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School Facilities: Stewardship & Modernization of Old Buildings with "Good Bones"

Charlottesville City Schools is comprised of 11 school buildings – all originally built in 1974 or earlier. The City of Charlottesville works closely with the schools to maintain and upgrade facilities. This page provides a high-level overview of updates to school facilities through the City’s Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget. 

December 2024 Update to School Board

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.

Middle School Modernization

Charlottesville Middle School to Open Fall 2025

Construction on the modernized middle school for the City of Charlottesville is advancing. 

Middle School Construction Updates

In June 2024, Nielsen Construction completed the installation of the structural steel in the first section of the new four-story academic building and is now moving into the ‘interior’ phase of work in this section, starting with the laying out of interior walls and the installation of mechanical and electrical pipework. This section of the building will house the school’s new main entrance, a fine arts wing, and two additional floors of classrooms. 

Structural work is also progressing in the two other sections of the new building. The foundation concrete and masonry work in the new gym is complete. The structural steel for the area of the new building housing fitness rooms and a floor of classrooms is ongoing. 

The new four-story academic building is on track to open by the first day of the 2025-26 school year, when the school will begin to go by the name “Charlottesville Middle School.” For that academic year, 7th and 8th graders will learn in the new building while the existing buildings of Buford Middle School are totally renovated. For the 2026-27 school year, the fully expanded and renovated Charlottesville Middle School will officially open to 6th graders as well.

Construction began in June 2023 to modernize the current Buford Middle School facility. Thanks to City Council for their support. This project is the first major investment in Charlottesville City Schools facilities since the opening of Charlottesville High School in 1974. Find more information about the middle school project here.

The middle school modernization is part of a larger “reconfiguration” of our students:

Beginning in Fall 2026:

  • The middle school will serve grades 6, 7, and 8
  • Fifth-graders will return to their neighborhood elementary schools
  • Preschoolers will attend a centralized early education center on the current Walker Upper Elementary School campus

Modernization Projects at the Elementary Schools

In addition, there has been a separate process for accomplishing modernization projects at the elementary schools.

  • Summit received the first renovation in 2018, a fourth-grade classroom modernization. Find photos and details here.
  • Jackson-Via was completed in 2019, another fourth-graded modernization that also upgrade nearby common areas. Find photos and details.
  • After a “pandemic pause,” Burnley-Moran’s media center and associated spaces were completed in 2022. Watch video here.
  • Greenbrier’s main project was to modernize the media center in 2024; in 2022 CIP funds purchased new flexible furnishings and improved storage.. Find photos and details here.
  • The Johnson project was completed between 2023 and 2024 as well, with a new outdoor multi-purpose terrace added above the gym overlooking the outdoor play areas.
  • Trailblazer is getting new furniture and other touches in summer 2025, with construction to upgrade intervention spaces scheduled for summer 2026.

 

Modernization for Charlottesville High School

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.  

In addition to restroom modernizations, continuous support is needed to improve and maintain energy efficiency, safety/security and the overall learning environments for all CCS schools which (with the exception of the new Middle School now in progress) were constructed between 1925 and 1969.