CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Dr. Summerlyn Thompson, the current principal of Walker Upper Elementary, has been named the principal of Charlottesville Middle School, starting in the 2026-27 school year.

“We are very fortunate to bring Dr. Thompson to the helm as we officially complete reconfiguration and welcome 6th graders to the middle school this August,” CCS superintendent Dr. Royal Gurley wrote in a release. “She is a deeply skilled and experienced school leader. Even more important, she is known across Charlottesville for building strong relationships with staff and families, which is at the core of a great education for students.”

Thompson will succeed Rodney Jordan, CMS’ principal since 2021 when it was still Buford Middle School. He will be transitioning to another position within the school division.

Charlottesville Middle School, located in a new building on the campus of Buford, opened for seventh and eighth graders in August 2025. 6th graders will be welcomed to the school following the completion of the second and final phase, expected to be complete in August 2026.

Thompson’s education career began as a teacher at Trailblazer Elementary in 2003. She then joined Tall Oaks Elementary as a math specialist before becoming assistant principal and later principal, a role she served in for seven years before taking the same position at Walker Upper.

An alum of its master’s program, Thompson received the James Madison University Literacy Alumni Award in 2024, was named one of the Daily Progress’s “Distinguished Dozen” in 2022 and was given the Beloved Community Award from Abundant Life Ministry in 2020. She is the mother of three children, all currently enrolled in CCS.