Charlottesville City Schools

In Fall 2020, as Charlottesville City Schools continued public conversations around bringing racial equity into our division, then-Superintendent Dr. Rosa Atkins 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 final decisions:

• In January 2023, the School Board voted to rename Clark Elementary as Summit Elementary and Venable Elementary as Trailblazer Elementary. These schools began using these names in August 2024.
  • 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. 
  • 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. 
• In June 2023, the School Board voted that Buford Middle School will be called Charlottesville Middle School starting in Fall 2025 when students will begin using the newly constructed portion of the school.
  • The name Charlottesville Middle School 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.
• As part of the transition of CATEC’s ownership to Charlottesville City Schools, the name of CATEC was slightly revised to the Charlottesville Area Technical Education Center, effective August 2024.
• In January 2025, the Board voted to rename Burnley-Moran as Sunrise Elementary and Johnson Elementary as Tall Oaks Elementary, beginning August 2025.
  • 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. 
  • 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.
• In January 2025, the Board voted to maintain the names Greenbrier and Jackson-Via Elementary. 
  • The name Greenbrier Elementary derives from the neighborhood. The original name is in alignment with the Board’s policy that new names should focus on the school’s purpose or place.
  • Both of Jackson-Via Elementary’s namesakes made significant contributions to our schools and community. Born into slavery, Nannie Cox Jackson was a leader at Jefferson School and in the community. As principal, Betty Via played a pivotal role in welcoming Black students into formerly all-white Johnson Elementary. When the school opened in 1969, these two women were purposefully chosen to reflect Jackson-Via’s historical significance as Charlottesville's first intentionally desegregated school. 
• In August 2026, Walker Upper Elementary School will cease to serve as an upper elementary, and the name Walker will be retired. A new name will be selected for the preschool on that site.