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Western Branch Middle

Q: Is Western Branch Middle a good school?

Western Branch Middle ranks 109 th of 416 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

109^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 416 Virginia Middle Schools

Better than 74% of Virginia middle schools

Summary

Western Branch Middle is a grades 6–8 middle school in Chesapeake, VA, serving 855 students within Chesapeake City Public Schools, a district ranked 34th of 131 in Virginia. The school has earned a 4-star rating and currently ranks 109th of 416 Virginia middle schools (74th percentile), a significant improvement from 150th place the previous year. This puts Western Branch Middle back in the upper quartile of middle schools across the state, matching the performance of its strongest years over the past decade.

Western Branch stands out for its academic strengths. Math proficiency is above district and state averages across all grade levels, with 7th grade math at 65.4% — the highest among nearby schools including Jolliff Middle, Deep Creek Middle, and Oscar Smith Middle. The school also leads nearby schools in 8th grade science at 77.9% proficiency. Reading scores are solid, with 6th and 7th grade reading well above state averages. One of the most impressive findings is the school's work with English Learners, who rank 2nd of 134 statewide (99th percentile), and Hispanic students, who rank 14th of 283 (95th percentile). Chronic absenteeism has also improved dramatically, falling from 24.6% in 2021–2022 to 11.0% — now below the Virginia state average of 14.8%.

Compared to other Chesapeake middle schools, Western Branch is essentially tied with Jolliff Middle (104th) and clearly ahead of Deep Creek Middle (206th) and Oscar Smith Middle (358th). Only John Yeates Middle in Suffolk (61st) ranks higher among nearby schools. Notably, Western Branch achieves these results while serving a student population with 73.3% free/reduced lunch eligibility — up from 37.2% just a few years ago — and spending $10,343 per student, less than several neighboring schools that perform worse. Areas worth watching include a recent dip in 8th grade math and reading scores, Civics proficiency slightly below the district average, and a decline in outcomes for students with disabilities. Overall, Western Branch appears to be a school that is effectively supporting a high-need population and turning that into meaningful academic gains.

855

Students ?

12.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,664

Per pupil spending ?

73.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

4201 Hawksley Dr
Chesapeake, VA 23321

(757) 638-7920

District: Chesapeake City Public Schools

Students who attend Western Branch Middle usually attend:

High:

Western Branch High

Feeder schools for Western Branch Middle:

Elementary:	Western Branch Intermediate
	Western Branch Primary

Racial breakdown:

White:

37.5%

African American:

37.3%

Two or more races:

10.5%

See top rated Virginia middle schools

Compare Western Branch Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 74th percentile in 2016 → 74th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (75% vs 69% meeting standards)

✓Above the Virginia median (74th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school75%

District avg73%

Virginia avg69%

109^th of 416

Virginia public middle schools ?

Top 26%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 10Middle 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	69.1	109 of 416	73.8%	★★★★☆
2025	63.9	150 of 419	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.0	151 of 417	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.4	102 of 422	75.8%	★★★★☆
2022	63.0	125 of 415	69.9%	★★★★☆
2021	61.7	124 of 419	70.4%	★★★★☆
2019	61.8	142 of 424	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.6	95 of 413	77.0%	★★★★☆
2017	64.7	100 of 415	75.9%	★★★★☆
2016	64.3	107 of 409	73.8%	★★★★☆
2015	58.0	151 of 412	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	61.6	119 of 416	71.4%	★★★★☆
2013	59.5	128 of 416	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	51.9	188 of 413	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	50.6	198 of 413	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	62.2	116 of 408	71.6%	★★★★☆
2009	59.9	125 of 390	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	58.6	132 of 391	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	63.9	106 of 387	72.6%	★★★★☆
2006	69.1	64 of 383	83.3%	★★★★☆
2005	75.2	58 of 340	82.9%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	60.5	110 of 297	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.0	102 of 297	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.1	106 of 299	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	75.9	56 of 298	81.2%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	60.1	62 of 137	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.5	91 of 136	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.9	56 of 128	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.5	24 of 132	81.8%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	55.3	110 of 292	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.8	108 of 281	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	81.2	31 of 278	88.8%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	98.9	2 of 134	98.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	72.0	91 of 409	77.8%	★★★★☆
2025	64.3	148 of 403	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.2	165 of 407	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.2	93 of 411	77.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	88.4	14 of 283	95.1%	★★★★★
2025	70.6	71 of 279	74.6%	★★★★☆
2024	74.2	57 of 272	79.0%	★★★★☆
2023	88.3	19 of 275	93.1%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	69.1	98 of 401	75.6%	★★★★☆
2025	61.9	144 of 403	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.5	91 of 402	77.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	65.1	125 of 410	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.0	145 of 404	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.6	132 of 407	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.3	101 of 409	75.3%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	57.1	59 of 125	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.7	82 of 130	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.1	85 of 123	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.0	56 of 114	50.9%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	72.7	52 of 249	79.1%	★★★★☆
2025	51.9	121 of 244	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.0	89 of 237	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.7	68 of 231	70.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	71.2	86 of 400	78.5%	★★★★☆
2025	70.4	87 of 400	78.3%	★★★★☆
2024	65.9	119 of 396	69.9%	★★★★☆
2023	73.6	72 of 402	82.1%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2026)99th percentile+25 vs school

Hispanic (2026)95th percentile+21 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)79th percentile+5 vs school

White (2026)78th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)78th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)76th percentile~ school

Male (2026)70th percentile-4 vs school

African American (2026)63rd percentile-11 vs school

Disabled (2026)62nd percentile-11 vs school

Asian (2026)55th percentile-19 vs school

Military Connected (2026)53rd percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Geometry100%+3 vs state

Algebra I100%+5 vs state

English Reading80%+7 vs state

Science78%+13 vs state

Civics and Economics67%~ state avg

Mathematics67%+12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Western Branch Middle

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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 Geometry (2026)		SOL Algebra I (2026)			SOL Mathematics (2026)						SOL Science (2026)		SOL Earth Science (2026)		SOL English Reading (2026)						SOL Geography (2026)	SOL Civics and Economics (2026)			SOL VA Studies (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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 Geometry 6th Grade	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 6th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL Earth Science 7th Grade	SOL Earth Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL Geography 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 6th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	SOL VA Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Western Branch Middle	Public	6-8	4201 Hawksley Dr	Chesapeake	23321	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 638-7920	855	68	12.5	73.3%	321 (37.5%)	319 (37.3%)	84 (9.8%)	36 (4.2%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.5%)	90 (10.5%)	69.1	109^th of 416 public middle schools	73.8%		63.9	150^th of 419 public middle schools	64.2%	41		100.0		100.0	100.0				68.5	65.4	66.0		77.9						79.4	82.5	77.6		67.5					$11,664	$182	$11,481
Churchland Middle	Public	7-8	4051 River Shore Rd	Portsmouth	23703	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 686-2512	798	54	14.7	—	122 (15.3%)	555 (69.5%)	56 (7.0%)	3 (0.4%)	10 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (6.5%)	24.6	351^st of 416 public middle schools	15.6%		21	365^th of 419 public middle schools	12.9%	14		97.7		96.3	91.3					23.9	23.8		51.2							61.2	63.0				66.5			$12,064	$1,834	$10,230
Colonel Fred Cherry Middle	Public	6-8	7401 Burbage Drive	Suffolk	23435	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 925-6752	736	63	11.7	68.8%	165 (22.4%)	408 (55.4%)	69 (9.4%)	20 (2.7%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	70 (9.5%)	56.7	190^th of 416 public middle schools	54.3%		55.3	201^st of 419 public middle schools	52.0%	11		100.0		100.0	99.0				70.0	56.0	57.0		69.4						66.4	74.8	76.4			72.7				$8,394	$203	$8,191
Jolliff Middle	Public	6-8	1021 Jolliff Rd.	Chesapeake	23321	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 465-5246	753	65	11.5	73.8%	322 (42.8%)	256 (34.0%)	88 (11.7%)	19 (2.5%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	64 (8.5%)	70	104^th of 416 public middle schools	75.0%		71.9	106^th of 419 public middle schools	74.7%	2		100.0		100.0	100.0				71.3	54.3	74.7		73.5		≥ 50%				77.8	79.0	79.7		79.4					$12,931	$461	$12,470
William E. Waters Middle	Public	7-8	600 Roosevelt Blvd	Portsmouth	23701	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 558-2813	549	46	11.9	—	113 (20.6%)	358 (65.2%)	39 (7.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	34 (6.2%)	13	385^th of 416 public middle schools	7.5%		20.6	367^th of 419 public middle schools	12.4%	18		80.8		100.0	91.1					29.5	28.1		41.4							54.2	53.7				56.6			$15,122	$2,009	$13,113
John Yeates Middle	Public	6-8	4901 Bennetts Pasture Rd	Suffolk	23435	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 923-4105	509	51	9.9	69.5%	215 (42.2%)	183 (36.0%)	40 (7.9%)	14 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	55 (10.8%)	76.7	61^st of 416 public middle schools	85.3%		71	113^th of 419 public middle schools	73.0%	52		100.0	≥ 50%	100.0	100.0				80.3	50.0	58.2		77.3						78.3	90.6	85.6			88.1				$10,677	$280	$10,398
Cradock Middle	Public	7-8	21 Alden Ave	Portsmouth	23702	Portsmouth city	Portsmouth City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 393-8788	516	38	13.5	—	36 (7.0%)	395 (76.6%)	36 (7.0%)	4 (0.8%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (7.9%)	12.1	390^th of 416 public middle schools	6.3%		11.5	389^th of 419 public middle schools	7.2%	1		87.5		100.0	98.5					25.0	31.4		45.1							46.9	48.7				48.2			$14,627	$2,280	$12,347
Blair Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	730 Spotswood Ave	Norfolk	23517	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 628-2400	1,141	77	14.8	93.3%	240 (21.0%)	676 (59.2%)	117 (10.3%)	22 (1.9%)	4 (0.4%)	4 (0.4%)	78 (6.8%)	24	354^th of 416 public middle schools	14.9%		20.2	368^th of 419 public middle schools	12.2%	14	≥ 50%	93.5	≥ 50%	99.2	95.7				36.0	19.9	9.6		18.3	95.1	87.3				62.3	61.6	54.8	83.1		95.2	32.1			$11,342	$361	$10,981
Ruffner School	Public	3-8	610 May Ave.	Norfolk	23504	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2466	576	47	12.2	93.4%	9 (1.6%)	531 (92.2%)	17 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	14 (2.4%)	3	410^th of 416 public middle schools	1.4%		2.6	413^th of 419 public middle schools	1.4%	3		397.0		≥ 50%	100.0	17.1	39.1	4.1	19.5	11.9	16.6	4.1	17.0		≥ 50%	26.5	56.5	14.3	33.3	36.9	26.3	50.0		65.5	16.7	41.3	14.3	$16,746	$1,291	$15,455
Deep Creek Middle	Public	6-8	1955 Deal Dr	Chesapeake	23323	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 558-5321	764	66	11.6	72.8%	272 (35.6%)	260 (34.0%)	150 (19.6%)	8 (1.0%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	68 (8.9%)	54.9	206^th of 416 public middle schools	50.5%		51.1	216^th of 419 public middle schools	48.4%	10		100.0		95.7	93.1				55.9	65.4	47.0		69.8						77.8	76.9	76.1		61.9					$12,459	$282	$12,177

Frequently Asked Questions about Western Branch Middle

What district is Western Branch Middle in?

Chesapeake City Public Schools

How many students attend Western Branch Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 855 students attended Western Branch Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Western Branch Middle?

Students at Western Branch Middle are 38% White, 37% African American, 11% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic, 4% Asian.

Is Western Branch Middle a good school?

Western Branch Middle ranks 109^th of 416 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Western Branch Middle attend?

Students who attend Western Branch Middle usually go on to attend Western Branch High

Rate Western Branch Middle!

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataNewOct 12, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 12, 2026

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026

2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 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.