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Western Branch High

Q: Is Western Branch High a good school?

Western Branch High ranks 82 nd of 331 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

82^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 331 Virginia High Schools

Better than 75% of Virginia high schools

Summary

Western Branch High is a large comprehensive public high school in Chesapeake, Virginia, serving 2,138 students in grades 9-12 as part of Chesapeake City Public Schools. The school has been on a clear upward trajectory, climbing from 130th among Virginia high schools in 2023-2024 to 82nd in 2025-2026 (75th percentile, 4 stars). That is a strong recovery, though still below the school's 2018-2019 peak of 26th in the state.

Academically, Western Branch's defining strength is its 9th-grade performance. Students taking state assessments on time in 9th grade achieved near-universal proficiency in 2025-2026: 93.3% in Algebra I, 94.4% in Geometry, 95.0% in Biology, 93.8% in Earth Science, and perfect scores in Geography and Algebra II — all well above state averages. The school also earns high marks for serving specific student groups well relative to similar schools across Virginia, including Hispanic students (93rd percentile), low-income students (84th percentile), African American students (77th percentile), and multi-racial students (82nd percentile). The graduation rate of 92.6% is solid, just above the state rate of 92.3%.

The clearest challenges are attendance and upper-grade test results. Chronic absenteeism is 16.3%, above the district rate of 11.1% and the state rate of 14.8%. Students taking assessments in later grades — often retakes — score notably lower, especially in 11th-grade Algebra I (61.9% vs. 78.6% statewide). Compared to nearby Chesapeake schools, Western Branch clearly outperforms Indian River High and Deep Creek High in state ranking while spending less per student. The most intriguing comparison is Churchland High, just three miles away in Portsmouth, which ranks 20th in Virginia and outperforms Western Branch on several tests despite serving a very high-poverty population; Western Branch, however, holds the edge in dropout rate (3.8% vs. 5.4%).

2,138

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,108

Per pupil spending ?

72.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1968 Bruin Pl
Chesapeake, VA 23321

(757) 638-7900

District: Chesapeake City Public Schools

Feeder schools for Western Branch High:

Elementary:	Edwin W. Chittum Elementary
	Southwestern Elementary
	Western Branch Intermediate
	Western Branch Primary
Middle:	Jolliff Middle
	Western Branch Middle

Racial breakdown:

African American:

39.4%

White:

37.7%

Two or more races:

9.6%

See top rated Virginia high schools

Compare Western Branch High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 60th percentile in 2024 → 75th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (84% vs 78% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 25% of Virginia high schools

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 75th (2026) from a 60th-percentile low (2024)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school84%

District avg82%

Virginia avg78%

82^nd of 331

Virginia public high schools ?

Top 25%▼ down 17 pts since 2016

From top 8% (2016) to top 25% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 7High Schools in the Chesapeake City Public Schools

34^th of 131Chesapeake City Public Schools among Virginia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	70.8	82 of 331	75.2%	★★★★☆
2025	66.8	108 of 328	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.8	130 of 329	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.2	98 of 326	69.9%	★★★★☆
2022	63.9	83 of 325	74.5%	★★★★☆
2021	65.2	56 of 327	82.9%	★★★★☆
2019	74.1	26 of 327	92.0%	★★★★★
2018	68.0	48 of 326	85.3%	★★★★☆
2017	71.6	34 of 324	89.5%	★★★★☆
2016	74.1	26 of 321	91.9%	★★★★★
2015	73.7	28 of 322	91.3%	★★★★★
2014	68.4	55 of 322	82.9%	★★★★☆
2013	70.8	48 of 321	85.0%	★★★★☆
2012	64.1	69 of 321	78.5%	★★★★☆
2011	64.6	74 of 320	76.9%	★★★★☆
2010	63.4	77 of 317	75.7%	★★★★☆
2009	57.1	112 of 313	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	57.7	107 of 316	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	62.8	77 of 313	75.4%	★★★★☆
2006	64.3	63 of 314	79.9%	★★★★☆
2005	59.6	82 of 308	73.4%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	69.4	55 of 242	77.3%	★★★★☆
2025	62.0	88 of 245	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.3	105 of 249	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.4	79 of 240	67.1%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	70.4	27 of 120	77.5%	★★★★☆
2025	83.4	1 of 125	99.2%	★★★★★
2024	68.2	33 of 118	72.0%	★★★★☆
2023	48.7	77 of 120	35.8%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	64.2	70 of 252	72.2%	★★★★☆
2024	68.8	62 of 253	75.5%	★★★★☆
2023	67.4	69 of 249	72.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	69.9	84 of 322	73.9%	★★★★☆
2025	62.9	127 of 321	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.7	132 of 322	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.1	87 of 320	72.8%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	82.5	16 of 242	93.4%	★★★★★
2025	60.8	84 of 236	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	83.1	17 of 233	92.7%	★★★★★
2023	80.4	20 of 232	91.4%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	73.4	50 of 321	84.4%	★★★★☆
2025	64.5	104 of 324	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.1	113 of 320	64.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	71.5	71 of 325	78.2%	★★★★☆
2025	67.3	96 of 322	70.2%	★★★★☆
2024	59.1	145 of 322	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.7	117 of 321	63.6%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	56.8	50 of 105	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.2	65 of 98	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.5	70 of 92	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	55.6	42 of 92	54.3%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	73.7	35 of 196	82.1%	★★★★☆
2025	62.3	73 of 198	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.3	111 of 198	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	67.1	56 of 193	71.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	71.4	58 of 312	81.4%	★★★★☆
2025	71.6	60 of 313	80.8%	★★★★☆
2024	66.3	94 of 314	70.1%	★★★★☆
2023	73.9	34 of 315	89.2%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2026)93rd percentile+18 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)84th percentile+9 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)82nd percentile+7 vs school

White (2026)81st percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)78th percentile+3 vs school

Asian (2026)78th percentile~ school

African American (2026)77th percentile~ school

Female (2026)74th percentile~ school

Disabled (2026)72nd percentile-3 vs school

Military Connected (2026)52nd percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Algebra II100%+6 vs state

Geography100%+28 vs state

English Reading89%+3 vs state

Geometry87%+8 vs state

Algebra I87%+8 vs state

World History I85%+15 vs state

Biology84%+7 vs state

Writing83%+5 vs state

Earth Science70%+7 vs state

VA and US History49%+9 vs state

World History II41%+6 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★1

3★0

2★1

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, February 24, 2022

Disappointed. I have to agree with the previous statements. The teachers, staff and coaches are not very friendly or inviting for new students. They don't seem to care about the needs of incoming students from other schools/states. They have a "sink or swim" mentality. I have multiple students here with a range of abilities and none have been provided support of any kind from college prep to academic struggles. Even team sports seem closed to outsiders. Nepotism to the fullest. I wouldn't recommend moving to this area if this is the school your children are zoned for. Close Quote

by a student
Saturday, January 24, 2009

Its the best school you could ever go to.
The teachers have a passion with what they're doing and they're young so its (more) fun and easier to understand what they're teaching. The sports are good too, the track team is pretty dang good so is the football,wrestling,volleyball,cheering,and baseball teams.
You can make friends easily. Western Branch High School is the best! Close Quote

Schools Near Western Branch High

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SOL Writing (2026)			SOL Geometry (2026)		SOL Algebra I (2026)				SOL Algebra II (2026)			SOL Biology (2026)				SOL Earth Science (2026)				SOL English Reading (2026)			SOL Geography (2026)			SOL VA and US History (2026)			SOL World History I (2026)				SOL World History II (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Writing 10th Grade	SOL Writing 11th Grade	SOL Writing 12th Grade	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Geometry 10th Grade	SOL Algebra I 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 10th Grade	SOL Algebra I 11th Grade	SOL Algebra I 12th Grade	SOL Algebra II 9th Grade	SOL Algebra II 10th Grade	SOL Algebra II 11th Grade	SOL Biology 9th Grade	SOL Biology 10th Grade	SOL Biology 11th Grade	SOL Biology 12th Grade	SOL Earth Science 9th Grade	SOL Earth Science 10th Grade	SOL Earth Science 11th Grade	SOL Earth Science 12th Grade	SOL English Reading 10th Grade	SOL English Reading 11th Grade	SOL English Reading 12th Grade	SOL Geography 9th Grade	SOL Geography 10th Grade	SOL Geography 12th Grade	SOL VA and US History 10th Grade	SOL VA and US History 11th Grade	SOL VA and US History 12th Grade	SOL World History I 9th Grade	SOL World History I 10th Grade	SOL World History I 11th Grade	SOL World History I 12th Grade	SOL World History II 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Western Branch High	Public	9-12	1968 Bruin Pl	Chesapeake	23321	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 638-7900	2,138	147	14.5	72.8%	805 (37.7%)	843 (39.4%)	197 (9.2%)	68 (3.2%)	12 (0.6%)	7 (0.3%)	206 (9.6%)	70.8	82^nd of 331 public high schools	75.2%		66.8	108^th of 328 public high schools	67.1%	26		84.7	60.0	94.4	50.0	93.3	70.1	61.9		100.0			95.0	75.8	64.1	71.4	93.8	66.7	52.9		68.4	91.0	75.7	100.0				48.5	50.0	87.2	53.3			41.0	$10,108	$355	$9,753
Manor High	Public, Magnet	9-12	1401 Elmhurst Ln	Portsmouth	23701	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 465-2907	1,149	100	11.4	100.3%	239 (20.8%)	739 (64.3%)	91 (7.9%)	8 (0.7%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	67 (5.8%)	52	189^th of 331 public high schools	42.9%		47	215^th of 328 public high schools	34.5%	26	54.6	63.6	88.7	90.2	57.1	74.4	72.2		94.4	94.4			88.1	79.3	75.9	88.9					63.6	78.9	84.6							80.8	83.3	70.7	94.3		$10,656	$1,258	$9,398
Churchland High	Public, Magnet	9-12	4301 Cedar Ln	Portsmouth	23703	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 686-2500	1,453	98	14.8	100.4%	278 (19.1%)	993 (68.3%)	87 (6.0%)	13 (0.9%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	78 (5.4%)	80.4	20^th of 331 public high schools	94.0%		73	72^nd of 328 public high schools	78.0%	52		78.5	96.9	93.6	86.4	86.4	95.2		100.0	95.2			98.0	95.3	96.3	86.7						97.2	100.0							93.9	100.0	100.0			$8,964	$1,034	$7,930
I.C. Norcom High	Public, Magnet	9-12	1801 London Blvd	Portsmouth	23704	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 393-5442	1,009	75	13.4	100.7%	42 (4.2%)	883 (87.5%)	41 (4.1%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	35 (3.5%)	46.7	216^th of 331 public high schools	34.7%		42.3	241^st of 328 public high schools	26.5%	25		60.7	69.3	91.4		73.4	81.3		83.3	83.3			87.9	71.9	72.2	90.7					60.0	85.0	88.1							72.6	79.3	78.6	100.0		$10,960	$1,693	$9,267
Matthew Fontaine Maury High	Public, Magnet	9-12	322 Shirley Ave	Norfolk	23517	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 628-3344	1,713	108	15.8	96.3%	456 (26.6%)	930 (54.3%)	160 (9.3%)	41 (2.4%)	6 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	118 (6.9%)	38.6	254^th of 331 public high schools	23.3%		33.1	273^rd of 328 public high schools	16.8%	19	48.8	80.4	89.3	67.9		72.7	64.4	56.3	72.2	97.9	70.4	69.2	84.0	57.6	60.6	84.6	73.5				62.5	87.7	76.0	50.7	27.3	84.6	18.5	25.6		63.5	38.7		80.0		$8,388	$60	$8,327
Nansemond River High	Public, Magnet	9-12	3301 Nansemond Pkwy	Suffolk	23435	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 923-4101	1,683	109	15.4	68.9%	509 (30.2%)	831 (49.4%)	160 (9.5%)	43 (2.6%)	5 (0.3%)	6 (0.4%)	129 (7.7%)	67.8	99^th of 331 public high schools	70.1%		59.7	150^th of 328 public high schools	54.3%	51		86.3	88.0	88.7	15.4	87.4	65.0		90.0	100.0			93.3	66.4		63.2	70.0	71.1	52.9	63.6		93.6	72.4					25.9		80.8	69.2			44.2	$7,663	$32	$7,632
Deep Creek High	Public, Magnet	9-12	2900 Margaret Booker Dr	Chesapeake	23323	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 558-5302	1,691	121	13.9	72.3%	585 (34.6%)	624 (36.9%)	245 (14.5%)	58 (3.4%)	5 (0.3%)	6 (0.4%)	168 (9.9%)	54.6	180^th of 331 public high schools	45.6%		61.4	133^rd of 328 public high schools	59.5%	47		79.4	52.6	90.9		84.5	65.6			94.3			93.8	67.9	52.9	88.9						86.5	62.5	92.7				22.4	50.0	73.0	64.9		90.0		$11,378	$383	$10,995
Booker T Washington High	Public	9-12	1111 Park Ave	Norfolk	23504	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-3575	904	75	12.0	92.7%	64 (7.1%)	691 (76.4%)	94 (10.4%)	12 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	40 (4.4%)	18.8	312^th of 331 public high schools	5.7%		15	319^th of 328 public high schools	2.7%	7	35.7	52.0	66.7	53.3		57.1	61.1						51.4	59.6	65.5	68.4	52.0	50.0			69.6	72.6	65.4	47.5	68.2		39.1	56.9		50.9	42.3				$9,566	$443	$9,123
Granby High	Public	9-12	7101 Granby St	Norfolk	23505	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 451-4110	1,980	116	17.0	97.5%	478 (24.1%)	989 (49.9%)	323 (16.3%)	40 (2.0%)	6 (0.3%)	6 (0.3%)	138 (7.0%)	22.9	307^th of 331 public high schools	7.3%		24.8	303^rd of 328 public high schools	7.6%	4	28.6	60.9		70.4	23.3	61.0	72.3	86.4	81.3	89.0	90.0		88.3	58.8	66.7	82.1	68.8	50.0			34.3	76.8	70.3	43.6	33.3		37.0	29.3	69.2	44.8	43.2	43.5			$8,272	$182	$8,090
Indian River High	Public	9-12	1969 Braves Trl	Chesapeake	23325	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 578-7000	1,634	132	12.3	72.6%	379 (23.2%)	816 (49.9%)	206 (12.6%)	52 (3.2%)	5 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	174 (10.6%)	48.3	210^th of 331 public high schools	36.6%		53.6	177^th of 328 public high schools	46.0%	33		76.1	32.0	84.0	53.9	92.0	69.8		70.0	95.2			85.4	59.8	50.0	69.2	75.0	60.0	60.0			84.6	73.1		57.1			27.4		72.9	52.0			33.3	$11,428	$304	$11,124

Frequently Asked Questions about Western Branch High

What schools feed into Western Branch High?

Western Branch High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Edwin W. Chittum Elementary
Elementary : Southwestern Elementary
Elementary : Western Branch Intermediate
Elementary : Western Branch Primary
Middle : Jolliff Middle
Middle : Western Branch Middle

How many students attend Western Branch High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,138 students attended Western Branch High.

What is the racial makeup of Western Branch High?

Students at Western Branch High are 39% African American, 38% White, 10% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 3% Asian.

Is Western Branch High a good school?

Western Branch High ranks 82^nd of 331 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Western Branch High in?

Chesapeake City Public Schools

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026

2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataFeb 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 6, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.