Thurgood Marshall Elementary

Located at 2706 Border Road, in Chesapeake, Virginia, Thurgood Marshall Elementary is a compact elementary campus that works with 395 students (grades pre-K through 5), part of Chesapeake City Public Schools. That puts it 21% below the typical public school in Virginia, which averages around 499 students.

Across the 45 schools in Chesapeake City Public Schools (40,607 students total), Thurgood Marshall Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Thurgood Marshall Elementary records that 79% of the student body identifies as Black. Other groups include 7% Hispanic, 7% White, 6% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 29% Black, putting the school's mix meaningfully more Black than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, Thurgood Marshall Elementary shows 32 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 12.3:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.8:1, putting Thurgood Marshall Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. About 75% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Chesapeake city runs at roughly 49%, so the school's eligibility rate is higher than the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Thurgood Marshall Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 67.7% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 55.0%.

Zooming out to the county, census data for Chesapeake city shows median household earnings sit near $95,373, 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. Across Chesapeake city's 50 public schools (combined enrollment of about 40,607 students), Thurgood Marshall Elementary is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Berkley/Campostella Early Childhood Education Center, roughly 1.0 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Thurgood Marshall Elementary ranks 5th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 55.7%.

The school occupies an urban site.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Thurgood Marshall Elementary has ticked down 28%, going from 552 students in 2018 to 395 in 2025. The Black share of enrollment decreased from 88% to 79% over that span.

On the community side, posts here usually surface around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.