Richard T. Yates Elementary School

Richard T. Yates Elementary School, located at 73 Maxwell Lane in Newport News, Virginia, is a public Pre-K through Grade 5 school in the Newport News City Public Schools system.Under the leadership of Principal Suzanne Ramirez, the school follows the district’s academic standards and emphasizes high expectations, strong relationships, and character development through its “GREAT” values: Give it 100 %, Respect Everyone, Engage Positively, Attendance Matters, Take Responsibility.With approximately 422 students and 26 full-time classroom teachers, Yates operates with a student–teacher ratio near 16:1.The student population is economically disadvantaged, with nearly all students eligible for free lunch programs.Yates offers core instruction in reading, math, science, social studies, art, music, physical education, and support services including gifted and talented, special education, and reading interventions.

In 2025, Yates Elementary is preparing for implementation of Virginia’s Chapter 132 revised accreditation model, which will affect how school performance is evaluated and reported.

Teachers at Yates have secured numerous DonorsChoose projects: as of mid-2025, 22 classroom projects have been funded, supporting resources in classrooms.

1. How does Yates perform in reading and math on state assessments?

Ans. In recent state testing, about 65 % of students passed reading assessments overall, while math proficiency rates tend to be lower, especially among economically disadvantaged subgroups.

2. What is the demographic and economic composition of Yates students?

Ans. In 2023–24, of the 422 students, 412 qualified for free lunch (nearly 98 %) and the racial/ethnic mix includes a balance of Black and White students, with smaller numbers of Hispanic, multiracial, and Asian students.

3. What support or enrichment programs are available at Yates?

Ans. Yates participates in Gifted & Talented programming, reading intervention support, special education services, art, music, physical education, and integrates character education through its school values framework.

4. How is leadership structured and how does Yates engage families?

Ans. Principal Suzanne Ramirez leads the school, articulating the school’s GREAT values, and the school maintains a PTA and parental engagement through school events and communication via the district’s channels.

5. What role do external funding sources and community support play at Yates?

Ans. Yates teachers actively use DonorsChoose to obtain school supplies and classroom resources as of 2025, 22 projects have been funded.