Approved Concept Design from September 2022 for Middle School Serving Grades 6-8 at Buford.

Approved Concept Design from September 2022 for Preschool at Walker

 Brief Summary/Update (September 2022) 

Design work continues on our middle school modernization project. At the School Board meeting, Ms. Powell and VMDO Architects presented the progress made and the latest cost estimates. As expected, due to inflation, the costs of the project have risen $6.5 million. By working with the City, we expect to maintain forward momentum and the current timetable for this project.

• See slides from the September School Board Meeting
• Watch the video presentation
• Read “VMDO Working Against Inflation as Design for Buford Expansion Continues” (Town Crier/Sean Tubbs, September 2, 2022)
• Stay tuned for a community update meeting, likely in October.

What’s Middle School Modernization? And Does it Include Preschool?

Good news! In April, Charlottesville City Council and the School Board unanimously approved moving forward with a plan to modernize and repurpose our facilities.  Buford Middle School will be renovated to serve the City’s 6th- through 8th-graders.  Walker Upper Elementary School will receive a light, initial renovation as the first steps toward creating a modern city-wide preschool with wrap-around services. Fifth-graders will return to their neighborhood elementary Schools.  With a $68.8 million budget allocation from the City on April 12, 2022, the project will be the city’s first major investment in school buildings since the building of Charlottesville High School in 1974.

Following the April approval, plans have been moving forward and will gear up this summer. VMDO Architects completed design development by early August (see updates and pricing estimates, above), followed by public review prior to developing construction documents in the fall.

Why School Reconfiguration and Why Now?

• We can create a better experience for our preschool, tween, and teen students: Our buildings should reflect modern ideas about schools as exploratory spaces. This project will also mean fewer disruptive transitions during adolescence. 
• This reconfiguration project prioritizes equity: Buford and our preschool serve the highest percentage of Black, Brown and economically disadvantaged students of all our division’s schools; significant investments in these spaces are a key part of addressing historic and ongoing inequities in Charlottesville.
• We can improve outcomes through better architecture and design: Studies show that more natural light and lower noise levels in classrooms help students learn. 
• Major investment in school buildings is long overdue: While the division’s annual budget is well funded, the last time the city invested significantly in school capital projects was to build CHS in 1974. Because of inflation, our ability to fund this community-driven transformation depends on timely decision-making.
• Reconfiguration addresses urgent problems of today and tomorrow, including climate change: Our schools are already nearing capacity, and this project will add space at Buford and create more flexibility for the elementaries. Additionally, upgrading these buildings is key to advancing our city’s climate goals while also addressing ADA compliance and school safety.

What’s the Timeline and Which Students are Impacted?

For a visual timeline, see the slide below. This year’s kindergarteners will be the first class to stay at their elementary schools for fifth grade. This year’s first-graders will be the first class to go to 6th grade at Buford.

Learn more

Recent reporting:

• Why Charlottesville wants to spend $75 million to remake Buford Middle School (Part 1/2)
• Charlottesville seeks ‘powerful’ change with early childhood center (Part 2/2)
• Councilors ‘all in’ for city schools’ $75 million reconfiguration
• City officials wrestle with how to pay for a long-anticipated new $75 million middle school
• First phase of city schools reconfiguration to cost $75 million

Curious about the updated schedule and which cohorts of students would be impacted? Check out these two slides.

More Questions?

 Go to FAQ

Brief Summary/Update (June 2022)

Good news! In April, Charlottesville City Council and the School Board have unanimously approved moving forward with a plan to modernize and repurpose our facilities.  Buford Middle School will be renovated to serve the City’s 6th- through 8th-graders.  Walker Upper Elementary School  will receive a light, initial renovation as the first steps toward creating a modern city-wide preschool with wrap-around services. Fifth-graders would return to their neighborhood elementary Schools.  With a $68.8 million budget allocation from the City on April 12, 2022, the project will be the city’s first major investment in school buildings since the building of Charlottesville High School in 1974.

Following the April approval, plans have been moving forward and will gear up this summer. VMDO Architects will work closely with City and School leaders to solicit staff input and complete design development by early August, followed by public review prior to developing construction documents in the fall.

Facilities: A Brief Update (May 2021-April 2022)

Charlottesville City Schools and the City of Charlottesville have explored and agreed upon design and funding options for a redesign of Buford Middle School and Walker Upper Elementary School.

Key Ideas

• Buford will serve grades 6-8
• Fifth-graders will return to their elementary schools
• Walker will become a city-wide preschool center

More Information/Reporting

• Charlottesville City Council, School Board weigh cost, financing of reconfiguration (Daily Progress, May 27, 2021)
• Charlottesville School Board Gets First Look at What Reconfiguration Could Look Like (Daily Progress, May 22, 2021)
• Brief overview and timeline for the Walker-Buford redesign project (PDF)