1
What do you wish you knew before starting at WESTERN BRANCH HIGH?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
2,138
High
DISTRICT 1,880 · STATE 1,213
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CHESAPEAKE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 510081000312
Western Branch High
1968 Bruin Pl, Chesapeake, VA 23321 · (757) 638-7900 · Chesapeake city
GRADES 09–12HIGH11-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL2,138 STUDENTS
A
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 86% of Virginia public high schools
- A-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ABeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Virginia public high schools
Student : Teacher
14.5:1
147 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.7:1 · STATE 13.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
73%
1,557 students
DISTRICT 53% · STATE 66%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 544 | 25% |
| Grade 10 | 531 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 537 | 25% |
| Grade 12 | 526 | 25% |
Student demographics
68%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 70% · STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
SOL 2024-25 . % PassingEnglish Language Arts
88.0%
VA avg 74.2% . +0.0pp since 2022
Math
89.0%
VA avg 72.7% . +1.0pp since 2022
What this means: On the SOL, Virginia's statewide test, about 88 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 89 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Virginia schools, those numbers are about 74 and 73. Reading and writing scores have held steady since 2022, while math scores are up about 1 points.
SOL results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 88.0% | 89.0% |
| 2023-24 | 85.0% | 88.0% |
| 2022-23 | 88.0% | 88.0% |
% Passing, all students and all tested grades.
Source: SOL. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
81.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
68.3%
based on VA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+13.1pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 81% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 68% typical for Virginia schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Virginia's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Western Branch High
Western Branch High's state test result (81.4% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Branch High this school | 2,138 | 72.8% | 81.4% |
| Matoaca High Chesterfield | 1,624 | 74.2% | 66.9% |
| Deep Creek High Chesapeake | 1,691 | 72.3% | 78.3% |
| Nansemond River High Suffolk | 1,683 | 68.9% | 77.8% |
| Indian River High Chesapeake | 1,634 | 72.6% | 75.5% |
| Thomas Dale High Chester | 2,582 | 74.2% | 70.6% |
Matched among Virginia high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Western Branch High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Virginia | In Chesapeake city |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 81.4% | #74 of 311 | #4 of 7 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 89.0% | #92 of 316 ▼ 2 | #4 of 7 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 88.0% | #115 of 316 ▲ 32 | #4 of 7 ▲ 1 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 2,138 | #44 of 325 | #3 of 7 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.5:1 | #184 of 309 | #6 of 7 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 68.4% | #59 of 309 | #2 of 7 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 72.8% | #155 of 319 | #1 of 7 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +0.4% | #128 of 131 | N/A |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
2,138
+13 (+1%) vs 2020
+43% since 1990-91, when it was 1,492
Student : Teacher
14.5:1
was 15.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 2,138 | 147.3 | 14.5:1 | 73% (1,557) |
| 2023-24 | 2,116 | 137.1 | 15.4:1 | 37% (778) |
| 2022-23 | 2,121 | 137.5 | 15.4:1 | 37% (778) |
| 2020-21 | 2,125 | 138 | 15.4:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 2,129 | 136.8 | 15.6:1 | 29% (620) |
| 2015-16 | 2,208 | 132 | 16.7:1 | 23% (508) |
| 2010-11 | 2,231 | 118 | 18.9:1 | 21% (479) |
| 2000-01 | 1,888 | 121 | 15.6:1 | 13% (237) |
| 1990-91 | 1,492 | 84 | 17.8:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Western Branch High.
Since 2017-18: students unchanged (2,129 to 2,138); teachers up 8% (136.8 to 147.3).
About Western Branch High
Western Branch High is a public high school in Chesapeake, Virginia. Enrollment stands at 2,138 students, covering grades 9 through 12. It has 76% more students than the average for high schools in Virginia (about 1,213).
Western Branch High is one of 45 schools in Chesapeake City Public Schools, which enrolls 40,607 students in total.
At Western Branch High, Black students make up the biggest share, 39%. Enrollment also includes 38% White, 10% multiracial, 9% Hispanic, and 3% Asian. Among people living in Chesapeake city, the Black share is about 29%. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 68, compared with 70 nationally.
Western Branch High lists 147.3 full-time-equivalent teachers; that is about 14.5 students per teacher. The average for high schools in Virginia is about 13.9:1. Free or reduced-price lunch covers 73% of the student body. The average for public schools in Chesapeake city is 49%.
Western Branch High earns an A on the allk12 Grade, which blends test scores, results against poverty-based expectations, and the three-year trend. It scored higher than 86% of Virginia public high schools.
Predicted from its free or reduced-price lunch share, Western Branch High would score about 68.3%. It scores 81.4%, 13.1 points above that figure.
For the population of Chesapeake city, the median household earns about $95,373 a year, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 37% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 7%. Across Chesapeake city, 50 public schools serve about 40,607 students.
Western Branch Primary is about 0.3 miles from Western Branch High, the shortest distance to any other public school. A five-mile radius around the school includes at least 8 other public schools. On state test proficiency, Western Branch High ranks 2nd in a group of 7 nearby schools.
Western Branch High is coded as City: Large in federal locale data.
Enrollment in 2024-25 was 2,138, close to the 2,125 recorded in 2020-21.
This page is a place to ask questions and share updates about fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies at Western Branch High. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Chesapeake city at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
252,583
Census ACS
Median income
$95,373
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
37%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
50
40,607 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Chesapeake City Public Schools
- Grassfield HighHigh · 2,345 students
- Oscar F. Smith HighHigh · 2,264 students
- Deep Creek HighHigh · 1,691 students
- Indian River HighHigh · 1,634 students
- Hickory HighHigh · 1,600 students
- Great Bridge HighHigh · 1,491 students
Other schools in Chesapeake
- Grassfield HighHigh · 2,345 students
- Oscar F. Smith HighHigh · 2,264 students
- Deep Creek HighHigh · 1,691 students
- Indian River HighHigh · 1,634 students
- Hickory HighHigh · 1,600 students
- Great Bridge HighHigh · 1,491 students
Nearby schools
- Western Branch Primary0.3 mi · 801
- Western Branch Middle0.3 mi · 855
- Western Branch Intermediate0.4 mi · 795
- Churchland Elementary1.4 mi · 721
- Olive Branch Preschool Center2.0 mi · 171
- Edwin W. Chittum Elementary2.3 mi · 762
Frequently asked questions
About Western Branch HighWhat is the total enrollment at Western Branch High?
Western Branch High enrolls approximately 2,138 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does Western Branch High serve?
Western Branch High serves grades 09-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Western Branch High?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Western Branch High is approximately 14.5:1 (147 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Western Branch High?
At Western Branch High, the student body is approximately 38% White, 9% Hispanic, 39% Black, 3% Asian, 10% Two or more.
What district is Western Branch High in?
Western Branch High is part of Chesapeake City Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.