The City of Charlottesville values education highly and the Charlottesville City School Division offers the very best in curriculum and community. We offer nine schools, partner with Albemarle County Public Schools to operate the Charlottesville Area Technical Education Center, and oversee the Hospital Education Program at the UVA Children’s Hospital. Within our schools, we offer a range of services and special programs — including a robust virtual education program and the Lugo-McGinness Academy, and we partner with other community organizations to serve individual students’ needs. Click here to learn more about alternative learning and other programs.

We are currently embarking on a redesign of Buford Middle School which will support a divisionwide school reconfiguration plan:

• Buford (to be named Charlottesville Middle School) will serve 6-8th grade; 
• 5th graders will stay at their elementary schools
• Walker will become a designated early education center to better serve our preschoolers.

Our neighborhood schools with a global orientation expose students to a wide variety of experiences, viewpoints, and opportunities—preparing them not only for post-secondary education but for life. Small class sizes promote individual attention in a collaborative climate, where each child can build a solid academic foundation while developing his or her unique interests and strengths.  With extraordinary fine arts, the latest STEM technologies, a computer for every student, and more, we are White House-certified to be “future-ready” and a charter member of the League of Innovative Schools.

New science and engineering labs at Buford Middle School and Charlottesville High School support innovative STEM education.  Buford’s science and engineering program is a collaboration between the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education and School of Engineering and Applied Science and Charlottesville and Albemarle County public schools. CHS offers the potential to earn an associate degree in engineering upon high school graduation, and our award-winning science club is an annual contender in the international Zero Robotics programming competition sponsored by NASA and MIT.

Our teachers are trained to address the multiple learning styles of the young, active minds and to foster complex, creative thinking. The K-12 years are a time of growth and exploration, and Charlottesville City schools provide programs and activities that incorporate the 4 C’s of relevant, project-based learning—Creativity, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, and Communication–into all subject areas so that students are actively engaged in learning and applying information.

Charlottesville City Schools are very much a part of the community, as well as the world! Student field trips and competitions take students to places like Williamsburg, New York City, Atlanta, China, and Europe. Our students excel in all areas and they go on to attend some of the world’s best colleges and universities.

As space is available, nearly 300 students attend Charlottesville City Schools by choice.  Learn more about non-resident student enrollment here.