Schools in Mount Hermon, Portsmouth VA

Portsmouth Public Schools Serves This Area

Mount Hermon falls within Portsmouth Public Schools, the same division that serves the entire city. The division operates a Mt. Hermon Preschool Center right in the neighborhood at 3000 North Street, which is a nice, practical amenity for families with young children before kindergarten.

For elementary, middle and high school, Portsmouth draws attendance zones citywide across schools including Waterview Elementary, John Tyler Elementary, Wm. E. Waters Middle School and I.C. Norcom High School, among others serving the broader north and central Portsmouth area. Because boundary lines can be precise down to the street or block, I never assume a specific school based on neighborhood name alone.

Confirm Zoning Before You Fall in Love With a House

Portsmouth Public Schools maintains current attendance zone maps and a school locator you can search by address, and I strongly recommend confirming zoning for any specific property before making an offer if schools are part of your decision.

I also recommend checking current performance data through Virginia's official School Quality Profiles site alongside GreatSchools, since ratings and accreditation status can change from year to year and both sources pull from different reporting periods.

What I Tell Buyers With Kids

Some of the schools serving this part of Portsmouth have posted GreatSchools ratings in the below-average range in recent years, including a 2 out of 10 rating for I.C. Norcom High School [1](https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/portsmouth/1307-I.C.-Norcom-High-School/), Wm. E. Waters Middle School [2](https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/portsmouth/1320-Wm.-E.-Waters-Middle-School/), and John Tyler Elementary [3](https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/portsmouth/1310-John-Tyler-Elementary-School/), and a 1 out of 10 rating for Waterview Elementary [4](https://www.greatschools.org/best-elementary-schools/virginia/portsmouth/), as reported on GreatSchools.org. Ratings like these are one data point, not the whole picture, and they don't capture specific programs, teachers or a school's trajectory.

If school quality is a top priority, I encourage families to tour in person, talk to the school directly about programs like gifted and talented offerings, and weigh that alongside affordability, commute and the other factors that make Mount Hermon appealing in the first place. For more on the buying process here, see my Mount Hermon buying guide and selling guide.

Getting the Exact Answer for Your Address

Because I can't guarantee attendance boundaries won't shift, the most reliable step is always to call Portsmouth Public Schools directly or use their official online locator with the exact address of a home you're considering. I'm glad to help you track that down as part of touring any specific property in Mount Hermon.