Tag: charlottesville city schools

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Charlottesville City Schools present redistricting plan

The 2026-27 school year will see a pre-K center in what is now Walker Upper Elementary School, and fifth graders returning to elementary schools. Staff photo.

For the first time in more than 50 years, Charlottesville City Schools is undergoing comprehensive redistricting, hoping to address issues regarding disparities in capacity and to anticipate ones that may arise in the coming years. 

The redistricting process is part of CCS’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, an initiative to improve the city’s education system with upgrades to infrastructure, technology, transportation, nutrition, and community engagement. The redistricting elements of CCS’s five-year plan aim to fix current enrollment imbalances, as well as those that may arise from future housing developments, such as additional affordable housing units to be built on South First Street, and the University of Virginia’s policy change requiring that second-year students live on Grounds. The redistricting also coincides with Albemarle County Public School’s own redistricting efforts, which have rezoned students in Crozet and the 29 North corridor.

The timing of the city’s proposed redistricting plans would coincide with changes already slated for the 2026-27 school year, when pre-kindergarten classes will be moved to a pre-K center in what is now Walker Upper Elementary School, and all fifth-grade classes will return to elementary schools. 

Woolpert, a consulting firm hired by CCS, is examining the current data regarding K-5 school capacity and enrollment, as well as population growth and housing development, and will provide a recommendation on whether redistricting is needed and where. 

“Over time, populations have shifted within the community, causing imbalanced enrollments throughout the division,” says the firm on its website dedicated to the CCS redistricting. “In addition, there are residential developments throughout the city that have the potential to produce a significant number of students, most of which fall within the current Summit Elementary and Jackson-Via Elementary school boundaries. Neither Summit Elementary nor Jackson-Via Elementary are able to support modular classrooms on their site, and there is capacity to take in more students at other schools.”

According to an October 22 press release, CCS has also sought the guidance of staff and the community in the redistricting process. 

“The schools have formed two advisory groups,” CCS Community Relations Supervisor Beth Cheuk said in the release. “The Staff Work Group for Rezoning includes staff executive leadership and department representatives including pupil transportation and family and community engagement. The Superintendent’s Advisory Committee for Rezoning includes Charlottesville Education Association representatives, Board members, elementary [school] PTO parents, and executive leadership.”

Woolpert’s consultants and the two advisory groups will collaborate on redistricting options that are being presented to the public. The four draft recommendations would then be revised according to input from the public, and finalized for a presentation to the school board before going to a vote, which is expected in January or February 2025. Implementation for changes would likely begin in August 2026, coinciding with the return of fifth graders to elementary schools.

According to CCS’s website, the new proposals “will try to respect the city’s current ‘neighborhood’ boundaries,” and will take issues like diversity into account. 

The city identifies its other priorities as maximizing walkability, maximizing bus route efficiency, adhering to recognized neighborhood boundaries (whenever possible), maintaining or improving diversity and demographic balance across schools, and maximizing zone sustainability.

Woolpert’s current presentation, posted in a YouTube video, presented data that shows Summit Elementary, formerly Clark, is the school most at risk for overcrowding, according to the firm’s analysis of its current enrollment and capacity, as well as the predicted fluctuations in the next five years.

Depending on the redistricting option chosen, between 14 and 28 percent of the 2,772 students enrolled in CCS schools would be affected by the redistricting plan. One downside to the proposed changes would be a drop in the number of students who can walk to school. Walkability is currently 47 percent across the city, according to Woolpert’s presentation, none of the  redistricting proposals would increase the number of students with walkable school access, and some of them would reduce that figure, largely due to having to move students out of Summit’s primarily walkable district because of overcrowding.

In-person community input meetings were held October 28, 29, and 30 at Greenbrier, Jackson-Via, and Summit elementary schools, respectively. The final meetings will be a doubleheader, held via Zoom on November 6, from noon-1:30pm and 6-7:30pm. For more information, go to charlottesvilleschools.org.

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In brief 10/30/2024

Gov. Glenn Youngkin says he will appeal a recent lower court’s ruling to the Supreme Court. File photo.

Roll it back

On October 27, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling ordering the Youngkin administration to add more than 1,500 Virginians back onto voter rolls. Both Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares said they will appeal the case to the Supreme Court, calling the decision an attempt at undermining election integrity.

The decision comes on the heels of a Department of Justice suit alleging an August 7 executive order by Youngkin ordering the daily removal of voters identified as noncitizens by Department of Motor Vehicles records, violates a provision of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. The legislation prohibits the systematic removal of voters from rolls within 90 days of federal elections.

District Court Judge Patricia Giles of Alexandria ordered the commonwealth to reinstate the voters on October 25. The Fourth Circuit not only upheld Giles’ decision, but declined a request from Miyares to stop enforcement of the order.

While Miyares argued the order would add noncitizens back to voter rolls, the circuit court panel echoed Giles’ determination that, “‘neither the Court nor the parties … know’ that the people ‘removed from’ the voter rolls under the challenged program ‘were, in fact, noncitizens,’ and that at least some ‘eligible citizens … have had their registrations canceled and were unaware that this was even so.’”

A review of court records by the Richmond Times Dispatch shows several legal voters had their names removed from rolls based on outdated or incorrect DMV records.

Group project

Charlottesville City Schools has partnered with Virginia Career Works on an effort to improve students’ career readiness and help fulfill future workforce needs, according to an October 23 press release.

As part of the collaboration, the district and workforce group plan to create programming for specific hiring sectors to create paths to employment, drawing inspiration from and expanding on existing initiatives at the Charlottesville Area Technical Education Center.

“The feedback from our industry partners has been invaluable to make sure that our students are prepared for careers,” said Stacey Heltz, principal of CATEC and career and technical education coordinator for CCS. “The partnership with VCW will expand the reach and depth of this advisory network.”  

CCS Superintendent Royal Gurley also highlighted the importance and potential widespread benefits of the collaboration. “By working closely with industry leaders, Charlottesville City Schools is securing a bright future,” he said, “not just for high school students, or the adults who take classes at CATEC, but also for the city as a whole.”

A Charlottesville City Schools and Virginia Career Works collaboration was inspired by initiatives at CATEC. Photo by Rob Garland Photography.

Walk this way

Darden Towe Park’s Free Bridge Lane will be closed to cars starting November 1 for a one-year trial period promoting walking, running, and biking. The pathway, located along the Rivanna River, serves as part of Albemarle County’s 2019 plan supplementing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. Parking will still be available at the lot on the north end of the road.

In memoriam

Professor Emeritus Charles J. Goetz, an economist who taught at University of Virginia School of Law for more than 30 years, died October 16 at age 85. After earning his Ph.D. in economics at UVA in 1965, Goetz played a major role in expanding the influence of economics in the legal field. He is remembered by students and colleagues for both his groundbreaking work and generous spirit.

Economist and UVA law school professor Charles J. Goetz passed away on October 16. Photo via UVA Law/UVA Communications. 

Bed news

Charlottesville may add two new shelters after City Manager Sam Sanders recommended a $5.25 million budget with funding for the city’s rising homeless population. Projects planned in partnership with The Salvation Army would add 100 beds to the Ridge Street campus and a new 50-bed low-barrier option at the organization’s Cherry Avenue thrift store. Sanders also proposed adding public bathrooms downtown.

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In brief 09/11/2024

Image via Skyclad Aerial.

Bad medicine?

More than 100 faculty members employed by the University of Virginia Physicians Group called for the immediate removal of Craig Kent, CEO of UVA Health, and Melina Kibbe, Dean of the UVA School of Medicine, in a signed letter of no confidence on September 7.

The letter—signed by 128 faculty members and addressed to the Rector and Board of Visitors—alleges that Kent and Kibbe “have not only undermined but also directly attacked the values that inspired us to study, teach, and work at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and UVA Health.”

The letter further alleges that Kent and Kibbe have undermined physicians’ ability to prioritize patient safety and have created a negative environment for the faculty.

UVA President Jim Ryan has responded to the letter of no confidence, not only standing by Kent and Kibbe, but speaking against the methodology of the aggrieved faculty.

“The letter itself is daunting. There are many accusations. There are few details. Some of these accusations are fairly evident references to specific matters that we have already addressed or are actively working on,” said Ryan in a message to UVA Health faculty. He acknowledged the need to address new claims, but he indicated a need for due process and full investigation. “We will then take the appropriate steps based on what we find. Once the dust of this particular controversy settles, we will figure out how best to move forward as a community.”

Ryan’s response also highlighted that the 128 signees represent roughly 9 percent of the health system faculty, and that he has personally received messages of support for Kent and Kibbe from other faculty members.

Craig Kent and Melina Kibbe. Photos via UVA Communications.

Moving forward

Charlottesville City Schools commemorated the 65th anniversary of integration in local schools with a ribbon-cutting at the newly renamed Trailblazer Elementary School.

Formerly Venable Elementary, Trailblazer was one of the first integrated schools in Charlottesville. In 1958, Virginia Gov. Lindsay Almond Jr. closed both Venable and Lane High School rather than integrate the schools following a ruling by Judge John Paul. On September 5, 1959, Paul ordered the immediate transfer of 12 stude​​nts, now known as the Charlottesville 12, to Venable and Lane.

The Charlottesville 12 and their courageous role in integration are the inspiration for the elementary school’s new name.

“Students who desegregated Charlottesville City Schools in 1959 joined us to cut the ribbon on the newly renamed @TrailblazerElem this morning,” shared Charlottesville City Schools on X/Twitter. “We thank these trailblazers for their leadership and courage and for inspiring our current students to blaze their own trails today.”

“Education was important … it’s not about the color of your skin but the goodness and greatness that lies within,” said Charles Alexander, one of the Charlottesville 12, in an interview with CBS19. “I want [current students] to learn and blaze a new trail and become listeners, thinkers, and set the course for a better future for themselves.”

New neighbor

Effective September 9, Kellie Brown is Charlottesville’s Director of Neighborhood Development Services. Brown previously worked with the Arlington County Planning Division and has more than 15 years of experience in community planning. “I’m really excited to support the exciting work that the City of Charlottesville is doing to implement its comprehensive plan and new zoning ordinance,” she said in a city press release announcing her appointment. “My goal is to build on the community’s work over the last several years to chart a path for a sustainable and equitable future.” 

Federal attention

Two men have been indicted on federal conspiracy and kidnapping charges in connection with a January 8, 2023, fatal shooting in Belmont. Ricardo Franco-Ordaz and Jordan Perez, both of Texas, allegedly kidnapped and held multiple undocumented migrants for ransom at the U.S.-Mexico border in early 2023. A ransom exchange in Charlottesville’s Belmont neighborhood resulted in the death of another suspected kidnapper, Osvaldo Lopez-Hernandez. None of the suspected perpetrators or victims have any known ties to Charlottesville.

You don’t say

Despite calling in Virginia State Police on student protesters this May, the University of Virginia was number one in the latest college free speech rankings from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. As of press time, UVA has not dropped its University Judiciary Committee charges against several student protesters and has continued to withhold degrees from demonstrators who were arrested on May 4.

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In brief

Sen. Tim Kaine was first elected to the Senate in 2012. Supplied photo.

Cost of care

Sen. Tim Kaine stopped by Charlottesville on June 21 for a roundtable with the Jefferson Area Board for Aging.

Kicking off the discussion, JABA CEO Marta Keane highlighted how Kaine’s work to reduce healthcare costs through the Inflation Reduction Act and work on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee have benefitted local seniors.

As part of the IRA, maximum insulin prices have been set at $35 and annual out-of-pocket prescription costs have been capped for Medicare recipients. Other legislation co-sponsored by Kaine—the Help Ensure Lower Patient Copays and Delinking Revenue from Unfair Gouging Acts—aims to expand patient protections from potentially predatory medical and pharmaceutical practices.

One issue of particular concern to JABA leaders not addressed by existing legislation is the marketing of Medicare Advantage Plans in Virginia. While they may be a potentially good option for seniors in other states, where coverage and plan availability vary, several roundtable attendees indicated the plans have major pitfalls.

“The most common thing I hear from Medicare Advantage beneficiaries is, ‘I liked my Medicare Advantage plan until I had to use it,’” said Randy Rogers, JABA insurance counseling team manager.

Kaine acknowledged the concerns but told the press it would be difficult to pass a bill regulating marketing of Medicare Advantage plans given first amendment protections for commercial speech.

The senator’s conversation with JABA comes amid his reelection campaign. Kaine is currently running for a third term in the Senate and will face off against newly nominated Republican primary winner Hung Cao this November.

Supply drive

Charlottesville City Schools just closed for the summer, but families looking for help with supplies for the 2024-2025 school year can begin requesting free school supplies.

By applying through school-specific forms on the CCS website, families in need of assistance can request free school supplies and backpacks for each of their children. Supplies will be available for pickup during open houses and meet-and-greets at students’ schools later this summer.

People interested in donating to the drive, either through the Amazon wishlists or check donation, can find more information on the same site.

Beyond the supply drive, students in Charlottesville and Albemarle can also visit the Back to School Bash on August 10 at Ting Pavilion. In addition to classroom materials, haircuts and hairstyling will be available at the event. For a fun time, students can also check out the Back Together Bash on August 11 at the Cherry Avenue Boys & Girls Club, which will feature basketball, roller-skating, food, giveaways, and more.

Redemptive justice

The FBI has identified a suspect in the 1996 Shenandoah Park murders of Julianne Williams and Laura “Lollie” Winans through DNA testing. In a June 20 announcement, FBI Special Agent Stanley Meador indicated new DNA tests gathered from evidence matched the profile of Walter “Leo” Jackson Sr. A convicted serial rapist, Jackson died in an Ohio prison in 2018 while serving time for other offenses.

Triple threat

Police have responded to multiple shots-fired calls in the last week alone. Around 5pm on June 17, police responded to two calls at Sixth Street SE and Monticello Avenue, as well as the 1400 block of Midland Street. Suspect Malik Luck is charged with three offenses and is in custody. Later that evening, CPD responded to calls at the 900/1000 block of South First Street where, after an investigation, 69 shell casings were recovered. The morning of June 20 at Carlton Avenue, an 18-year-old woman suffered gunshot wounds to her upper body and was rushed to UVA Medical Center, where she remains in serious condition. Five charges have been placed against 25-year-old Travis William Herndon, who turned himself in on June 23. All incidents remain under investigation.

Backed support

Following Gloria Witt’s victory in the Democratic primary for the 5th district congressional seat, she is kicking off her campaign with a visit to Louisa alongside 2025 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger. Spanberger currently represents Virginia as a congresswoman in the 7th district and is the only candidate in the Democratic primary for governor. Gov. Glenn Youngkin cannot run for reelection due to a ban on consecutive gubernatorial terms in Virginia.

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In brief

Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene could barely get a word in edgewise during her June 5 appearance at the Albemarle County Office Building. Photo by Gage Skidmore.

So (not) long!

Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, widely labeled as a Donald Trump fangirl who approaches topics like alleged space lasers and fringe internet theories with bizarre confidence, made an appearance at the Albemarle County Office Building on Wednesday, June 5. 

She and a posse of supporters pulled up in a bus with a large portrait of Trump on its side. They had a message for the people of Charlottesville. The only problem? No one could hear it over the hordes of protestors. 

“Make Authoritarianism Go Away,” “Try being nice, Margie,” and “Y’all means all” drowned out the congresswoman’s megaphone speech. 

Greene is allegedly on the campaign trail for John McGuire, the candidate challenging Congressman Bob Good for the 5th District representative seat in the upcoming GOP primary. She publicly called Good a “backstabbing traitor” for endorsing Ron DeSantis for president rather than Trump. 

Three minutes passed from the time Greene entered and exited the rally, marketed as an opportunity to “stand up for MAGA” and vote early. The crowd cheered as Greene and her train of Trump devotees got back on their red, white, and blue bus and exited the “belly of the beast,” as McGuire later dubbed it on Facebook. 

“We can’t afford backstabbers when the USA is at stake,” he wrote. “Trump needs loyal fighters by his side. Thank you to MTG and to my bad ass supporters for standing up to that mob.”  

‘Hoos on first

Photo by UVA Athletics Communications.

The UVA Cavaliers baseball team is headed back to the Men’s College World Series for the third time in four seasons and their seventh overall appearance in program history. Facing Kansas State in the first ever meeting between the two teams, the No. 12 Hoos beat the Wildcats 7-4 on Friday, June 7, and 10-4 Saturday, June 8, to sweep the best-of-three series in front of two sold-out crowds at Disharoon Park.

Clutch hitting was the story of the series, with 15 of the 17 runs UVA scored in the Super Regional coming with two outs. After leading just 5-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning of Game 2, the Cavalier bats came up big in the top of the ninth, driving in five more runs before shutting the door on K-State with a 1-2-3 out bottom of the ninth. The Wahoos now head to Omaha, Nebraska, where they will try to win their second MCWS, having won it all in 2015. As of press time, the match-ups for the first round series have yet to be determined. 

School’s out

Charlottesville City and Albemarle County Public Schools are officially out for the summer. Final exercises began May 31 with Western Albemarle’s ceremony, and finished with Charlottesville High School’s on June 6, putting a cap on graduation season. Rising K-12 students wrapped up classes on Friday, June 7. Congratulations to the class(es) of 2024!

Inside addition

Image by VMDO Architects.

In other education news, construction crews have started work on the interior of the new Charlottesville Middle School building. To commemorate the milestone, on June 7, Buford Middle School students and staff signed a steel beam set to become part of the new gymnasium. The four-story academic building is on track to open before the start of the 2025-2026 school year, though only seventh and eighth grade students will move to the new facility at that time.

Fatal fire investigation

The Albemarle County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating a fatal residential fire that occurred over the weekend. Albemarle County Fire Rescue responded to a reported residential fire in the 6000 block of Monacan Trail Road at approximately 5:10pm on June 8. One person was home at the time of the fire and died as a result of their injuries. At press time, the identity of the deceased has not been released, and the cause of the fire does not appear suspicious.

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In brief

The decision to reinstate resource officers in city public schools has been put off until 2025, as decided by the Charlottesville School Board. Photo by John Robinson.

 Delayed vote

The Charlottesville School Board voted on Thursday, May 30, to delay a decision on reinstating School Resource Officers in city schools until 2025. Now referred to as “Youth Resource Officers,” SROs (YROs) have not served in Charlottesville schools since they were replaced with Care and Safety Assistants in 2020. 

Several teachers, students, parents, and community members appeared at the Charlottesville School Board meeting in opposition to these cops returning to schools, including members of the Charlottesville Education Association, the union representing the faculty and staff of Charlottesville City Schools. It was the Association’s Representative Assembly that recently voted unanimously to send a resolution opposing the return of YROs to the school board.

Shannon Gillikin, president of CEA, read the resolution at the meeting. “[The resolution] opposes the employment of police officers in [Charlottesville] schools,” arguing that their presence would not promote safety, instead citing “restorative justice and community outreach programs” as alternative ways to use the money that would be spent on employing YROs. 

Other speakers at the meeting advocated for similar causes. Christine Esposito, a gifted program specialist at Walker Upper Elementary School, questioned how the school board has the funds to employ officers while so many staff positions go unfunded. According to the Charlottesville Police Department, the addition of YROs would cost nearly $600,000 for the first year. Esposito expressed that this is not a conversation to be had “until we can fund our desperately needed instructional positions.” 

Many pleaded for transparency from the school board in making this decision, given the rigorous process to remove YROs in the first place. 

About face

Thanks to a petition signed by more than 1,000 community members, Piedmont Community College nursing student Mustafa Abdelhamid will continue his studies at UVA Medical Center. The nursing student’s externship was rescinded following an arrest at the UVA encampment earlier this month, but on Wednesday, May 29, Police Chief Tim Longo modified his No Trespassing Order (NTO) to allow Abdelhamid back on Grounds.

The decision was made after the University was met with action by community organizers. 

The UVA Chapter of the American Association of University Professors issued a petition following the University’s denial to reconsider their decision to ban Mustafa from University property.
The petition describes the decision as “prejudicial to his minority status” and raises concern for the supposed infringement on the student’s rights. 

It’s a start

A $9 million settlement between the University of Virginia and the families of Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr., and D’Sean Perry—the three students who were killed in a shooting on Grounds on November 13, 2022—was approved on Friday, May 31, by a judge in Albemarle County Circuit Court. The settlement grants $2 million to each of the families and $3 million between Mike Hollins and Marlee Morgan, two students who were injured in the shooting.

Saying goodbye

Beloved local restaurateur Mel Walker passed away on Tuesday, May 28. His eponymous West Main Street restaurant was one of the oldest Black-owned businesses in the city, having opened in 1984. Walker was a fixture in the community, born in the Vinegar Hill neighborhood and earning his restaurant chops in a variety of local kitchens. His absence leaves the future of Mel’s Cafe hanging in the balance. Visit gofundme.com/f/help-keep-mels-cafe-open to donate to the family’s fundraiser.

Mel Walker. Photo by John Robinson.

Standing O

The second round of grants for the National Endowment for the Arts’ 2024 fiscal year included a $20,000 award to Live Arts, the first for the local theater in its 33-year history. According to a press release, the grant will “advance the theater’s multi-year effort to diversify the stories on its stage” by supporting its third annual WATERWORKS festival.

In total, 20 grants were awarded to organizations in Virginia, four of which were in Charlottesville.

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Get schooled

The five school board candidates who are competing for three spots made their cases at a virtual forum last week. Photo: youth-nex

In addition to electing a new governor and several other local and state leaders, Charlottesville residents will vote for city school board members on November 2. Five candidates are competing for three spots: Strive for College CEO Christa Bennett, real estate agent Emily Dooley, Albemarle County youth entrepreneurship facilitator Dom Morse, school board chairwoman and physical therapist Lisa Larson-Torres, and longtime board member Leah Puryear.

In a virtual forum hosted by the Black Parents Association and the CCS Joint PTO last week, the candidates detailed how they would address critical issues affecting the school district, including racial equity, COVID recovery, school reconfiguration, teacher retention, and staff shortages. Daniel Fairley, the city’s youth opportunity coordinator, moderated the event.

Bennett explained her plans to hold biweekly listening sessions in downtown Charlottesville, allowing community members to easily express their concerns and ask questions outside of school board meetings. 

“It’s important to check in with people of color on how they view equity, and what we can do to get there,” she said.

Dooley, who was a teacher and principal for 10 years in central Virginia, said the school district needs to focus less on standardized testing that is “in and of itself rooted in racial inequities,” and more on guaranteeing all students have access to “high level instruction” that teaches critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Larson-Torres and Puryear pointed to the equity work they have championed since joining the school board, including developing a three-year-old program, creating an equity and anti-bullying policy, and hiring the district’s first supervisor of equity and inclusion.

To Morse, CCS could do more to implement equity and social-emotional learning into its learning models. “That looks like supporting our teachers to help them design a curriculum that allows our students to explore their own interests [and] identity,” he said.

Despite the numerous challenges faced during the pandemic, the school district was able to provide laptops and resources to all students, and maintain high graduation rates, said Puryear.

But as schools continue to recover from the pandemic, the district must address learning loss, said Bennett. From her research on what other schools are doing to help struggling students, she learned that high-dosage tutoring—during which a teacher works one-on-one with a student, or a very small group of students, for 30 to 60 minutes—has been “one of the most effective tools.”

Discussing the district’s substitute teacher and bus driver shortage, Bennett suggested the board create a program allowing substitute teachers to receive full-time pay and benefits and commit to working at one school for a year. Dooley also recommended the district expand public transit options for older students, and improve walkability and bikeability to all schools.

“We have to think about ways we provide development for [bus drivers] so it’s an easier position, but also think about how we complete their day,” said Morse. “Can we find ways to tie them into our school district even farther, whether it’s as instructional assistants or maybe they work in the cafeteria as well?”

To retain teachers, all five candidates emphasized the importance of paying them fairly, as well as providing them with support systems and listening to their concerns. 

“We need to not make [teachers] feel like they have to be a martyr to their job,” said Dooley. “Teachers being given superficial involvement, or being brought to conversations late in the game has been an ongoing issue, [as well as] teachers being pitted against parents or the community.”

Dooley and Bennett also expressed their support for a collective bargaining ordinance, which would allow city employees—including teachers—to form unions and negotiate their contracts.

Puryear explained that she has worked to increase teachers’ salaries every year since being elected to the school board in 2006, and supported raises for frontline workers during the pandemic. The board is currently working with CCS Superintendent Royal Gurley to better compensate substitute teachers, added Larson-Torres.

When putting together the school district’s next budget, Bennett and Dooley said they would audit current programs and examine data. Morse added that he would prioritize funding for student-facing positions.

This month, Charlottesville City Council unanimously approved the school board’s plan to renovate Walker Upper Elementary School and Buford Middle School. To pay for the $100 million reconfiguration, Bennett—who led the effort to build a playground at Walker Upper Elementary School—said she would draw upon her community organizing experience to advocate for increasing the city’s real estate and sales tax. The incumbents explained that they have already begun searching for funding and reaching out to legislators, and may collaborate with philanthropists on the expensive project.

Before closing out the forum, each candidate pitched why they were the best person for the job.

Bennett stressed that she is the only candidate who currently has a child in the city school system, while Dooley emphasized her years of experience in education. Morse, who was born and raised in Charlottesville, explained that he has lived through many of the disparities they just discussed.

Puryear, whose children graduated from city schools, described her passion for advocating for children, pointing to the nearly four decades she has spent directing UVA’s Upward Bound program. Larson-Torres detailed her personal experience fighting for special accommodations for her daughter at school, which spurred her to run for the board in 2017.

“Every decision I’ve made has been student and equity focused,” ended Larson-Torres. “I will still keep on showing up.”

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Taking the helm

Dr. Royal Gurley will begin as CCS superintendent on October 4. Photo: Marley Nichelle.

Dr. Royal A. Gurley will be the next superintendent of Charlottesville City Schools, the district announced last week. Dr. Rosa Atkins, the former longtime superintendent, resigned in March to take a job with the Virginia Department of Education in Richmond. 

Gurley has been the assistant superintendent for academic services for Dinwiddie County Public Schools since 2017. He’s also worked as a teacher and served in the armed forces.

During a press conference, Gurley, a 40-year-old native of Sussex County, explained that he was drawn to CCS for its values, particularly its focus on equity. While at DCPS, he organized an equity task force that reviewed school policies and curriculums for cultural relevance and inclusivity. He is also a member of the Virginia Department of Education Equity Task Force.

“[CCS] is an amazing place,” said Gurley. “There’s a lot of great work that’s been happening here, and I just felt strongly that when I saw what the community was looking for, a lot of my values were aligned [with that].”

This summer, the district employed search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to survey hundreds of school community members and compile a profile of an ideal leader. The community wanted a superintendent who has “an unwavering commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,” among many other values. Gurley was selected from a pool of around 50 candidates. He is the first Black man and the first openly gay man to occupy the position.

“We are just so excited about the work Dr. Gurley has done—his history of equity [and] of bringing all perspectives, voices, and opinions to the table to work through,” said school board chair Lisa Larson-Torres. “He’s not just saying equity, but turning it into a verb.”

Coming into the job, Gurley said his top priority is keeping students and staff safe from the coronavirus through strong mitigation strategies and transparency about active cases and community transmission. He also wants the district to provide ample resources for students who may have fallen behind while school was online. 

“Our kids are at different ends of the spectrum, in terms of the kind of support they’ve had since they’ve been away from us,” said Gurley, adding that the schools should “tier our instruction so we can get our students exactly what it is that they need.”

His other priorities include ensuring that the division’s gifted programs and advanced courses adequately reflect the student body, and properly preparing students for graduation and beyond. Gurley also plans to continue the equity work he began in Dinwiddie.

“We need to make sure that we’re not creating any barriers for our students,” he says. “But also, when we talk about equity, what are we doing to move the needle for our students? Are we providing our students with opportunities they need in order to be successful?”

In the coming weeks, Gurley said he will get to know the community by visiting schools, attending fine arts events, and cheering on the Charlottesville High School sports teams.

“I am a big football fan. I’m going to be at every home game. I pop in at all the basketball games,” said Gurley, who will soon move to Charlottesville with his husband, Derrek, and their labradoodle, Cooper. “That’s my outlet—it’s my way to still be at work, but not at work.”

“I’m very approachable,” he added. “I don’t always sit at the same place when I’m at the football games. I like to be among our families.”

“I just want to get to know people [and their] experiences, so we do not replicate things that have not been favorable for people,” said Gurley. “We can write a new history.”  

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New school?

Charlottesville City Council is currently struggling to fully fund the reconfiguration of Buford Middle School and Walker Upper Elementary School. Staff photo.

For over a decade, Charlottesville City Schools has been discussing a massive school reconfiguration, which would move fifth graders from Walker Upper Elementary—which houses fifth and sixth grade—down to elementary school, and sixth graders up to Buford Middle School. Walker would then be turned into a centralized preschool with a range of wraparound services. The plan has a big price tag, though. In the Capital Improvement Plan draft, the city set aside $50 million for the project, but it is now expected to cost between $50 million and $80 million, according to several options recently presented by VMDO Architects, the firm that will design the project. (The most expensive design would cost a whopping $123 million.)

To cover this hefty price tag, the reconfiguration working group—composed of city and school officials—has now proposed putting $60 million solely toward renovating and expanding Buford. It also wants to begin construction in 2023, one year earlier than previously planned, to prevent additional costs from inflation. The city would then make a limited capital investment into the Walker preschool until more funding is available. 

The $60 million would pay for a three-story addition to Buford, with media and support spaces. It would also cover a new gym, an update of academic and art buildings, and a media center renovation.

During a budget work session last Tuesday, City Council struggled to figure out how to pay for both phases of reconfiguration. It already planned to partially fund the $50 million placeholder with a 10-cent real estate tax rate increase, but now needs to find additional sources.

“Getting both the facilities as well as the capacity to what was needed to accommodate the three grade levels was determined to be the priority, and getting fifth graders back in the elementary schools,” said Councilor Heather Hill, a member of the working group. “If we find those other funding sources, Walker could in fact finish within the same time frame. But right now, with the limitations of our city dollars, the priority was on this Phase 1 for Buford.”

To allocate the additional $10 million for the Buford expansion, council could borrow from the $18 million currently set aside for the West Main Streetscape, another huge CIP project. Councilor Michael Payne agreed that the streetscape needed to be paused in order to completely afford the school reconfiguration.

“I’ve seen people say they wish they could do both, but I just haven’t seen a realistic argument for how that’s possible,” said Payne. “The only way I can maybe see it being possible is if there’s some sort of infrastructure bill passed by Congress, and we’re able to take advantage of that.”

However, Payne shared his concerns about the city not taking on any new capital projects while it works on school reconfiguration.

“We need to have an honest conversation about the specifics of what those trade-offs are going to mean,” said Payne. “What if there’s an unexpected increase in the cost of public housing redevelopment?”

Before allocating more CIP funds toward reconfiguration, Payne suggested waiting to see if the General Assembly approves legislation allowing the city to increase its sales tax by 1 cent, which could generate $10 million a year for school capital projects. (If it is passed, the proposed legislation would then need to be voted on in a local referendum.)

“If the [tax increase] doesn’t happen, then we evaluate and go forward from there,” he added.

Councilor Sena Magill echoed Payne’s sentiments. “What if something’s coming up? How are we supposed to do this maxing out? That maxes out our bond capacity entirely.” she said.

“If we can get the sales tax that’s great, but we have to plan if we don’t get the sales tax,” she added. 

Though he did not agree the streetscape project should be put on hold, Councilor Lloyd Snook also supported upping the sales tax. “We need to make plans that we are going to get the increase and we are going to be able to fund the schools the way the school board wants to—and move forward with other projects,” he said.

City Manager Chip Boyles agreed that the sales tax increase would be a “game changer” for the reconfiguration project, but noted that it can’t be included in the budget until it’s passed by the General Assembly.

Hill worried that if the streetscape project is cut now, the city will lose out on future potential funding sources. However, Mayor Nikuyah Walker emphasized that the city needs to put more money toward equity initiatives, like affordable housing. 

“Those are the types of things that we need to be focusing on if we’re going to be maxing out [the CIP budget], not if we are going to continue projects like West Main Street,” said Walker. 

It remains unclear when council will vote on funding the school reconfiguration, or the fate of the West Main Streetscape. It is expected to select a conceptual design for the reconfiguration in October.

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News

Rough road

Fleet of yellow school buses in a parking lot under a sunny blue sky
Area school bus systems have also been impacted by COVID. PC: Skyclad Aerial

By Mary Jane Gore

The wheels on the bus go ’round and ’round—until COVID hits. And since the start of the pandemic, city and county bus systems have encountered many bumps and unexpected curves.

Before COVID, the city averaged about 2,600 bus riders per day. Currently, that number is down to 1,033, and some buses are becoming emptier as ridership dwindles along certain routes. High schools in particular have light loads in some areas, as parents and some students have opted to drive. 

Fluctuation in the number of students who ride—and where they live—has meant constant adjusting for drivers. 

Typically, the school systems conduct one routing per school year. In 2020-2021, the Albemarle County schools routing staff used software (and bus drivers’ valuable knowledge) to generate five different routing schedules, as situations changed rapidly. 

Donna Fortune says the county, where she has driven for 11 years, was supportive when drivers returned to deliver students to in-person classes again. And she was happy to be behind the wheel again after being “heartbroken” when buses were suspended in 2020, because she missed her young passengers. 

“We were given good transportation and routing information,” Fortune says. “We received lists of all students, and what day of the week they are riding.” Learning the new, complicated routes wasn’t easy, though. Some kids go to school on Monday and Wednesday, some go on Tuesday and Thursday, and some go all four of those days.  

On Fridays, when most students attend school remotely, county buses shuttle supplies to kids—books, projects, equipment, paperwork—so they can work effectively at home. Buses also deliver lunch to those who need it.  

Drivers are worn out in general, says ACPS Transportation Director Jim Foley. Often, they drive two shifts each morning and afternoon to accommodate both elementary and middle/high school students. The drivers have also been tasked with disinfecting the bus, and are expected to enforce the mask requirement, which is tricky. Fortune says the kids have been excited to see each other, and are very talkative. “They enjoy socializing,” she says.

Some bus routes have few or zero kids on them, and others have had waitlists for seats, though the city school district says it has “been able to meet all known needs for students of families who elected in-person school and require bus service to attend.”

In the county, the largest bus holds 77 students, but during COVID that number shrunk to 25 with distancing, says Foley. All area buses have a one-child-per-seat policy, except for siblings, who can ride two to a seat. 

Foley says that children cannot pick and choose when they ride the bus. “If a student is not on the bus for 10 days and that information is verified with parents or through the schools, then that child would be removed as a bus rider, and someone on the waiting list would get a bus seat,” he says. The city follows a similar process for its routes.

Both districts have had difficulty recruiting drivers. Decreased bus ridership does not mean fewer drivers are required—routes cover significant ground and in many cases cannot be combined. The city was recruiting pre-pandemic, but the issue has worsened due to driver retirements and ongoing challenges with COVID-19.

Foley encourages people to apply for the now-$16-per-hour job. Drivers can gain Virginia Retirement System benefits with just six hours per day, he says. With a minimum five hours a day, 10 months a year, a driver gets health care benefits too.  

And riding the bus is better for the environment and safer than individual transportation: Foley says each full bus would keep about 36 cars from driving to schools—and school-provided transportation is eight times safer than parent transportation and 40 times safer than teen transportation.

Looking ahead, the city hopes to find more drivers for an anticipated summer school. The county plans to begin allowing two students per seat this summer. 

The county also plans to install new federally funded air filtration systems by the fall, Foley says. The HEPA systems are the same that airplanes use, and would make riding safer for more students at once. 

Meanwhile, school districts anxiously await news of expanded access to vaccines—Pfizer is expected to soon authorize its vaccine for use on children as young as 12. Phil Giaramita, ACPS strategic communications officer, says the schools will continue to adjust their transportation plans based on the experts’ vaccine recommendations.