West Potomac High

As a large secondary school in Alexandria, Virginia, West Potomac High instructs 2,710 students from grades 9 through 12, part of Fairfax County Public Schools. Enrollment runs roughly 123% bigger than the state mean of about 1,213.

Fairfax County Public Schools comprises 199 schools with combined enrollment of 179,323 students; West Potomac High is among them.

Looking at the student body, West Potomac High lists that the largest single group is Hispanic at 43%, but no single group is in the majority. The remainder breaks down as 30% White, 16% Black, 5% Asian, 4% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 18% Hispanic, putting the school's mix meaningfully more Hispanic than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, West Potomac High has 210 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.9:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.9:1 average. Around 49% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Fairfax County runs at roughly 37%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, West Potomac High is in the bottom 10% of Virginia public schools. The BeatsExpectations model predicts schools with this FRL share to land around 74.9%; West Potomac High posts 59.3%, -15.6 points below that line.

Zooming out to the county, Fairfax County reports that median household earnings sit near $153,637, roughly 65% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Fairfax County's 222 public schools (combined enrollment of about 174,475 students), West Potomac High is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Bucknell Elementary, roughly 0.5 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts West Potomac High at 2nd of 7; the average score across the group is 52.4%.

Geographically, the school is in a suburban area.

Trend over the last 7 years. West Potomac High's enrollment has stayed largely flat since 2018, when it stood at 2,660 (now 2,710). The Hispanic share of enrollment increased from 35% to 43% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 15.6:1 in 2018 to 12.9:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.