About Us

Food Services

8.26 million meals served during the 2008-2009 school year

We’re Proud of Our Accomplishments

• Sixty-three of the division’s 81 eligible schools earned awards of excellence for the 2008-2009 school year from Governor Tim Kaine and the Virginia Board of Education.
• Three of Virginia Beach Schools’ elementary schools earned 2009 Title I Distinguished School honors from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). (Green Run, Rosemont, and W.T. Cooke elementary schools)
• Princess Anne, Frank W. Cox, Ocean Lakes, First Colonial, Kempsville, and Kellam were ranked among the top six percent of high schools in the country in Newsweek’s annual report of top schools in the nation for the school year 2007-2008.
• Virginia Beach Schools offers 97 different technical and career education industry credentials and assessments. As of June 2009, preliminary results indicate that 4,121 credentials were earned by students out of a total of 6,412 tests administered. In addition, preliminary results further indicate that 1,577 students passed the Virginia Workplace Readiness NOCTI assessment, a 15 percent increase over 2008.
• The Class of 2009 was awarded $25,783,592 in scholarships, the highest amount ever recorded in Virginia Beach. The total scholarship amount offered to the Class of 2009 was $32,133,141.
• SAT scores for the school year 2007-2008 rose in all three areas: critical reading, writing, and math.
• Since the 2004-2005 school year, the percentage of VBCPS students scoring a 3 or higher on AP exams has outpaced both state and national levels.
• Virginia Beach City Public Schools had a higher percentage of African American students taking AP exams at 11 percent, compared to the state at 10 percent or the nation at 7 percent for the school year 2007-2008.
• During the 2008-2009 school year, more than 20,000 volunteers and partners donated almost 430,000 hours of service to VBCPS – with an estimated worth of more than $8.7 million.
• Creeds, Green Run, John B. Dey, Kingston, Strawbridge and Trantwood elementary schools, along with Old Donation Center and Kemps Landing Magnet are recipients of the prestigious Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence given by Governor Timothy Kaine.
• The Meritorious Budget Awards Program, designed by Association of School Business Officials has been awarded to the school division’s Department of Budget and Finance for demonstrating a commitment to meeting the highest standards of school budgeting.
• Creeds Elementary School, one of fifteen schools in the nation, received the 2008 Inviting School Fidelity Award – promoting an inviting school culture – for a second year as designated by the International Alliance for Invitational Education.
• The International Music Products Association's NAMM Foundation has named Virginia Beach City Public Schools among its "Best Communities for Music Education." 
• The Virginia Department of Education honored Green Run, Rosemont, and W.T. Cooke elementary schools as “Title I Distinguished Schools” for raising the academic achievement of economically disadvantaged students while exceeding federal objectives and state accreditation standards.
• Virginia Beach students in the Class of 2008 exceeded the state rate of 81 percent with almost 83 percent graduating on time.
• Class of 2008 accepted over $24 million in scholarships
• Approximately 84% (SY 07-08) of VBCPS high school graduates have post-secondary education plans.
• 51% (SY 07-08) of the Class of 2008 received an Advanced Studies Diploma.

We Care About the Environment!

• Since September 2008, the school division has diverted 421 tons from the waste stream.
• The new Renaissance Academy building supports the region’s first green roof on a K-12 academic building.
• Many schools serve as recycling points for cell phones.
• Classrooms recycle an average of 123 tons of material per month.
• 700,000 to 800,000 plastic milk containers referred to as “chugs” are recycled each month.
• Twenty one schools are recipients of the Pearl School Award for the 2008-2009 school year for carrying out educational and service programs in their schools that teach environmental concepts.
• Hermitage Elementary, completed in 2005, is the first certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) K-12 building in Hampton Roads.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools is the largest school division in Hampton Roads – southeastern Virginia – serving approximately *69,469 students in grades K-12. Currently, the school system includes 56 elementary schools, 14 middle schools, 11 high schools, and a number of secondary/post-secondary specialty centers, including the Renaissance Academy, Advanced Technology Center, Technical and Career Education Center, and Adult Learning Center.  

Student Facts

Staff Facts                                          (October 2009)

• Approximately 99% of core courses are taught by Highly-Qualified Teachers.
• Approximately 77% of all VBCPS teacher assistants are Highly Qualified.
• Fifty percent of all VBCPS teachers hold a graduate degree.

School Facts

Advanced Academic Programs

Middle School

• Middle Years International Baccalaureate Program at Plaza Middle

High School

• International Baccalaureate Program at Princess Anne High
• Mathematics & Science Academy at Ocean Lakes High

Academy Programs

Elementary

• Mathematics & Science Academy at Linkhorn Elementary
• Foreign Language Partial Immersion Academy at Christopher Farms Elementary

High

• Global Studies & World Languages Academy at Tallwood High
• Health Sciences Academy at Bayside High
• Legal Studies Academy at First Colonial High
• Technology Academy at Landstown High
• Visual & Performing Arts Academy at Salem High

Gifted Programs

• Kemps Landing Magnet School (grades 6-8)
• Old Donation Center (grades 1-5)

Technology

• All Virginia Beach schools have an overall student to computer ratio of about 2:1.  This is a combination of desktop and laptop computers.  All schools have at least one Computer Resource Specialist (CRS) -- an expert in the integration of technology into instruction.  This combination of technology and well-trained staff helps the division prepare students for the 21st century.
• All 11 high schools, 11 middle schools, and the Advanced Technology Center have distance learning labs.
• Online courses are available during the school year and summer school.

Transportation