CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW)- The Charlottesville City Council is progressing with its overarching renovation plan for Charlottesville City Schools. 

Councilor Natalie Oschrin, speaking to Jay James on WINA Morning News, detailed several improvements made at multiple sites across the city in advance of the new school year.

As for the overarching price-tag of the city-wide educational renovation project, Oschrin revealed the estimate for the project is $100 million dollars. 

One of the renovation’s major focuses is the presence of natural light.

“When the designers were designing those buildings, somehow they thought kids don’t deserve that,”  Oschrin said.

The newer schools, specifically Charlottesville Middle, will have more added natural light and improved ventilation to mirror the older sites, such as Summitt Elementary and Trailblazer Elementary.   

Oschrin mentioned the biggest problem in school construction though, is where to put the kids during the process that will not impact their learning.   

Council’s plan for this currently is to employ one or more “swing” schools.

Oschrin describes the concept as temporary locations (usually at other schools), within which the normal school day can be carried out and classes can be relocated once renovation and construction is finished.  

The initial plans for a swing school were scrapped with the acquisition of the former Federal Executive Institute Building by UVA courtesy of the US Department of Education.  

However, Oschrin shared that plans for the Pre-K center at Walker include space for a swing school in the main building, according to the initial presentation council received in yesterday’s meeting.   

Oschrin also shared that funding for the Walker project has been partly funded using external money, though she did not say where those funds came from.