Potomac High School

Dumfries, VA 22026

Phone: (703) 441-4200
District: Prince William County Public Schools

4

GreatSchools Rating

public • Grades 9,10,11,12 • 2202 students

Potomac High School, a public school located in Dumfries, VA, serves grades 9-12 in the Prince William County Public Schools.It has received a GreatSchools Rating of 4 out of 10, based on a variety of school quality measures.

Potomac High School is a public school located in Dumfries, VA. 2202 students attend Potomac High School.

School Ratings

Category Rating Details
Test Scores 4/10 The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 Virginia Standards of Learning data from Virginia Department of Education, and using 2025 Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) End-of-Course data from Virginia Department of Education.
College Readiness 4/10 The College Readiness Rating uses this high school's graduation rates, college entrance exam participation and performance, or AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment participation to determine how well schools are preparing students for success in college and beyond. The College Readiness Rating was created using the following data from the 2021 Civil Rights Data Collection: percentage of students enrolled in IB, AP or Dual Enrollment classes in grades 9-12, using 2025 4-year high school graduation rate data from Virginia Department of Education, using 2025 demographic data from the National Center for Education Statistics, and using 2025 demographic data from Virginia Department of Education.

Posted: October 8, 2024

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Posted: October 8, 2024

This school has a lot of issues, I have no idea how anyone could rate this school 5 stars. The teachers honestly seem to care (most of them) and there are numerous emails that try to reach the parents. The main issues is the students, a lot of them do not want to learn and cause problems with the kids that do. Some of the language I've heard used by children was ridiculous and it's said in front of adults that don't say a word. I had high hopes for the NJROTC program but it seems like there is only so much they can do with kids that don't care and unfortunately they try to drag down everyone else. It's also not a safe environment, my child tells me about the fights that happen almost daily, threats of violence happen daily. I think this is or last year here, many better high schools in the area.

Posted: May 22, 2023

Great school , great staff Potomac is a good school with lots of diverse programs, and activities.

Posted: May 22, 2023

Posted: May 22, 2023

Posted: May 22, 2023

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Posted: May 22, 2023

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Posted: May 22, 2023

Posted: March 11, 2018

Great school ! Great teachers and staff

Posted: September 6, 2016

Posted: September 6, 2016

Posted: September 6, 2016

Posted: September 6, 2016

Potomac is a good school with lots of diverse programs and extra curricular activities. It also boasts a large group of successful alumni.

Posted: July 18, 2016

I believe it starts with the Principal and he is extremely dedicated, professional and leads by example.

Posted: February 21, 2015

A wonderful school. Makes you feel like you are a part of a family!!! I miss my Potomac Family!!!

Posted: June 4, 2014

This school is a diamond in disguise. It's unfortunate the past reputation of this school perpetuates through the rumor mill. The principal shows great leadership and is regularly seen around the school and at after school activities (the same for many of the teachers and administrative staff). We are a military family and this was our teen's 1st year here (junior). Our teen is in the Cambridge program which has a very challenging curriculum and we feel our teen is very well prepared for any college. The class sizes are smaller and our teen has been treated and expected to perform as a college student. The counselors and administration have gone beyond the call of duty and have been very responsive to our concerns (prior credits/test scores, graduation requirements, etc) . The teachers are top notch, care about students' education, and are involved with supporting clubs & extra curricular activities; even concession stand duty for the booster club. It's unfortunate many parents aren't as involved; many work in the DC metro area and have long commutes and bad traffic). It appears the majority of the students come from working class homes where both parents work outside the home.

Posted: April 17, 2014

Excellent facilities, great JROTC program, great classes, very clean, good teachers. The Principal plays an active role in all actitives. My daughter is happy, and I am happy. Great school!!!

Posted: February 22, 2014

My son is a senior this year and his overall experience at Potomac has been great and the same was for my daughter who attended Potomac and now she is a sophomore at Virginia Tech. Being involved in many sport and other civic activities makes the difference. There are excellent teachers who volunteer for after school activities and go beyond their way to teach and support the students. The new Principal is on top of all activities, his enthusiasm has reflected in many aspects of the school. Another important thing is the parents' involvement which will make a difference in this or any other school.

Posted: February 18, 2014

Potomac is an excellent school with a diverse student body. The size of this school is one of its greatest strengths, and students get more attention than at other schools in the area.

Posted: January 26, 2014

Potomac is a extremely diverse school which offers great academics, athletics and community service. Many of our graduates have gone on to successful careers in academics, medicine, business and the military.

Posted: January 26, 2014

The late 90s early 00s reputation of Potomac is not only unfairly casting its shadow on the success of our school, it has blinded many to the statistical results we have achieved. Thanks to Prince William County's outdated specialty school programs, many families have sent their kids to the "bigger" neighboring high schools where they just become one of the crowd. What I see at Potomac is nothing short of amazing given our diversity and hamstrung budget capabilities thanks to the horrible site based management strategy still dominating from the previous old boy network of former supervisor Kelly. Watch out $$$ schools of PWCS. We are on our way to actually earn our academic success through the dedication of the greatest staff in PWC and the leadership of the best principal I have worked under during my 10 year tenure. The fifth star is the one we will always be striving for.

Posted: January 26, 2014

There have been major changes to this school in the past few years (for the better). Administration is becoming more consistent with student discipline. I think the staff would benefit from more team building as an entire staff. Overall a great place to work, good students and admin is working hard to support the teachers however they can.

Posted: January 24, 2014

We have been very pleased with Potomac HS. The new principal and recent renovations have made all the difference for the school and Students. The Principal attends all PTSO, student meeting and all school activities, The Cambridge Programme is a challenging program that prepares students for college much better than the traditional method of teaching. There are several new programs coming to the school. Pleased our son is a student here! Submitted by a parent

Posted: December 27, 2013

Great all around High School in Prince William County public school system. My son is now a Jr. who love the small room teacher to student ratio.

Posted: December 25, 2013

Excellent facilities, great JROTC program, great advance classes, very clean, good teachers. The best HS in the county.

Posted: October 14, 2013

We have been very happy with Potomac HS. The new principal and recent renovations have made all the difference. The Cambridge Programme is a challenging program that prepares students for college much better than the traditional method of teaching. So happy our son is a student here!

Posted: June 18, 2013

The New Principal Is Just Fantastic , It's Just the teachers that don't do a great job at potomac and that really upsets me that the teachers do not do their job .

Posted: March 17, 2013

My child has attended this school all 4 years. He has done well with his SOL's and SAT's. This is what matters most to me when selecting a school. They have prepared him well. His teachers have held him to high standards and he has taken some tough classes. Teachers are helpful, but I did much emailing and had to use School Fusion to keep up. The new principal has brought excitment to the Potomac program. He clearly is involved with the students, attends games and activities.The renovations have also contributed to brought excitment. His counselor is good, but again, I had to communicate with them. Front office personnel is ok. Not the friendliest, but ok. Sports program is excellent. Safe school. The students are kind and respectful. It's not a perfect school, but it has been a great experience for my kid.

Posted: February 17, 2013

Excellent administration, excellent renovations, and more excellence to come. Classrooms are engaging, excellent extra-curricular offerings, high quality performing arts and sports programs... something for everyone! There's a place for every student at Potomac, and it's an exciting place to be! The faculty and staff feel more like a family, and much emphasis is given to the student. It's a smaller PWC school, so students are given more individual attention than they would receive in a larger school. The principal is VERY communicative, with very high standards for students and staff. Please do not hesitate to send your student here!

Posted: February 13, 2013

I was told when I moved to the area that this school was bad but I underestimated the level. This is one of the worst school environment that I have ever encountered. The students are rude, irresponsible and unexcited about learning. From my observation,the teachers just go with the flow which makes the place a worst learning environment for a kid that actually wants to learn.

Posted: December 21, 2012

As a current student in the my mid-career of high school, Potomac High School is much better than what I heard it was. With the renovations and new administration, the school is a much better place to be. Also, they have something called Cambridge program which puts me in harder classes and challenges your knowledge. I like it because my counselor says it'll help with college applications.

Reviews provided by GreatSchools

# Name Type City State Overall Rating Distance
1 Port Potomac Neighborhood/Subdivision Woodbridge VA 0.8 mi
2 Brittany Neighborhood/Subdivision Dumfries VA 1.8 mi
3 Potomac Shores Neighborhood/Subdivision Dumfries VA 2.1 mi
4 Rippon Landing Condominium/Townhouse Woodbridge VA 2.7 mi
5 Potomac Club Neighborhood/Subdivision Woodbridge VA 2.7 mi
6 Montclair Neighborhood/Subdivision Dumfries VA 2.8 mi
7 Stonewall Manor Neighborhood/Subdivision Triangle VA 3.6 mi
8 Potomac Highlands Neighborhood/Subdivision Triangle VA 3.7 mi
9 Ashland Neighborhood/Subdivision Manassas VA 4.3 mi
10 Sycamore Ridge Neighborhood/Subdivision Woodbridge VA 4.9 mi
11 Lake Ridge Neighborhood/Subdivision Woodbridge VA 6.1 mi
12 Gunston Cove Neighborhood/Subdivision Lorton VA 8.3 mi
13 Aquia Harbour Neighborhood/Subdivision Stafford VA 9.1 mi
14 Lorton Station Neighborhood/Subdivision Lorton VA 9.4 mi
15 Woodstream Neighborhood/Subdivision Stafford VA 9.7 mi
16 Newington Commons Neighborhood/Subdivision Lorton VA 9.9 mi
17 Newington Forest Neighborhood/Subdivision Springfield VA 10.1 mi
18 Aquia Harbour Neighborhood/Subdivision Aquia Harbour VA 10.2 mi
19 Springfield Oaks Neighborhood/Subdivision Springfield VA 10.6 mi
20 Terra Grande Neighborhood/Subdivision Springfield VA 11 mi
21 Fort Belvoir Housing Neighborhood/Subdivision Fort Belvoir VA 11.4 mi
22 Hampton Oaks Neighborhood/Subdivision Stafford VA 11.4 mi
# Name City State Overall Rating Distance
1 Montclair Montclair VA 2.7 mi
2 Woodbridge Woodbridge VA 5.3 mi
3 Public Quarry at Government Island Stafford VA 11.2 mi
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