.S. State Department Foreign Service officer and former U.S. ambassador to KuwaitL. Glenn Perry· First Chief Accountant of the SEC's Division of EnforcementDenny Riddleberger· Former Major League Baseball pitcherRyan Glynn· Former Major League Baseball pitcherArthur Moats· NFL linebackerDa'Quan Felton· NFL wide receiverCharles Grant· NFL offensive tackle

Contact

Phone: (757) 686-2500

Official school website ↗

Data sources

NCES Common Core of Data - Churchland High — NCES ID, address, phone, grades, enrollment, FTE teachers, student/teacher ratio, locale, school type, race/ethnicity counts2024-2025 link ↗
Virginia School Quality Profiles - Churchland High — Accreditation, SOL pass rates, graduation/dropout, advanced diploma, chronic absenteeism, demographics, AP/dual enrollment, principal2024-2025 metrics; 2025-2026 accreditation link ↗
Churchland High School official website — Official website URL2026 link ↗
Wikipedia - Churchland High School — History, mascot, colors, magnet designation, notable alumni, founding date2026 link ↗
Wikimedia Commons - File:Churchland HS 1.jpg — Freely-licensed building photo (CC BY-SA 4.0)2007 link ↗

Figures reflect the NCES CCD 2024-2025; Virginia School Quality Profiles metrics 2024-2025 with 2025-2026 accreditation unless noted. School zoning, boundaries, and ratings change — verify with the school division before making housing decisions.

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