I.C. Norcom High School, Portsmouth, VA: Phone & Mascot

I.C. Norcom High School phone, mascot & school colors

Phone: (757) 393-5442
Mascot: Greyhounds
School colors: Maroon, Grey
Principal: Teesha Sanders
Address: 1801 London Boulevard, Portsmouth, VA 23704

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.

4.4 · Test scores

SOL pass rate of 73.9% across all subjects — 38th percentile statewide.

1.8 · College readiness

On-time graduation, AP participation, and college enrollment within 16 months — 9th percentile.

2.4 · Attendance

Chronic absenteeism of 25.0% — better attendance than 16% of peers statewide.

Year over year: 3.0 for 2025–26, compared with 2.6 for 2024–25 — up 0.4.

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

78%state 77%

Geometry

83%state 82%

Algebra I

75%state 86%

Algebra II

78%state 88%

English Reading

85%state 86%

English Writing

61%state 76%

World History I

75%state 71%

VA and US History

30%state 38%

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

College & career

Class of 2025 cohort of 263 students; AP and dual enrollment are 2025–26, unless noted.

87.8%

On-time graduation rate (class of 2025)

32%

Advanced Studies diplomas

44%

Enrolled in college within 16 months (class of 2022)

9.9%

Dropout rate

1.6%

Enrolled in AP courses

1.6%

Took an AP exam

6.5%

Dual enrollment (college credit)

258

Industry certifications earned (CTE)

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

I.C. Norcom High School & its school zone

I.C. Norcom High School is a public high school in Portsmouth, VA 23704, part of Portsmouth Public Schools. Buyers searching homes for sale near I.C. Norcom High School are typically shopping the IC Norcom zone, one of the areas families compare when weighing Portsmouth high school zones. On the VaHome School Score the school earns 3.0/10 — below the state average among Virginia's 321 public high schools, based on Virginia Department of Education data for 2025–26. That is up from 2.6 in 2024–25.

The school's overall SOL pass rate is 73.9%; reading pass rates come in at 85% against an 86% state average. 87.8% of the class of 2025 graduated on time, 32% of them with Advanced Studies diplomas. 44% of the school's 2022 graduates enrolled in college within 16 months. Program depth includes 2% AP course enrollment, 6% dual enrollment for college credit, 258 industry certifications through career and technical education. Chronic absenteeism is 25.0%, compared with the 16.4% state median for high schools.

For house hunters comparing Portsmouth school zones, homes zoned to I.C. Norcom High School sit in the IC Norcom 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 (not charter)
Established: 1878 · this campus 1997
Enrollment: 1,008 students (2025-2026)
Student–teacher ratio: 13:1
Classroom teachers: 75 FTE
Accreditation: Fully Accredited (2025-2026)
NCES school ID: 510300001250

Academic performance

SOL pass rates · 2025-2026

Reading

85%

Mathematics

77%

Science

77%

History & Social Sci.

71%

87.8%

On-time graduation (Class of 2025)

9.9%

Dropout rate

32%

Earned an Advanced Diploma

College & career readiness

2025-2026

1.59%

Students in AP courses

6.45%

Dual-enrollment (college credit)

258

Career & technical credentials earned

AP course enrollment 1.59%; AP exams taken 1.59%; dual enrollment 6.45%; 258 industry certifications, per Virginia School Quality Profiles (2025-26).

Attendance

2025-2026

25% of students were chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days).

About I.C. Norcom High School

I. C. Norcom High School traces its origins to 1878, when it opened as the Chestnut Street School for Black elementary and high school students in Portsmouth, Virginia. It was renamed the High Street School in 1913 and later named in honor of Israel Charles Norcom (1856-1916), an African American educator who served as its first supervising principal. It is often cited as one of the nation's oldest continuously operating historically Black high schools.

The school is administered by Portsmouth City Public Schools and sits at 1801 London Boulevard in Portsmouth, a city in the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia. The current building opened in September 1997, and its first four-year graduating class completed in 2002. The school's teams are the Greyhounds, competing in the Virginia High School League, with school colors of maroon and grey.

Notable alumni

Ruth Brown· R&B singer, 'Queen of R&B' (class of 1945)E. J. Josey· African American librarian and activist (class of 1940)James W. Holley III· Former mayor of Portsmouth, Virginia (class of 1944)Dorian Finney-Smith· NBA basketball playerVernon Macklin· NBA basketball playerMelvin Gregg· Actor

Data sources

NCES Common Core of Data - I.C. Norcom High ↗ — NCES ID (510300001250), state ID, enrollment (1,009), grades 9-12, 75.0 FTE teachers, student/teacher ratio 13.45, locale, charter status, phone, address2024-2025
Virginia School Quality Profiles - I.C. Norcom High ↗ — Accreditation status, SOL pass rates, graduation/dropout rates, chronic absenteeism, AP/dual enrollment, demographics, principalSOL, attendance, enrollment & AP/dual 2025-2026; graduation Class of 2025; accreditation SY2025-2026
Wikipedia - I. C. Norcom High School ↗ — Founding history, mascot, colors, current building year, athletics championships, notable alumni, websiten/a
Wikimedia Commons - File:Norcom High.jpg ↗ — Freely-licensed (CC BY-SA 4.0) building photo2007

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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