Western Branch High School, Chesapeake, VA

Score breakdown

Compared against all 325 Virginia public high schools. 1–4 is below the state average, 5–6 around it, 7–10 above it.

7.1 · Test scores

SOL pass rate of 81.3% across all subjects — 68th percentile statewide.

6.9 · Academic progress

Virginia's accreditation combined rate for English and Math, which credits schools for student growth — 65th percentile.

5.1 · College readiness

On-time graduation, AP participation, and college enrollment within 16 months — 46th percentile.

Test scores by subject

Percent of students passing Virginia SOL tests, 2024–2025.

This school Virginia average

Biology

86%state 78%

Geometry

83%state 82%

Algebra I

91%state 85%

Algebra II

97%state 89%

Earth Science

74%state 70%

English Writing

77%state 76%

World History I

76%state 66%

World History II

62%state 37%

Source: Virginia Department of Education, School Quality Profiles — SOL pass rates, 2024–2025.

College & career

Class of 2024 cohort of 547 students, unless noted.

92.7%

On-time graduation rate

38%

Advanced Studies diplomas

68%

Enrolled in college within 16 months

3.8%

Dropout rate

14.0%

Enrolled in AP courses

9.0%

Took an AP exam

4.2%

Dual enrollment (college credit)

624

Industry certifications earned (CTE)

Source: Virginia Department of Education — Graduation, Diplomas, Advanced Programs, Postsecondary Enrollment, and CTE datasets.

Western Branch High School & its school zone

Western Branch High School serves Chesapeake, VA 23321 students as a public high school in Chesapeake Public Schools. Buyers searching homes for sale near Western Branch High School are typically shopping the Western Branch zone, one of the areas families compare when weighing Chesapeake high school zones. On the VaHome School Score the school earns 6.2/10 — around the state average among Virginia's 325 public high schools, based on Virginia Department of Education data for 2024–25.

The school's overall SOL pass rate is 81.3%, with standout results in World History II (62% vs a 37% state average) and World History I (76% vs a 66% state average). 92.7% of the class of 2024 graduated on time, 38% of them with Advanced Studies diplomas. 68% of graduates enrolled in college within 16 months. Program depth includes 14% AP course enrollment, 4% dual enrollment for college credit, 624 industry certifications through career and technical education.

For house hunters comparing Chesapeake school zones, homes zoned to Western Branch High School sit in the Western Branch attendance area — use the listings on this page to see every active REIN MLS home in the zone. School zoning and attendance boundaries can change between school years — always verify a specific address's assignment directly with Chesapeake Public Schools before making a housing decision based on school zone.

How the VaHome School Score works

Test scores (40%): the school's SOL pass rate across all subjects, ranked against every Virginia public school of the same level.
College readiness (40%): average statewide rank in on-time graduation rate, AP course enrollment, and college enrollment within 16 months of graduation.
Academic progress (20%): Virginia's accreditation combined rate for English and Math, which gives schools credit for students showing growth.
The weighted statewide percentile maps to a score from 1.0 to 10.0: score = 1 + 9 × percentile. 1–4 is below the state average, 5–6 around it, 7–10 above it.
Every input is public data from the Virginia Department of Education, refreshed each school year. No opinions, no black box — you can check our math.

Data: Virginia Department of Education School Quality Profiles (2024–2025) · NCES. VaHome is not affiliated with VDOE, NCES, or GreatSchools.

At a glance

School district: Chesapeake City Public Schools
Grades served: 9-12
School type: Public
Principal: John Close
Established: 1968
Mascot & colors: Bruins · Navy Blue, Gold
Enrollment: 2,138 students (2024-2025)
Student–teacher ratio: 15:1
Classroom teachers: 147.26 FTE
Accreditation: Fully Accredited (2025-2026)
NCES school ID: 510081000312

Academic performance

SOL pass rates · 2024-2025

Reading

88%

Mathematics

89%

Science

86%

History & Social Sci.

43%

93%

On-time graduation (2025)

Dropout rate

College & career readiness

2024-2025

13.99%

Students in AP courses

4.24%

Dual-enrollment (college credit)

770

Career & technical credentials earned

770 CTE credentials earned by 670 students; AP enrollment 300 of 2,145 students; dual enrollment 91 students.

Attendance

2024-2025

16.1% of students were chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days).

About Western Branch High School

Western Branch High School opened in 1968 and serves grades 9-12 in the Western Branch section of Chesapeake, Virginia, as part of Chesapeake City Public Schools. Its athletic teams are known as the Bruins, competing in the Virginia High School League's Class 6, Region A, and the school's colors are navy blue and gold. A roughly $40 million modernization completed around 2010-2011 added a two-story wing and brought additional natural lighting along with renovations to the existing building.

The campus sits at 1968 Bruin Place, a suburban area of western Chesapeake near the Suffolk city line and the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River. Notable graduates include musician Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, composer Mac Quayle, former NFL cornerback Dre Bly, NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, and Major League Baseball pitcher Colin Selby.

Notable alumni

Randy Blythe· Lead singer of the metal band Lamb of God (Class of 1989)Mac Quayle· Emmy-winning composer (Class of 1987)Dre Bly· Former NFL All-Pro cornerback and coach (Class of 1995)Andre Douglas· NASA astronaut selected for the Artemis program (Class of 2004)Colin Selby· Major League Baseball pitcher (Class of 2015)

Contact

Phone: (757) 638-7900

Official school website ↗

Data sources

NCES Common Core of Data - Western Branch High — NCES ID, address, phone, grades, total enrollment and by-grade, FTE teachers, student/teacher ratio, locale, free-lunch eligibility, race/ethnicity counts2024-2025 link ↗
Virginia School Quality Profiles - Western Branch High — Accreditation, SOL pass rates, on-time graduation rate, dropout rate, advanced diploma count, chronic absenteeism, AP/dual enrollment, CTE credentials, demographics (%), principal2024-2025 (accreditation 2025-2026) link ↗
Wikipedia - Western Branch High School — Founding year, history/modernization, mascot, colors, VHSL classification, notable alumnin/a link ↗
Wikimedia Commons - File:Western Branch HS 1.jpg — Freely-licensed building photo (CC BY-SA 4.0)2007 link ↗
Chesapeake Public Schools - Western Branch High official site — Official website URL, principal2026 link ↗

Photo: Western Branch High School by Faithlessthewonderboy, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons., CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Figures reflect the 2024-2025 (academic/demographic); 2025-2026 (accreditation) unless noted. School zoning, boundaries, and ratings change — verify with the school division before making housing decisions.

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