Albemarle County, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Albemarle County School Board Chair Dr. Kate Acuff joined Morning News to provide updates on recent initiatives, including the appointment of Jay Thomas as the new director overseeing Center 1 and the planning of Center 2. These smaller educational centers are designed to address capacity needs affordably. “The most cost effective way forward for us was to build a series of centers,” said Dr. Acuff. Students will remain enrolled at their base high schools while attending the centers a few days each week for specialized programs like health sciences, IT, and hospitality. 

Additionally, Dr. Acuff discussed the progress of collective bargaining efforts now underway in the school division. After 18 months of planning, bargaining has officially begun, focusing on salaries, benefits, and several additional topics. “The actual bargaining has begun… and those will go on through the summer,” Acuff confirmed. She noted the need for confidentiality during the negotiations but emphasized that any budgetary impacts would be addressed before the next fiscal cycle. 

Finally, Acuff highlighted the Albemarle Foundation for Education (AFE), a relatively new nonprofit supporting initiatives not covered by the county’s regular school budget. Among its efforts is taking over the Back-to-School Bash, which provides thousands of backpacks and supplies to local students. AFE is also helping fund a “Communities in Schools” program, which has already generated about $40,000 in donations and services for Title I schools across the county. 

Listen to the full conversation here: