Colonel Fred Cherry Middle School, Suffolk, 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.

6.0 · Test scores

SOL pass rate of 72.5% across all subjects — 56th percentile statewide.

6.1 · Academic progress

Virginia's accreditation combined rate for English and Math, which credits schools for student growth — 57th percentile.

9.3 · Attendance

Chronic absenteeism of 7.7% — better attendance than 93% of peers statewide.

Test scores by subject

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

This school Virginia average

Geometry

97%state 82%

Algebra I

100%state 85%

Civics & Econ

73%state 72%

Grade 8 Science

65%state 68%

Grade 6 Mathematics

68%state 65%

Grade 7 Mathematics

49%state 62%

Grade 8 Mathematics

77%state 63%

Grade 6 English Reading

72%state 73%

Grade 7 English Reading

71%state 73%

Grade 8 English Reading

74%state 74%

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

Colonel Fred Cherry Middle School & its school zone

Colonel Fred Cherry Middle School serves Suffolk, VA 23435 students as a public middle school in Suffolk Public Schools. Buyers searching homes for sale near Colonel Fred Cherry Middle School are shopping this Suffolk school zone, one of the areas families compare when weighing Suffolk middle school zones. On the VaHome School Score the school earns 6.7/10 — above 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 72.5%, with standout results in Algebra I (100% vs a 85% state average) and Geometry (97% vs a 82% state average). Virginia's accreditation measures — which credit schools for student growth, not just pass rates — come in at 83% for English and 82% for Math. Chronic absenteeism is 7.7%, better than the 15.2% state median for middle schools.

For house hunters comparing Suffolk school zones, the listings on this page show active REIN MLS homes near Colonel Fred Cherry Middle School. School zoning and attendance boundaries can change between school years — always verify a specific address's assignment directly with Suffolk 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: Suffolk City Public Schools
Grades served: 6-8
School type: Regular public school (non-charter)
Principal: Dr. Janet Wright-Davis
Established: 2018
Mascot & colors: Hawks
Enrollment: 736 students (2024-2025)
Student–teacher ratio: 12:1
Classroom teachers: 62.89 FTE
Accreditation: Fully Accredited (2025-2026)
NCES school ID: 510371003058

Academic performance

SOL pass rates · 2024-2025

Reading

73%

Mathematics

72%

Science

72%

History & Social Sci.

73%

Attendance

2024-2025

9% of students were chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days).

About Colonel Fred Cherry Middle School

Colonel Fred Cherry Middle School opened in the fall of 2018 and serves grades 6-8 within Suffolk City Public Schools in Suffolk, Virginia, part of the Hampton Roads region. The school is named for Colonel Fred Vann Cherry, a Suffolk-born U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars and was the first and highest-ranking Black U.S. officer held as a prisoner of war after his aircraft was downed in 1965. The approximately 125,000-square-foot building was designed using prototype drawings previously developed for Page Middle School in Gloucester, Virginia.

The campus sits at the corner of Burbage Drive and Glenrose Drive in the North Suffolk area. The school's athletic teams and student body are known as the Hawks. In 2024 the school was recognized as a Purple Star School for its support of military-connected students and families, and its music program earned a VMEA Blue Ribbon the same year.

Contact

Phone: (757) 925-6752

Official school website ↗

Data sources

NCES Common Core of Data — Colonel Fred Cherry Middle — NCES ID, district, address, phone, grades, enrollment total and by grade, FTE teachers, student/teacher ratio, locale, school type, free/reduced lunch counts2024-2025 (enrollment/staffing); 2025-2026 directory link ↗
Virginia School Quality Profiles — Colonel Fred Cherry Middle — Accreditation status, SOL pass rates (reading, math, science, history/social science), demographics (economically disadvantaged, English learners, students with disabilities, race/ethnicity), chronic absenteeism, principal2024-2025; accreditation SY 2025-2026 link ↗
Col. Fred Cherry Middle School official website — Mascot (Hawks), Purple Star and VMEA Blue Ribbon recognition (2024), address2025-2026 link ↗
Visit Suffolk Virginia — Col. Fred Cherry (Hometown Legends) — School namesake biography; school opened fall 2018n/a link ↗
RRMM Architects / Speight Marshall Francis project pages — Building size (~125,000 sf), site location (Burbage Dr & Glenrose Dr), prototype design origin, 2018 openingn/a link ↗

Figures reflect the 2024-2025 unless noted. School zoning, boundaries, and ratings change — verify with the school division before making housing decisions.

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