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.

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.

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.  

What did the Virginia General Assembly approve?

As part of the 2026-2028 biennial budget, the Virginia General Assembly approved legislation allowing all Virginia counties and cities to seek voter approval for an additional local sales and use tax of up to 1% to support public school capital projects. Previous authority for this type of tax was limited to certain localities, but the new legislation expands the option statewide. On Monday, July 20, Charlottesville City Council voted to add the local sales tax referendum to the ballot for the November 3 general election. 

Does the tax automatically take effect?

No. The legislation does not automatically impose a new tax in any locality. Before the tax could take effect, Charlottesville voters would need to approve the tax through the referendum.

What can the revenue be used for?

If approved by voters, revenue from the additional sales and use tax could be used only for school capital projects. These may include:

• Construction of new school facilities
• Major renovations or modernization of existing schools
• Bond or loan financing costs associated with eligible school construction or renovation projects

The legislation is intended to support facility needs, not ongoing operating expenses.

What can the revenue not be used for?

Revenue from the tax cannot be used for recurring operating costs, such as:

• Salaries and benefits
• Instructional materials
• Routine supplies
• Day-to-day operating expenses
• General program costs

The revenue also cannot be used to pay down previously issued bonds unrelated to new eligible projects.

Could the revenue replace existing local funding for school capital projects?

The legislation includes a safeguard to ensure the revenue would supplement, rather than replace, existing local funding for school capital needs. In other words, the tax is intended to provide an additional funding source for school construction and major renovation projects, not to reduce or supplant current local support.

What types of purchases would generally be subject to the tax?

The additional 1% sales and use tax would generally apply to many of the same types of purchases that are subject to Virginia’s state sales tax. Common examples may include:

• Clothing and footwear
• Electronics and appliances
• Furniture and home decor
• Office supplies
• Restaurant purchases
• Leased or rented items
• Some short-term lodging, including hotel accommodations
• Other taxable tangible goods

Basic services, such as haircuts or repairs, and most purely digital products, such as e-books or digital music, are generally not subject to Virginia sales tax.

Are any purchases specifically exempt from this local sales tax?

Yes. The legislation states that this additional local sales tax would not apply to groceries or essential personal hygiene products.

How much revenue could this generate?

If Charlottesville voters pass the 1% local sales tax increase, it would generate approximately $12 million annually that would be used solely for the purposes of upgrading and modernizing CCS’s aging school infrastructure.

How would the tax be collected?

If approved by voters, the additional 1% local sales and use tax would be administered and collected by the Virginia Tax Commissioner in generally the same manner as the state sales tax. It would also be subject to the same general exemptions and penalties that apply to the state sales tax. The tax would not be collected directly by the school division.

Would the tax remain in place permanently?

No. The legislation requires the tax to have an expiration date. In Charlottesville, if passed, it would go into effect in early 2027 and remain in place until June 30, 2046. 

What role do voters play?

Charlottesville voters make the final decision. The additional 1% local sales and use tax could only be implemented if approved by a majority of Charlottesville voters in a referendum.

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):

Questions? 

Please contact Kim Powell, Chief Operations Officer, at 245-2400 or

Email

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.