| School | Grades | GreatSchools rating |
|---|---|---|
| Fairlawn Elementary School | PK-5 (feeder pattern shared with the former Poplar Halls Elementary) | See GreatSchools |
| Lake Taylor Middle School | 6-8 | 2/10 |
| Lake Taylor High School | 9-12 | 2/10 |
Ratings from GreatSchools.org, checked Sept 2026. Ratings change, and school zones vary by address — always confirm the assigned schools with Chesapeake Public Schools.
Norfolk Public Schools in Poplar Halls
Poplar Halls falls within Norfolk Public Schools, but families house-hunting here should know the elementary picture has changed in recent years. The neighborhood's namesake school, Poplar Halls Elementary, was closed as part of a district-wide feeder pattern realignment, and it was grade-paired with nearby Fairlawn, meaning the two schools have historically shared the same attendance zone even as grade configurations shifted between the buildings.
Because of that history and the pace of ongoing planning changes in this part of the district, I strongly recommend confirming your exact elementary, middle and high school assignment directly with Norfolk Public Schools' school zone maps for any specific address before making a decision based on schools.
Elementary and Middle School Considerations
Families should expect Fairlawn to be part of the elementary picture for Poplar Halls addresses; GreatSchools currently lists Fairlawn Elementary as unrated rather than assigning it a numeric score [1](https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/norfolk/1178-Fairlawn-Elementary-School/). Middle school assignment for this part of Norfolk has included Lake Taylor Middle, which carries a GreatSchools rating of 2 out of 10 [2](https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/norfolk/1185-Lake-Taylor-Middle-School/), and other nearby middle schools depending on prior feeder-pattern adjustments. Because these boundaries have shifted more than once in recent years, I don't want to guess on your specific address.
If you're comparing homes on different streets within Poplar Halls, ask me to check current zoning for each one, since even neighboring blocks can occasionally fall on different sides of a boundary line.
Confirming Your School Zone
Given the documented feeder pattern changes affecting this part of Norfolk, the most reliable step is to confirm zoning directly with Norfolk Public Schools' attendance zone maps or by calling the division before you commit to an address. I'm glad to help pull that information for any specific property you're considering.
For more on buying or selling in the neighborhood, see my Poplar Halls buyer's guide and Poplar Halls seller's guide.
