Western Albemarle High School

The only high school in Crozet's feeder pattern — Fully Accredited, a genuine athletic powerhouse, and for a lot of relocating families, the reason the school search ends here.

By Josh Keeton, Town Realty · Updated 17 September 2026

Grades 9–12 · Students 1,273 · Serves every Western Albemarle address

Every address in the Western Albemarle pattern, all four elementary zones, goes to Western Albemarle High School. Click a neighborhood to see it.

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Which homes go to Western Albemarle High School?

Western Albemarle High School is the only public high school serving Crozet, enrolling 1,273 students in grades 9–12 for the 2024–25 school year at a student-teacher ratio of roughly 16 to 1. It is rated Fully Accredited by the Virginia Department of Education for 2025–26, and every student arrives from Henley Middle School — there is no second high school in the pattern.

It's also, less predictably, one of the strongest athletic programs in the state for a school its size — named Virginia's top Class 3 athletic program by the Virginia High School League for three straight years, 2021-22 through 2023-24. Every student here arrives from Henley Middle School, which in turn draws from four elementary zones across Western Albemarle.

Where is Western Albemarle High School?

Western Albemarle High is at 5941 Rockfish Gap Turnpike in Crozet. The phone number is 434-823-8700.

What grades does Western Albemarle High School teach, and is it accredited?

Western Albemarle High School teaches grades 9–12 and is fully accredited.

How many students attend Western Albemarle High School?

1,273 students in 2024–25, a student-teacher ratio of about 16:1.

What are the bell times at Western Albemarle High School?

First block starts at 9:00 am and fourth block ends at 3:55 pm on a regular day, with optional early-bird classes from 8:00 to 8:50. Monday's first block runs five minutes longer to include homeroom; on a two-hour delay, the first bell is at 10:50.

What programs can Western Albemarle High School students apply to?

Two by sign-up, both open to every Albemarle high schooler: the division's Scholars Studios, a four-year program starting in ninth grade at ACE Academy's Lambs Lane campus that students choose during fall course registration, and CATEC, the regional technical center shared with Charlottesville, with nine programs from automotive and carpentry to EMT, nursing assistant and veterinary science, and bus service from the home school.

What sports and activities does Western Albemarle High School offer?

Western Albemarle High School lists 99 student clubs on its own club page as of September 2026 — from Robotics Club and WAHS Science Olympiad to Thespian Honor Society, Hiking Club, DECA and Model United Nations. The school publishes them as a single alphabetical list; the eleven category groupings shown here are ours, and every club name is reproduced from the school's roster.

Quick answers

What clubs does Western Albemarle High School offer?

What is Western Albemarle High School's mascot?

The Warriors, in blue and gold. Locals and students typically just call the school “Western.”

Is Western Albemarle High School accredited?

Yes. The Virginia Department of Education rated Western Fully Accredited for the 2025–2026 school year, its highest accreditation designation.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Western Albemarle High School?

About 16 to 1, per federal NCES enrollment and staffing data — slightly higher than Virginia's statewide average of 14 to 1.

Which middle school feeds into Western Albemarle High School?

Henley Middle School is Western's only feeder middle school. Every Henley student advances to Western; there's no zoning split at that stage.

Is Western Albemarle High School good at sports?

Notably so, and the swim program is the clearest evidence. Western's boys swim and dive team won its ninth consecutive VHSL Class 3 state title in March 2026, its tenth overall, which ties the state record for total titles; the girls' team won its third straight and eleventh overall, a new record. Western was also named the state's top Class 3 athletic program for three consecutive years, most recently 2023-24. The trade-off is a competitive culture that not every student wants.

How long has Western Albemarle High School been around?

Western opened in September 1977 and has operated from the same 75-acre campus at the foot of the Blue Ridge ever since — a 199,904-square-foot facility just off Route 250 and I-64.

Sources

Where do Western's students come from?

Four elementary zones, one middle school, and Western at the end of the line — the same pipeline every Western Albemarle family eventually walks through.

Grades PK–5

Elementary (4 zones)

Brownsville, Crozet, Ivy Elementary, or Virginia L. Murray, depending on address.

Grades 6–8

Henley Middle School

The single middle school for all of Western Albemarle. Four elementary cohorts become one class here.

Henley Middle guide → Grades 9–12 · You Are Here

Western Albemarle High

1,273 students as of the 2024-25 school year, a 16:1 ratio, and nine straight Class 3 state titles for the boys' swim team through 2026.

Worth knowing before you offer: which elementary school a specific house is zoned for still varies by address — Brownsville and Crozet Elementary serve most in-town Crozet addresses, while Ivy Elementary and Virginia L. Murray Elementary primarily serve other parts of Western Albemarle along the Ivy corridor. See every Albemarle County school district map →

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