| School | Grades | GreatSchools rating |
|---|---|---|
| Hickory Elementary School | PK-5 | 10/10 |
| Hickory Middle School | 6-8 | 9/10 |
| Hickory High School | 9-12 | 9/10 |
Ratings from GreatSchools.org, checked Sept 2026. Ratings change, and school zones vary by address — always confirm the assigned schools with Chesapeake Public Schools.
The Chesapeake Public Schools Division
Fentress falls within Chesapeake Public Schools, one large division serving the entire city. Because Fentress is a rural, low-density area, attendance zone lines can shift over time as the city grows, so I always recommend confirming zoning directly with the school division for any specific address rather than assuming based on the neighborhood name alone.
If you have children in multiple grade levels, it's worth checking each school separately, since elementary, middle and high attendance boundaries don't always follow identical lines even within the same general area.
Elementary, Middle and High Options
This part of southeastern Chesapeake is generally served by the Hickory family of schools: Hickory Elementary School, Hickory Middle School (grades 6-8), and Hickory High School (grades 9-12). These schools also serve several other southern Chesapeake neighborhoods, so class sizes and specific programs can vary from year to year as enrollment shifts across the zone.
Hickory Elementary carries a GreatSchools rating of 10 out of 10, Hickory Middle School is rated 9 out of 10, and Hickory High School is also rated 9 out of 10 [1](https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/chesapeake/299-Hickory-Elementary-School/). These are strong, GreatSchools-verified scores, but they can still shift year to year, so check greatschools.org directly for the most current numbers tied to your exact address.
Because Hickory Middle School has experienced capacity pressure in past years, the school division has periodically studied attendance zone adjustments in this part of the city, which is one more reason to confirm current zoning rather than rely on older information.
Confirm Before You Buy
Because Fentress sits at the edge of the city and near land-use overlays that can affect how areas develop over time, school boundaries here are worth double-checking rather than assuming. Before writing an offer, I pull the current attendance zone for any specific property through Chesapeake Public Schools' online zone locator, and I recommend every buyer do the same rather than relying on what a neighbor or listing description says.
For more on buying in this area, see my Fentress buyer's guide and Fentress seller's guide, or start with my Chesapeake overview.
If you're relocating for military orders or a new job, I also recommend contacting the school registrar directly once you're under contract, since they can confirm enrollment requirements and any paperwork you'll need well before your move-in date.
