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Facilities
Charlottesville City Schools proudly operates 11 school buildings—most constructed before 1974 that form the backbone of our vibrant educational community. Thanks to a strong partnership with the City of Charlottesville, we're revitalizing these “good bones” through carefully planned upgrades that honor the past while embracing the future. From the $90 million modernization of Charlottesville Middle School, to refreshed campus amenities at our elementary schools and ongoing improvements at CHS, every project reflects our commitment to equity, excellence, and community pride.
Stewardship & Modernization
Charlottesville City Schools is comprised of school buildings that were all, with the exception of Charlottesville Middle School, built between 1925 and 1974. Continuous support is needed to improve and maintain energy efficiency, safety/security, and the overall learning environments for all CCS schools.
The City of Charlottesville works closely with the schools to maintain and upgrade facilities. This section provides a high-level overview of updates to school facilities through the City’s Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget.
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Mr. Mike Goddard, Deputy Director of Public Works for the City, provided an overview of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) process and an update regarding projects recently completed and currently in progress. Projects completed or in process include the $90 million modernization of Charlottesvile Middle School, which is currently on schedule and making great progress. Other current or recent projects include the creation of the roof terrace and improved sidewalk access at Johnson, the multi-year process to replace the CHS roof, electrical equipment, and restrooms, and improvements to the CHS softball field. Planned work in the next four years include: a modernization project for Trailblazer, the adjustments to Walker to support the arrival of preschoolers in August 2026, to be followed by construction beginning in FY27 for the new early childhood center. lighting work for the CHS track and the MLK PAC, roof replacements at Burnley-Moran and Jackson-Via, window replacements at Summit, and a generator upgrade at CHS.
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In 2019, the School Board committed to a school reconfiguration plan that in school year 2026-27 will place sixth-graders at the redesigned Charlottesville Middle School, return fifth-graders to the elementary schools, and create a designated early education center to better serve our preschoolers. These changes are designed to place students in the most developmentally appropriate learning communities. This plan is on schedule.
Following a competitive RFP process, VMDO Architects was selected to lead the design. Working closely with City and School officials since 2021, VMDO guided a collaborative design and budgeting process that led to City Council allocating $68.8 million for the project in April 2022.
In response to rising construction costs, the school division received a $17.6 million School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) grant from the State Board of Education. After the project went to bid in January 2023, Nielsen Builders was awarded the construction contract. Construction officially began in June 2023, with a total project budget of $91.8 million, including all soft costs and add alternates.
This project is the first major investment in Charlottesville City Schools facilities since the opening of Charlottesville High School in 1974.
As of August 2025, construction on the modernized Charlottesville Middle School has been completed. Seventh and 8th grade students began utilizing the new space with this 2025-26 school year. (Ultimately this section of the building will house the school’s new main entrance, a fine arts wing, and two additional floors of classrooms). Now, full renovation and of the existing buildings of the former Buford Middle School building is well underway. The new and renovated buildings will be joined and open for the 2026-27 school year. The fully expanded and renovated Charlottesville Middle School will then officially open to 6th graders as well.
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In 2017, the City of Charlottesville began a baseline $1 million annual allocation for capital improvements that go beyond annual capital maintenance projects to visibly impact learning environments. This amount has since been adjusted for inflation to be $1,250,000.
These capital improvement projects at the elementary schools include:
- Summit received a fourth-grade classroom modernization in 2018. Find photos and details here.
- Jackson-Via received a fourth-grade modernization that also upgrade nearby common areas, completed in 2019. Find photos and details.
- Sunrise’s media center and associated spaces were completed in 2022. Watch video here.
- Greenbrier received a modernized media center in 2024; additionally, in 2022, CIP funds purchased new flexible furnishings and improved storage.. Find photos and details here.
- Tall Oaks received a new outdoor multi-purpose terrace added above the gym overlooking the outdoor play areas in 2024.
- Trailblazer is getting new furniture and other touches in summer 2025, with construction to upgrade intervention spaces scheduled for summer 2026.
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In 2014, CHS received a major upgrade with a two-story engineering lab and interconnected classrooms and work spaces; all science classrooms at CHS were updated soon after. Since then the focus shifted to more safety & security related improvements such as construction of a new visitor vestibule at the main entrance. Most recently in 2024, significant enhancements were made to the building's access control system, and during the summer of 2024 new restrooms were constructed for the B-Commons. The new restrooms provide individual restrooms that have more privacy with a large open sink area that improves supervision for the entire area. CCS looks forward to replicating this new design for school restrooms (which is also in the new middle school) throughout CHS and all other City School facilities.
School Names
Like many communities, universities, and K-12 schools across the country, Charlottesville City Schools is aware that our schools’ names send a message to our students, staff, and community and should therefore reflect our values. In Fall 2020, Charlottesville City Schools convened a School Naming Committee to seek community feedback and evaluate whether our school names aligned with our division values. Ultimately, the Board voted on the following name changes:
AUGUST 2024
Clark Elementary is renamed Summit Elementary
The name Summit Elementary evokes the school’s mountain views; it is also meant to encourage students to both reach new heights and consider themselves “a gathering of leaders,” touching on three meanings of the word summit.
Venable Elementary is renamed Trailblazer Elementary
The name Trailblazer Elementary honors the Charlottesville 12, the students who first desegregated Venable Elementary and Lane High School, as well as their parents and other early desegregation trailblazers in Charlottesville Schools. The name is also an invitation to current students to continue blazing new trails today.
CATEC’s name is slightly revised to the Charlottesville Area Technical Education Center.
This change reflects the transition of CATEC’s ownership to Charlottesville City Schools.
AUGUST 2025
Burnley-Moran is renamed Sunrise Elementary
The name Sunrise Elementary is a nod to the school being the easternmost school in our city (with lovely sunrise views). Sunrise conveys a sense of hope, warmth, and new beginnings. It shows the power of students rising through their years in our school.
Johnson Elementary is renamed Tall Oaks Elementary
The name Tall Oaks Elementary reflects how the school community embraces its wooded landscape with trails and outdoor learning spaces. The campus prominently contains a large, historic oak among many other oaks across the grounds. The name also refers to the expression, “From little acorns come mighty oaks.” As our students grown and mature, this saying captures the growth and empowerment that occurs within the school community.
Buford Middle School is renamed Charlottesville Middle School
The name change reflects the significant expansion of the school with the addition of a new four-story academic building. The name Charlottesville Middle School also conveys the idea that the middle school will be the first place where all of the City’s students come together as one. It connects students with Charlottesville High School, the school where they will graduate.
Water Testing
Drinking and cooking water at Charlottesville City Schools has been tested for lead following state and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance. Action is required when testing finds lead at levels greater than 15 parts per billion (ppb). The most recent drinking/cooking water results are all below this limit.
History of Water Testing in Charlottesville Schools
In 2016-2017, all schools’ high priority faucets (sources of drinking or cooking water) were tested. Samples were collected by the City of Charlottesville Facility Maintenance and were tested by several labs. Out of the 326 fixtures, initially 9 tested higher than the 15 ppb threshold set by the EPA (and were temporarily taken out of service at that time). Following EPA protocols, a second test was conducted in January 2017, and at that point, 4 fixtures were cleared for use and 5 required additional attention. After measures were taken to address those 5 fixtures, they were tested again in February 2017, and all 5 met EPA standards. The 5 fixtures — located at Burnley-Moran (2), CHS, Jackson-Via, and Johnson – were then reopened for use.
(spreadsheet maintained by City of Charlottesville)
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Facilities Management will test the specified location and retest any fixture that in the previous year tested 7.5 or higher (half of the allowable quantity).
Retesting will take place on the following schedule (and repeated thereafter):
LOCATION:
Scheduled Testing
Lugo-McGinness, Central Offices, Retests
2020
Venable and Retests
2021
Clark and Retests
2022
Walker and Retests
2023
Buford and Retests
2024
Greenbrier and Retests
2025
Burnley-Moran and Retests
2026
Johnson and Retests
2027
Jackson-Via and Retests
2028
CHS Stage 1 and Retests
2029 CHS Stage 2 and Retests
2030 Questions?
Please contact Kim Powell, Chief Operations Officer, at 245-2400 or
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Having received full clearance for high priority fixtures, Charlottesville’s Facilities Maintenance department has adopted the following preventative measures, as recommended by the EPA, to ensure that drinking water remains safe:
- Clean debris from accessible screens (aerators) frequently. Clean and inspect periodically.
- Thoroughly flush holding tanks to remove sediment.