Enrollment
855
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Chesapeake, VA
Western Branch Middle
Federal NCES profile for Western Branch Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510081000313
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Western Branch Middle earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #9 of 10
- middle schools in Chesapeake · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 33.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Western Branch Middle has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Western Branch Middle ranks #9 of 10 middle schools in Chesapeake, VA.
School address
District: Chesapeake City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510081000313 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
66.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.8%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Western Branch Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Western Branch Middle
Western Branch Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Chesapeake, Virginia, enrolling 855 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 855 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 302 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #195.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and African American (37%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 285 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 227 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 855 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Chesapeake's middle schools, it stands alongside Great Bridge Middle (1,309 students): Western Branch Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13:1 vs 15.4:1).
Chesapeake City Public Schools also operates Grassfield High (2,345 students) and Oscar F. Smith High (2,264 students) alongside Western Branch Middle.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Western Branch Middle compares
Western Branch Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▼ 6% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.8% | ▼ 41% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 855 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
855
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 36% in Virginia - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,740
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 285 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
129
in-school suspensions + 98 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 37.5%
African American 37.3%
Two or More 10.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
Asian 4.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 37.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.8, Western Branch Middle is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chesapeake City Public Schools, which includes Western Branch Middle.
$13,740
Per student
-6%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.1%
State 42.6%
Federal 10.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Western Branch Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grassfield High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oscar F. Smith High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Western Branch High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Deep Creek High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian River High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Western Branch Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,345
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 2,264
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,138
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,691
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 1,634
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar middle schools in Chesapeake
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Great Bridge Middle
Standard public school
1,309 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Hugo a. Owens Middle
Standard public school
1,286 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Hickory Middle
Standard public school
1,285 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Oscar Smith Middle
Standard public school
967 students 11:1 students per teacher
Greenbrier Middle
Standard public school
788 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Deep Creek Middle
Standard public school
764 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~855 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Western Branch Middle's federal record.
- Compare Western Branch Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Chesapeake City Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Western Branch Middle
How many students attend Western Branch Middle?
Western Branch Middle has 855 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Chesapeake, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Western Branch Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Western Branch Middle is 13:1, which is 6% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Western Branch Middle?
33.8% of students at Western Branch Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Western Branch Middle?
The largest demographic group at Western Branch Middle is White at 37.5% of enrollment, in Chesapeake, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Western Branch Middle?
Western Branch Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Western Branch Middle rank among middle schools in Chesapeake?
By Resource Investment Index, Western Branch Middle ranks #9 of 10 middle schools in Chesapeake, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Chesapeake on the city page.
Is Western Branch Middle a good school?
Western Branch Middle earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Chesapeake City Public Schools?
Besides Western Branch Middle, Chesapeake City Public Schools also operates Grassfield High (2,345 students), Oscar F. Smith High (2,264 students), and Western Branch High (2,138 students). See the Chesapeake City Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.