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Portsmouth City Public Schools · High School · Grades 9-12

Churchland High School

4301 Cedar Lane, Portsmouth, VA 23703 · Home of the Truckers

✓ Fully Accredited · 2025-2026
This year · 2025–26
6.6/10
Above state average
Last year · 2024–25
5.9/10
Around state average
▲ Up 0.7 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.

Churchland High School phone, mascot & school colors

Phone
(757) 686-2500
Mascot
Truckers
School colors
Black, Orange
Principal
Brandi Smedley
Address
4301 Cedar Lane, Portsmouth, VA 23703
Official school website ↗

Score breakdown

Compared against all 321 Virginia public high schools. 1–4 is below the state average, 5–6 around it, 7–10 above it.

9.5 · Test scores

SOL pass rate of 91.9% across all subjects — 95th percentile statewide.

2.7 · College readiness

On-time graduation, AP participation, and college enrollment within 16 months — 19th percentile.

8.3 · Attendance

Chronic absenteeism of 10.2% — better attendance than 82% of peers statewide.

Year over year: 6.6 for 2025–26, compared with 5.9 for 2024–25 — up 0.7.

Test scores by subject

Percent of students passing Virginia SOL tests, 2025–26. High school reading and writing compare end-of-course tests with the statewide end-of-course result.

This school Virginia average
Biology
96%state 77%
Geometry
92%state 82%
Algebra I
88%state 86%
Algebra II
93%state 88%
English Reading
98%state 86%
English Writing
81%state 76%
World History I
95%state 71%

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

College & career

Class of 2025 cohort of 385 students; AP and dual enrollment are 2025–26, unless noted.

91.4%
On-time graduation rate (class of 2025)
44%
Advanced Studies diplomas
49%
Enrolled in college within 16 months (class of 2022)
7.3%
Dropout rate
5.5%
Enrolled in AP courses
4.7%
Took an AP exam
13.7%
Dual enrollment (college credit)
326
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 6.6/10 — above the state average among Virginia's 321 public high schools, based on Virginia Department of Education data for 2025–26. That is up from 5.9 in 2024–25.

The school's overall SOL pass rate is 91.9%, with standout results in World History I (95% vs a 71% state average) and Biology (96% vs a 77% state average). 91.4% of the class of 2025 graduated on time, 44% of them with Advanced Studies diplomas. 49% of the school's 2022 graduates enrolled in college within 16 months. Program depth includes 5% AP course enrollment, 14% dual enrollment for college credit, 326 industry certifications through career and technical education. Chronic absenteeism is 10.2%, better than the 16.4% state median for high schools.

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.
  • 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
Portsmouth City Public Schools
Grades served
9-12
School type
Regular public high school; designated a magnet school for the visual and performing arts
Established
1840 · this campus 1992
Enrollment
1,392 students (2025-2026)
Student–teacher ratio
15:1
Classroom teachers
98 FTE
Accreditation
Fully Accredited (2025-2026)
NCES school ID
510300000375

Academic performance

SOL pass rates · 2025-2026
Reading
98%
Mathematics
90%
Science
96%
History & Social Sci.
95%
91.4%
On-time graduation (Class of 2025)
7.3%
Dropout rate
44%
Earned an Advanced Diploma

College & career readiness

2025-2026
5.46%
Students in AP courses
13.72%
Dual-enrollment (college credit)
326
Career & technical credentials earned

AP course enrollment 5.46%; AP exams taken 4.74%; dual enrollment 13.72%; 326 industry certifications, per Virginia School Quality Profiles (2025-26).

Attendance

2025-2026

10.2% 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

Data sources

Figures reflect the 2025-2026 (Virginia DOE SOL, attendance, enrollment, AP & dual enrollment); Class of 2025 (graduation); 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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