Western Branch Middle School, Chesapeake, VA

Score breakdown

Compared against all 337 Virginia public middle schools. 1–4 is below the state average, 5–6 around it, 7–10 above it.

6.7 · Test scores

SOL pass rate of 75.4% across all subjects — 63th percentile statewide.

6.9 · Academic progress

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

6.7 · Attendance

Chronic absenteeism of 13.1% — better attendance than 63% of peers statewide.

Test scores by subject

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

This school Virginia average

Geometry

100%state 82%

Algebra I

96%state 85%

Civics & Econ

71%state 72%

Grade 8 Science

79%state 68%

Grade 6 Mathematics

58%state 65%

Grade 7 Mathematics

63%state 62%

Grade 8 Mathematics

80%state 63%

Grade 6 English Reading

79%state 73%

Grade 7 English Reading

75%state 73%

Grade 8 English Reading

84%state 74%

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

Western Branch Middle School & its school zone

Western Branch Middle School serves Chesapeake, VA 23321 students as a public middle school in Chesapeake Public Schools. Buyers searching homes for sale near Western Branch Middle School are shopping this Chesapeake school zone, one of the areas families compare when weighing Chesapeake middle school zones. On the VaHome School Score the school earns 6.7/10 — above the state average among Virginia's 337 public middle schools, based on Virginia Department of Education data for 2024–25.

The school's overall SOL pass rate is 75.4%, with standout results in Grade 8 Mathematics (80% vs a 63% state average) and Algebra I (96% vs a 85% state average). Virginia's accreditation measures — which credit schools for student growth, not just pass rates — come in at 87% for English and 82% for Math. Chronic absenteeism is 13.1%, better than the 15.2% state median for middle schools.

For house hunters comparing Chesapeake school zones, the listings on this page show active REIN MLS homes near Western Branch Middle School. 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 (50%): the school's SOL pass rate across all subjects, ranked against every Virginia public school of the same level.
Attendance (20%): chronic absenteeism, ranked statewide (lower is better).
Academic progress (30%): 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: 6-8
School type: Regular public school (non-charter)
Principal: Mrs. Helen (Beth) Pallister
Mascot & colors: Bruins
Enrollment: 855 students (2024-2025)
Student–teacher ratio: 13:1
Classroom teachers: 68 FTE
Accreditation: Fully Accredited (2025-2026)
NCES school ID: 510081000313

Academic performance

SOL pass rates · 2024-2025

Reading

79%

Mathematics

72%

Science

79%

History & Social Sci.

71%

Attendance

2024-2025

11.2% of students were chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days).

About Western Branch Middle School

Western Branch Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in the Western Branch area of Chesapeake, Virginia, at 4201 Hawksley Drive. It is one of the middle schools operated by Chesapeake City Public Schools and its athletic teams are known as the Bruins.

The school sits in the western portion of Chesapeake near the Portsmouth and Suffolk borders, a largely residential, suburban section of the city. In the 2024-2025 school year it enrolled roughly 855 students and, per the Virginia School Quality Profiles, held Fully Accredited status for 2025-2026.

Contact

Phone: (757) 638-7920

Official school website ↗

Data sources

NCES Common Core of Data - Western Branch Middle — NCES School ID, state ID, district, address, phone, grades, enrollment (855, 2024-25), enrollment by grade, teachers FTE (68.0), student/teacher ratio (12.57), locale, school type, racial/ethnic counts, free-lunch counts2024-2025 link ↗
Virginia School Quality Profiles - Western Branch Middle — SOL pass rates (Reading 79, Math 72, Science 79, History/Social Science 71), accreditation (Fully Accredited SY2025-26), demographics (% econ disadvantaged/EL/SWD, race/ethnicity), chronic absenteeism 11.2%, principal, enrollment2024-2025 link ↗
Chesapeake Public Schools - Western Branch Middle official site — Official website, principal, mascot (Bruins), district affiliation2026 link ↗

Figures reflect the 2024-2025 (NCES CCD and Virginia School Quality Profiles); accreditation status for SY 2025-2026 unless noted. School zoning, boundaries, and ratings change — verify with the school division before making housing decisions.

Western Branch Middle School