Charlottesville City Schools achieves reconfiguration with fully renovated middle school, centralized preschool
This week, Charlottesville City Schools officially opens the entire Charlottesville Middle School as well as the Charlottesville Early Learning Center, completing a reconfiguration plan decades in the making.
The reconfiguration plan, which has been discussed since the early 2000s and was approved by the Charlottesville School Board in 2019, places sixth graders at Charlottesville Middle School, returns fifth graders to the city’s six elementary schools (Greenbrier, Jackson-Via, Sunrise, Summit, Tall Oaks, and Trailblazer), and gives preschoolers a centralized home at Charlottesville Early Learning Center in the old Walker Upper Elementary.
Classes begin on Wednesday, August 12. On Friday, August 14, there will be a Grand Opening Ceremony at Charlottesville Middle School at 1:30pm.
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More about Charlottesville Middle School
The $91.8 million modernization of Charlottesville Middle School (formerly Buford) represents the most substantial investment in Charlottesville school facilities since CHS opened in 1974. The new building also benefited from a $17.6 million grant from the Virginia Department of Education.
Phase 1 of the CMS modernization project was completed in Fall 2025 and included a brand-new four story academic building and state-of-the-art gymnasium. Phase 2 of construction, which was completed this summer, was a complete renovation of the former Buford Middle School, including:
One additional wing of learning houses so that the school can accommodate 6th, 7th, and 8th grades
Newly modernized cafeteria
Expanded performing arts center
Fully renovated media center with maker space and broadcast studio
Science and engineering labs
Designed by VMDO Architects and constructed by Nielsen Builders, Charlottesville Middle School’s innovative features include:
Student-Centered Design: Spaces now support developmental, emotional, and academic growth for pivotal tween and early teen years. These are inclusive, safe, and welcoming environments where all students can thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.
Transformative Teaching: Spaces are flexible, agile, and designed for the way middle schoolers learn and teachers teach.
Enhanced Safety: A comprehensive design that includes systems for rapid implementation of safety protocols and the seamless connection of all learning spaces, eliminating the necessity for students to traverse outdoors between classes.
Improved Environment: Advanced heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems ensuring superior air quality and reduced noise levels, complemented by abundant natural light in all learning spaces to promote well-being and academic focus.
Accessibility: A thoughtfully designed ground-floor main entrance and other features conceived to address the accessibility challenges inherent in the original 1965 construction.
Sustainability: A fossil-free geothermal energy system and numerous other efficiencies projected to reduce energy consumption by two-thirds.
See more images of Charlottesville Middle School
More about the Charlottesville Early Learning Center
The Charlottesville Early Learning Center (CELC), which is located on the Walker campus (1564 Dairy Road, Charlottesville), is a free, full-day public preschool serving 3- and 4-year-olds from qualifying families in the city of Charlottesville. Teachers and staff work closely with families to help each child reach their full potential as they build a strong foundation in literacy, math, and social-emotional skills.
On Wednesday, the CELC will open in a temporary location within the main academic building at Walker. A new Early Childhood Center will be constructed on this same campus in the future.