W.H. Taylor Elementary School

W.H. Taylor Elementary School (formally Walter Herron Taylor Elementary) is a public Pre-K through Grade 5 school located at 1122 West Princess Anne Road in Norfolk, Virginia.It serves approximately 340–403 students, with about 14-16 students per teacher, reflecting a moderately small, close-knit school community.W.H. Taylor offers a Gifted & Talented program, preschool services, and strong emphasis on reading and math proficiency benchmarks.The student body is diverse: roughly 40-45% White, ~35-40% Black, with Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students making up the rest. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating high economic need in the community.The school is fully accredited, with a reputation for being safe, nurturing, and academically solid.

According to the DonorsChoose platform, W.H. Taylor has had 52 classroom projects funded as of September 2025, raising over $31,000 to support learning materials and enrichment.

The Virginia School Quality Profile data for 2024-25 shows that the school maintains proficiency levels of about 67% in reading and 57% in math, above many comparable schools in Norfolk.

Q1. What are W.H. Taylor’s strengths in academic performance?

A. The school’s reading proficiency (~67%) and math proficiency (~57%) are relatively strong compared to many elementary schools in Norfolk. It also offers a Gifted & Talented program.

Q2. What does the demographic and socioeconomic profile look like?

A. W.H. Taylor serves a very diverse student population (~40-45% White; ~35-40% Black; remainder Hispanic, Asian, multiracial). Almost all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch,indicating broad economic need.

Q3. How is the school engaging with external support or community funding?

A. Through DonorsChoose, dozens of classroom projects have been funded (52 as of Sept 2025), generating resources for books, technology, art supplies, and more.

Q4. What is the school’s rating and how does it compare to peers?

A. On GreatSchools, W.H. Taylor has a rating of 8/10, indicating above-average performance. On Niche, it gets a B-, with strong ratings in academics and teachers but reflecting areas for growth.

Q5. Who leads the school, and what is the school’s mission or culture?

A. The principal is Mrs. Charlene Feliton. The school emphasizes values of being Respectful, Responsible, Safe, and Kind throughout all areas of the building.