Thursday, May 28, at the Chartway Arena at Old Dominion University, Portsmouth Public Schools (PPS) staff and administration celebrated the graduating Class of 2026.
Among the three division high schools (Churchland, I.C. Norcom and Manor), the division had 862 graduates, and more than a third of the class (300) earned the status of honor graduate.
196 graduating seniors earned college credit through the First College program with Tidewater Community College (TCC). In addition, 34 students successfully completed the TCC Early College program, with 22 students graduating with an associate degree as well as 12 students graduating with a Uniform Certificate of General Studies (UCGS).
In total, the Class of 2026 earned $18.6 million in merit-based scholarships, and students were accepted into 248 colleges and universities, including some of the top-ranked institutions in the country such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard and Duke.
Throughout their four years with us in PPS, this Class of 2026 has also earned 1,508 industry credentials, which are certifications recognized by industry leaders that verify specialized technical capabilities and workforce readiness.