Charlottesville schools guide: districts, calendars and ratings

Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Facts on this page come from Charlottesville City Schools, its enrollment hub, calendar page and School Board page, and the Virginia Department of Education’s School Quality Profile for the division.

Every public school in Charlottesville, with its zone and report card: Charlottesville public schools.

Every public school student who lives in Charlottesville attends Charlottesville City Schools (CCS), a school division separate from Albemarle County Public Schools. The division enrolled 4,361 students in fall 2025, from preschool to 12th grade. Children are zoned by neighborhood to one of six elementary schools for kindergarten through fifth grade; from the 2026-27 year all of them then go on to Charlottesville Middle School and Charlottesville High School.

Who to call

• Division office: 434-245-2400, 1562 Dairy Road, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays
• Student Services (enrollment questions): 434-245-2405
• Charlottesville High School: 434-245-2410 | Charlottesville Middle School: 434-245-2411
• Register a new student: ccs.schoolmint.com

The schools

The division also runs the Charlottesville Early Learning Center preschool for qualifying 3- and 4-year-olds, Lugo-McGinness Academy (434-245-2406), the Hospital Education Program at UVA Health (434-924-2658), and, with Albemarle County, the Charlottesville Albemarle Technical Education Center on East Rio Road (434-245-2419). Find your elementary school on the attendance zones page.

State ratings

All eight schools are fully accredited. Virginia’s newer School Performance and Support Framework gives each school a score and one of four levels. In the state’s latest ratings, Sunrise Elementary scored 97.63 and is rated Distinguished, Summit Elementary (83.35) Meets Expectations, and the other six schools are rated Approaching Expectations, with scores from 81.26 at Jackson-Via to 89.18 at Trailblazer. The state profile also reports test pass rates, attendance and teacher data for each school.

On the profile’s latest graduation cohort, 350 of 391 students (90%) earned a diploma on time. In the 2025-26 year, 652 high school students (45%) took Advanced Placement courses.

2026-27 calendar

• First day: Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026 (done)
• No school for students: Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 2-3 (staff days; Nov. 3 is Election Day); Thursday, Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving); Friday, Dec. 25; Friday, Jan. 1; Monday, Jan. 4; Monday, Jan. 18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day); Wednesday, Feb. 3; Monday, Feb. 15 (Presidents Day); Friday, March 5 (mental wellness day, schools and offices closed); Friday, March 19
• Grading periods end: Dec. 18, March 15 and May 28
• Graduation: tentatively Wednesday, May 26, 2027
• Last day: Friday, May 28, 2027, with an early dismissal

The full Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks are marked on the 2026-27 calendar (PDF). Snow days are covered by banked time or made up at the School Board’s discretion. A revised draft 2027-28 calendar (first day Aug. 11, 2027; last day June 1, 2028) is open for comment until Wednesday, Nov. 4, and goes to the School Board Nov. 5; see what the 2027-28 draft changes.

Enrolling a new student

1. Find your zoned school on the attendance zones page.
2. Create an account at ccs.schoolmint.com, check you are in the 2026-2027 year and add a new student.
3. Upload or bring: an original or certified birth certificate; two proofs of city residency, one from each of the division’s two lists (for example a deed, mortgage statement or lease, plus a city tax receipt or utility bill; post office boxes and driver’s licenses do not count); and for grades PK-5 a school health entrance form signed after a physical within the past year.
4. Students joining mid-year should call the school’s registrar.

Preschool has its own sign-up on the preschool page. Families living outside the city can apply as nonresident students, who pay tuition.

School Board

Seven members are elected at large to staggered four-year terms on November ballots. The board meets the first Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. in the Charlottesville High School Media Center; the next regular meeting is Thursday, Nov. 5. Meetings stream on the division’s Facebook page and on Education Channel 14, with public comment at the start and end. Agendas and minutes are on the board portal.

What this means for you

• Moving into the city? Register in SchoolMint for your zoned school and have both residency proofs ready.
• No school Nov. 2-3 or on Thanksgiving Day.
• Comment on the revised 2027-28 calendar draft by Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Related guides: voting in Charlottesville, Friday night football and moving to Charlottesville.

Which elementary zone each part of the city is in is mapped in our Charlottesville neighborhoods guide.

Frequently asked questions

What school district is Charlottesville in?

Charlottesville City Schools, a school division separate from Albemarle County’s. It serves city residents with six neighborhood elementary schools, Charlottesville Middle School and Charlottesville High School.

When is the last day of school in Charlottesville City Schools?

Friday, May 28, 2027, with an early dismissal. Graduation for Charlottesville High School is tentatively set for May 26.

How do I enroll my child in Charlottesville City Schools?

Register online in SchoolMint at ccs.schoolmint.com for the school your address is zoned to. You need a birth certificate, two proofs of city residency and, for grades PK-5, a school health entrance form.

How are Charlottesville schools rated by the state?

All eight schools are fully accredited. Under Virginia’s School Performance and Support Framework, Sunrise Elementary is rated Distinguished, Summit Elementary Meets Expectations and the other six Approaching Expectations.

When does the Charlottesville School Board meet?

The first Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Charlottesville High School Media Center. The next regular meeting is Thursday, Nov. 5.