Wm. E. Waters Middle School, Portsmouth, VA

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.

2.3 · Test scores

SOL pass rate of 55.5% across all subjects — 14th percentile statewide.

2.7 · Academic progress

Virginia's accreditation combined rate for English and Math, which credits schools for student growth — 19th percentile.

2.4 · Attendance

Chronic absenteeism of 22.9% — better attendance than 16% of peers statewide.

Test scores by subject

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

This school Virginia average

Geometry

93%state 82%

Algebra I

95%state 85%

Civics & Econ

58%state 72%

Grade 8 Science

42%state 68%

Grade 7 Mathematics

35%state 62%

Grade 8 Mathematics

55%state 63%

Grade 7 English Reading

62%state 73%

Grade 8 English Reading

60%state 74%

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

Wm. E. Waters Middle School & its school zone

A public middle school in Portsmouth Public Schools, Wm. E. Waters Middle School anchors its attendance zone in Portsmouth, VA 23701. Buyers searching homes for sale near Wm. E. Waters Middle School are shopping this Portsmouth school zone, one of the areas families compare when weighing Portsmouth middle school zones. On the VaHome School Score the school earns 2.4/10 — below the state average among Virginia's 337 public middle schools, based on Virginia Department of Education data for 2024–25.

The school's overall SOL pass rate is 55.5%, with standout results in Algebra I (95% vs a 85% state average). Virginia's accreditation measures — which credit schools for student growth, not just pass rates — come in at 75% for English and 68% for Math. Chronic absenteeism is 22.9%, compared with the 15.2% state median for middle schools.

For house hunters comparing Portsmouth school zones, the listings on this page show active REIN MLS homes near Wm. E. Waters Middle School. 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 (50%): the school's SOL pass rate across all subjects, ranked against every Virginia public school of the same level.
Attendance (20%): chronic absenteeism, ranked statewide (lower is better).
Academic progress (30%): 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: 7-8
School type: Public (regular)
Principal: Jennelle Burden
Enrollment: 549 students (2024-2025)
Student–teacher ratio: 12:1
Classroom teachers: 46 FTE
Accreditation: Fully Accredited (2025-2026)
NCES school ID: 510300001265

Academic performance

SOL pass rates · 2024-2025

Reading

61%

Mathematics

56%

Science

42%

History & Social Sci.

58%

Attendance

2024-2025

18.2% of students were chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days).

About Wm. E. Waters Middle School

William E. Waters Middle School (also styled Wm. E. Waters Middle School) is a public middle school serving grades 7 and 8 in Portsmouth, Virginia. It is one of the middle schools operated by Portsmouth City Public Schools and is located at 600 Roosevelt Boulevard in the western part of the independent city of Portsmouth (ZIP 23701), within the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia.

For the 2024-2025 school year the school enrolled roughly 549-550 students and employed about 46 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 11.9 to 1. The Virginia Department of Education classified the school as Fully Accredited for the 2025-2026 school year. NCES classifies its setting as a small city.

Contact

Phone: (757) 558-2813

Official school website ↗

Data sources

NCES Common Core of Data — William E. Waters Middle — NCES ID, address, phone, grades, enrollment (549), FTE teachers (46), student/teacher ratio (11.93), locale (City, Small), charter status, free/reduced lunch counts, race/ethnicity counts2024-2025 link ↗
Virginia School Quality Profiles — William E. Waters Middle — Principal, accreditation status (Fully Accredited, SY2025-26), SOL pass rates (English 61, Math 56, Science 42, History/SS 58), demographics (econ disadvantaged 71%, EL 4%, SWD 15%, race/ethnicity %), chronic absenteeism 18.2%, enrollment (550)2024-2025 (SOL/demographics); 2025-2026 (accreditation) link ↗
William E. Waters Middle School official website — Official website URL and school identity (page is JS-rendered; mascot/colors/hours not extractable)2026 link ↗

Figures reflect the 2024-2025 (SOL, demographics, enrollment, staffing, attendance); 2025-2026 (accreditation) unless noted. School zoning, boundaries, and ratings change — verify with the school division before making housing decisions.

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