Western Albemarle High School
Crozet, VA 22932
Phone: (434) 823-8700
District: Albemarle County Public Schools
GreatSchools Rating
public • Grades 9,10,11,12 • 1274 students
Western Albemarle High School, a public school located in Crozet, VA, serves grades 9-12 in the Albemarle County Public Schools.It has received a GreatSchools Rating of 8 out of 10, based on a variety of school quality measures.
Western Albemarle High School is a public school located in Crozet, VA. 1274 students attend Western Albemarle High School.
School Ratings
| Category | Rating | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Test Scores | 8/10 | 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 | 9/10 | 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: March 25, 2026
Posted: March 25, 2026
Posted: March 25, 2026
Posted: March 25, 2026
Posted: March 25, 2026
Posted: March 25, 2026
Posted: March 25, 2026
In my experience, this school is detrimental to college-bound students. Even though the student body is large, all the teachers are local and nepotism is rampant. It is quite a small-town game. The very limited awards and recognitions available at this school go to teachers' children and teachers' friends' children. As do the grades. They do not even try to hide it. Students need to be extremely careful when choosing recommenders for college, as teachers are not always forthright about their intentions. There were some glimmers of hope with the current principal that this could change, but it has not. It is very much a place where some kids matter and most do not.
Posted: March 25, 2026
Posted: May 10, 2025
Posted: May 10, 2025
Posted: May 10, 2025
Posted: May 10, 2025
Posted: May 10, 2025
Posted: May 10, 2025
Posted: May 10, 2025
Posted: May 10, 2025
As a former alumni who graduated in the past few years, I loved my time at Western Albemarle. Going into my freshman year I was thinking about going St Annes because I had a difficult time at Henley however I gave Western a shot and it was an amazing fit and I never looked back.
Pros about Western
They have a strong body of elite teachers however the math department here is TERRIBLE. Western has been known to have bad math teachers, besides that other subjects have excelled. The resources are there as well with accommodations, counseling, or one-on-one help. Programs and clubs here are also pretty good so it is pretty easy to get involved. Lastly it is very easy to make friends or know everyone at western and it is to get to know your teachers and make connections with them.
Smallish complaints about the school:
The school is not diverse when it comes to race but that's not really in Westerns control or their fault, because of this there are students from other schools that have tried to falsely accuse of being Western being a racist environment. Western is also really good in just about every sport, however this can come with a downside as it can be really competitive and hard to make teams or get playing time. Western has been known to excel in basketball, swimming, tennis, and soccer for a while so those are the sports that can be hard to make the team or get any sort of playing time. If a sport doesn't stick or workout with you after your sophomore year, it can be really hard to find another sport to pick up or play.
Posted: April 17, 2024
Posted: April 17, 2024
Posted: April 17, 2024
Posted: April 17, 2024
Posted: April 17, 2024
Posted: April 17, 2024
Posted: April 17, 2024
Posted: April 17, 2024
This school and county are the worst! From the superintendent down to the teachers there really should be a complete overhaul. They do not care about the children's education and well being. I had one child struggling in a class. All year I reached out to the teacher and counselors for help only to be told "don't worry about it, they are getting a 60 which is passing, so they will be fine". Well this might be "fine" in their book, but not mine. My child had not learned anything by going to this or other classes. This answer was completely unacceptable! My child wanted to learn. They want to go to college and do well. Getting a 60 in a class and not understanding it will not help them or anyone else in life!
We even reached out to the superintendents office about this and forwarded the email we received from the school stating this and he, Matt Haas, wouldn't take our calls or even have the decency to respond to the email. And this is who we have overseeing our schools?! It's appalling!
Posted: February 27, 2023
Posted: February 27, 2023
Posted: February 27, 2023
Posted: February 27, 2023
Posted: February 27, 2023
Posted: February 27, 2023
As a grandparent and parent of two Western Albemarle alumni, I am still a big fan! Leadership starts at the top - the principal and athletic director/staff are fully present at all events. The extra-curricular events are well-supervised, planned, and attended. Students are engaged, with curious eye contact, good manners, and a healthy balance of wanting to have fun. If political struggles exist at 'the central office,' it is not adversely impacting superior programs for adolescent development. The achievement rates come as no surprise - everyone works to reach that goal.
As a (now retired) real estate broker, I understand why families are drawn to this part of the district. Western remains the best school, in my opinion. Why? There is a vital commitment to students, parents, and the Western Albemarle Community. Watching the next generations emerge prepared for new and provincial life challenges gives me hope.
Posted: February 27, 2023
Posted: February 27, 2023
Posted: November 15, 2022
Posted: November 15, 2022
Posted: November 15, 2022
Posted: November 15, 2022
Posted: November 15, 2022
Posted: November 15, 2022
School is pretty sus, overrated as nether ngl overall louisa diffs 45-7
Posted: November 15, 2022
Posted: November 15, 2022
Posted: October 19, 2022
Posted: October 19, 2022
Posted: October 19, 2022
Posted: October 19, 2022
Posted: October 19, 2022
Posted: October 19, 2022
We moved to this area because we heard good things about the schools. We quickly found out it was not the school administration, but the parents that made the schools good. If not for parent involvement these schools would probably rank as the worst in the state. They do NOT care about your childs well being. They are only out to make themselves look good. The only time they show any involvement in your child is when it comes down to their SOL scores. They are only about teaching to the SOL and nothing else. From K through HS they repetitively teach only to the SOLs to make their ratings look good, everything else fails. I couldnt believe the basic knowledge that my children have not been taught and I know as I have volunteered at the schools for many years and had to deal with assisting teachers teach the same things over an over. Our child was so under prepared for college, yet had over a 4.0 for his GPA. We had to hire tutors throughout his middle and high school to teach him the things the school was not. Then we had to fork out $7K to pay for a college prep company to help him write prepare for the SAT, and college application process. We reached out so many times to his counselor, the principal and his teachers for help and even letters of recommendations and never received responses back. This school has been a joke and I am so sorry we sent our kid here.
Posted: October 19, 2022
Posted: October 19, 2022
Posted: March 31, 2020
The entire school division has been ahead of the curve when it comes to homework, balancing the life of the student with the curriculum.
Posted: March 31, 2020
We've found all of the teachers to be extremely responsive in communicating with parents. Every class our son has had so far has been taught by teachers who understand the unique needs of each student and are willing to work with them and their families to maximize instructional learning. Finally, teachers really know their stuff and find unique and compelling ways to engage with students.
Posted: March 31, 2020
The honor code at WAHS is strong. Students look our for each other. Several classes, especially in freshman seminar, are dedicated to building strong character and respect for each other. Students also are required to do community service and that helps with building compassion and integrity.
Posted: March 31, 2020
The school did have an acting principal, but they have just hired an energetic and dedicated replacement. He will start in June 2020.
Posted: March 31, 2020
Our son has Asperger's, high on the autism spectrum. The level of care we've received has been exceptional. This goes for the entire school division. Teachers and counselors are actively engaged in helping us give our son the best education possible. Our son takes mostly honors courses and has over a 3.5 gpa. I can attribute a lot of his success to the folks who've supported him at WAHS.
Posted: March 31, 2020
The school has again been ahead of the curve when it comes to dealing with bullying. Incoming freshman spend a good amount of time talking about, role playing and practicing respect for the other.
Posted: March 31, 2020
We moved to this area because of the school system. The building might not be new (many of the science labs have recently been renovated and there has been a good amount of renovation) but the quality of instruction, leadership, and the caliper of students are some of the best I've experienced all around the Commonwealth, including Fairfax.
Posted: February 28, 2019
Posted: February 28, 2019
Poor root cause analysis. Use "beat all" tactics.
Posted: February 28, 2019
Sadly, school is rated second to NOVA, however it performs well below comparable schools from other states based upon experience with other counties. Seems a little over inflated compared tonother areas. You decide.
Posted: February 28, 2019
Varies, focus is on "self direction". These young people should be guided, nit allowing them to do whatever they want and when.
Posted: February 28, 2019
There are a few gems, however several are ineffective, poor communicators, and lazy. Some are reduced in classes, while poor performers continue to be tolerated.
Posted: February 28, 2019
Students do gain a healthy character. School attempts to reenforce these ideals.
Posted: February 28, 2019
Tolerate poor teacher performance (not all, but some). Further, they show a distrust of its staff... egos run the game.
Posted: February 28, 2015
I attend WAHS (sophomore) and I would say that it's a good school if you enjoy sports, teaching yourself, and cliques. Basically, your average high school. There's a lot of pressure from teachers to do well without good teaching. Although there are some good teachers, it severely lacks a good math department and diversity among students and teachers. The teachers give special privileges to those who play sports and shame those who don't. Overall, the teachers have little respect for students and give off the feeling that they are only there to get paid.
Posted: May 14, 2014
WAHS is an excellent high school. There are opportunities for every type of child. The sports programs are wonderful, as is the drama department. There are a few teachers who need to retire, but overall they are excellent. WAHS sends students to the best colleges in the State.
Posted: September 13, 2013
We are on our second child at Western. There are some great teachers and staff members at this school. Dr. Domecq and Mr. Driver are two of the best! They take the time to connect with students and parents. There are too many teachers to list all that we have had great experiences with. Our only criticism would be with the foreign language department. Mrs. Pugh is an amazing teacher, but our experiences with the other teachers has been very poor. The school has a new principal this year and we are excited to see more improvements.
Reviews provided by GreatSchools™
| Base | Distance |
|---|---|
| NGIC Charlottesville | 17.5 mi. |
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