Dear Colleagues:

This afternoon, School Board members and some senior staff attended a presentation by the two consulting firms that are generating options on how best to meet our high school facility needs in the future. This discussion is the first formal step in a process that will extend over the next few months.

Our School Board has been discussing high school planning for more than a year based upon Albemarle High School’s overcapacity and Western’s continued growth, which will result in that school being overcapacity in the near future. Another driver has been our current work around High School 2022.

We asked our consultants to think broadly about how best we can design high school facilities that will enable us to meet our capacity needs through a thoughtful, innovative and efficient plan. At the same time, we asked that these options also support and promote our High School 2022 objectives.

Options presented at today’s discussion ranged from the traditional construction of new buildings to the establishment of community-based learning hubs at a few or more locations throughout the county.

Specific information on all the options under consideration will be available as part of the agenda for the October 26 School Board meeting, and there also will be a community informational session in November. The School Board is working toward making a high school facility decision in December.

Also, tomorrow evening will be the first of five community meetings on High School 2022 that will be held this month at Burley, Henley, Jouett, Sutherland and Walton middle schools. Our focus will be on how best to achieve four operating principles: ensuring equitable access for all students; adopting fair and meaningful assessments; implementing flexible scheduling that supports student-centered learning; and encouraging students to explore their interests and passions for course credit.

You can find more information about High School 2022, including the community meeting schedule, at: www.k12albemarle.org/hs2022

Sincerely,

Matt

Matthew S. Haas, Ed.D.
Deputy Superintendent