From the late 1980s through the early 2000s, the district steadily grew as four schools dropped in classification from the former
AAA Roanoke Valley District. Two schools entered after the
AA New River Valley District disbanded when other schools dropped in classification to Group A. For the 2002–2003 school year, the student body of Group AAA
Cave Spring High School in
Roanoke County was split into two Group AA sized schools with the opening of
Hidden Valley High School. These two new schools gave the district eleven members that year except in football, where Cave Spring remained in AAA and Hidden Valley did not play a full schedule. The district was split for the 2003–2004 school year. The name Blue Ridge District remained with this group of schools because Alleghany, Lord Botetourt, and William Byrd had the longest tenures in the district. The other group of six schools formed the
AA River Ridge District. The Blue Ridge District only had four members starting in the 2007–2008 school year when William Fleming returned to Group AAA, but it grew to five members starting in the 2009–2010 school year when former member Staunton River returned from the
AA Seminole District and to six members in the 2010–2011 school year when former member Rockbridge County returned from the
AA Southern Valley District. The Blue Ridge District will be preserved in the 2013-2014 VSHL reclassification. William Fleming will also return to the district from the
AAA Western Valley District. The district will include schools from classifications 3A and 4A. Each school will compete only against members of the same classification in post-season play. ==Geographic Makeup==