On Wednesday, September 23, Charlottesville City Schools will welcome members of the community to the Budget Bistro, a communal dinner to discuss school dollars and share ideas on how the division should allot resources. 

The Budget Bistro will take place from 6-7:30pm at Charlottesville Middle School (1000 Cherry Avenue, Charlottesville). Guests will enjoy a complimentary meal featuring an appetizer, main course, and dessert while selecting from a "menu" of budget options to support local students and schools. Learn more about the Budget Bistro and RSVP to join us.

The school year’s just begun but we’re already making plans for next year! Especially if your child is approaching a school transition (e.g. kindergarten, 6th grade, or 9th grade), join us for a tour of your child’s future school! Each school is offering prospective/future families guided tours throughout the year.

Free online tutoring is available for CCS students in Grades 3-8 in English/Language Arts and/or Math. The tutors are licensed teachers, and are available after school, in the evening, and on weekends. You schedule what works for your family. Sessions can be either 30 minutes or an hour. 

Tutoring is available for the 26-27 school year or until available sessions are filled. Students can log onto their Clever account through a personal computing device and access K12 Tutoring by following these directions.

In the latest edition of Charlottesville Family Magazine, Charlottesville City Schools Director of Student Services Rachel Rasnake provides parents the information they need to know about special education and disability accommodation in our schools.

“We have to be proactive to prevent discrimination because it often isn’t overt,” Rasnake said. “Small decisions can lead to larger access issues later.”  Read the story

We all have a role to play in keeping our students, children and community safe. One proven safety strategy is to limit access to firearms and limit access to medications and substances. 

Additional help is available for parents and children. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a free, confidential resource available 24/7 for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis, emotional distress, thoughts of suicide, or substance use concerns. As a parent, you or your child can call, text, or chat 988 at any time to connect with a trained crisis counselor who will listen, offer support without judgment, and help you find local resources if needed. The service is not just for emergencies, it’s also there if you’re worried about your child or someone else and need guidance on how to help. Counselors are specially trained to support people of all ages, and fewer than 2% of calls require emergency services, so you can feel comfortable reaching out for help whenever you need it.

During the 2025-26 school year, Charlottesville City Schools created a more equitable pathway for its bilingual students whose first language is not English to earn the prestigious Seal of Biliteracy on their diplomas. 

The Charlottesville High School Class of 2026 was the first to have the opportunity to take a test to show their bilingual proficiency skills in Dari, Pashto, Arabic, and Swahili, languages that CHS does not offer as courses but which many of its students speak. 

Check out the media coverage of Charlottesville City Schools expanding its pathways to earning the prestigious Seal of Biliteracy:  NBC29, CBS19, Cville Right Now.

There was no “Best Public School” category in this year’s Best of C-ville magazine, but we feel like we won anyways! Pick up a newsstand copy or read these great stories online about CCS:

Congratulations to Sunrise Elementary School art teacher Ryan Trott for being named “Favorite Gallery Artist”.

CHS and CMS Latin teacher Matthew Clay has been named one of the recipients of the 2026 Yale Educator Award! The award recognizes outstanding educators from around the world who have supported and inspired their students to achieve at high levels. Mr. Clay was nominated for the award by Lily Curtis, a 2026 Charlottesville High School graduate who is now a freshman at Yale. 

The CHS girls cross-country team kicked off the 2026 season in style on Tuesday by winning their third straight Ragged Mountain Cup at Panorama Farms in Earlysville. The group of Liliana Jones, Catherine Crook, Juliana Pierce, and Phoebe Fischman finished the 4X2-mile relay in a combined time of 49:14 to bring home the title for the Black Knights. Read the Daily Progress story

For ALL the Black Knight athletics and activities news, subscribe to Updates about CHS Athletics and Activities, Activities Director Andy Jones' weekly roundup. 

Teachers, students and families at Charlottesville High School and Charlottesville Middle School have been getting to know Arron Arreguin and Tyree Kirby, CCS's new School Resource Officers, during the first few weeks of the new school year. NBC29 recently visited both CHS and CMS and found the new SROs have quickly become an important part of the school community. Watch the story

The Charlottesville City Schools Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Team is currently hosting a snack drive for our CCS students! Anyone wanting to purchase snacks can do so using this wishlist. You can also drop off snacks at the Division Annex (1400 Melbourne Road), or at any school of your choice. The snack drive runs until Friday, October 2. 

During the school year, Charlottesville City School Superintendent Dr. Royal Gurley will deliver Royal Recognitions, recognizing staff for their dedication, excellence, exemplary service, and positive impact. Each winner earns $250 to spend on their school. Want to see your favorite staff member get the royal treatment? Fill out a nomination form.

The City of Charlottesville is hosting its annual water conservation-focused art contest for city and county students in grades K-12. This year's theme is Small Drop, Big Difference. Entries will be accepted from September 14-October 26. Learn more about the art contest.