Virginia's Public Charter Schools
There are seven public charter schools operating in Virginia.
Murray High School – Albemarle County
Murray High School (MHS) was established as a nontraditional high school in 1988-1989 and approved to convert to a charter school in 2001. The mission of MHS is to facilitate intensive, experiential learning opportunities in order to provide academic and personal success for students who are at-risk to leave school or to graduate below potential. The educational program is based on the philosophy of William Glasser's Quality School Program.
School Administrator:
Ashby Kindler, Principal
Murray High School
1200 Forest Street
Charlottesville, VA 22093
Phone: 434-296-3090
Fax: 434-979-6479
Email: akindler@k12albemarle.org
School Division Contact:
Billy Haun, Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning
Albemarle County Public Schools
401 McIntire Road
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: 434-296-5820
Fax: 434-296-5805
Email: bhaun@k12albemarle.org
The Albemarle Community Public Charter School – Albemarle County
- School Division: Albemarle County
- Grade Levels: 6-8
- Number of Students: 36
- Opened: August 2008
The Community Public Charter School provides an alternative and innovative learning environment using the arts to help children learn in ways that match their learning styles. The school opened to 36 sixth graders in 2008-2009. A grade level will be added each subsequent year until the school houses grades 6-8. Emphasis is on individual learning styles and developing the whole child, intellectually, emotionally, physically, and socially. It is the belief of the school that the arts are essential to human development, empowering people and enhancing learning. Seeking to serve students at risk of not succeeding in school, the goal of the program is to the achievement gap by offering a balance of literacy tutorials and the arts-infused curriculum.
School Administrator:
Don Vale, Director
901 Rose Hill Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Phone: 434-972-1607
Fax: 434-984-4975
Email: vale@k12albemarle.org
School Division Contact:
Billy Haun, Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning
Albemarle County Public Schools
401 McIntire Road
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: 434-296-5820
Fax: 434-296-5805
Email: bhaun@k12albemarle.org
Middleburg Community Charter School – Loudoun County
Teaching and learning at Middleburg Community Charter School focuses on student academic success in the context of an integrated program influenced by the life and thinking habits of Leonardo DaVinci. The program is designed to meet Virginia academic standards, in addition to increasing student confidence and capacity for generating ideas at the college level and beyond. The program is grounded in current education research and is adapted from the DaVinci curriculum developed by Barcroft Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia. The school features multi-age classrooms, innovative STEM programs, and the daily inquiry-based DaVinci Lab. The focus on teaching and learning addresses five key curriculum elements, referred to as the DaVinci By the Creek Curriculum:
C – Creativity
R – Relationships
E – Engineering and Life Science
E – Essential Understandings (Mathematics, Language)
K – Knowledge of the global, national, state and local geographical, historical, and present day social studies
School Administrator:
Dr. Barbara Smith, Principal
101 North Madison Street
Middleburg, VA 20177
Phone: 540-687-5048
Fax: 703-542-1257
Email: Barbara.smith@lcps.org
School Division Contact:
Ned Waterhouse, Deputy Superintendent
Loudoun County Public schools
21000 Education Court
Ashburn, VA 20148
Phone: 571-252-1030
Fax: 571-252-1003
Email: Ned.waterhouse@lcps.org
York River Academy – York County
York River Academy provides an academic, social, and career preparatory education in computer and web-based technology for students at risk of not graduating or graduating below potential. The curriculum is designed around a structured four-year plan where students are divided among cohorts and take classes leading to a Virginia standard diploma. Students also work toward accomplishing Information Technology industry certification and acquiring practical work place readiness skills. The school has a dynamic parent partnership program and community involvement.
School Administrator:
Walter Cross, Principal
York River Academy
11201 George Washington Highway
Yorktown, VA 23692
Phone: 757-898-0516
Fax: 855-369-2615
Email: wcross@ycsd.york.va.us
School Division Contact:
Dr. Stephanie Guy, Chief Academic Officer
York County Public Schools
302 Dare Road
Yorktown, VA 23692-2795
Phone: 757-898-0300
Fax: 855-878-9063
Email: sguy@ycsd.york.va.us
Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts – Richmond
The mission is to establish a school based on parent, educator, and community involvement. The school intends to provide the children of the ethnically and socio-economically diverse Richmond community with an academically rigorous science and liberal arts curriculum that emphasizes environmental awareness and social responsibility.
School Administrator:
Dr. Eileen Atkinson, Principal
3411 Semmes Avenue
Richmond VA 23225
Phone: 804-888-7061
Fax: 804-980-7067
Email: eatkinso@richmond.k12.va.us
School Division Contact:
Dr. Irene Williams, Executive Director of Elementary Education
301 North Ninth Street, 17th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: 804-780-4639
Fax: 804-780-7515
Email: iwillia2@richmond.k12.va.us
Website: patrickhenrycharter.org
Green Run Collegiate – Virginia Beach City
- School Division: Virginia Beach City
- Grade Levels: 9-12
- Number of Students: 525 at capacity
- Opening: September 2013 with 9th grade, adding one grade level per year
The mission of Green Run Collegiate (GRC) is to engage students in critical thinking and teamwork to empower them toward college and career readiness and global citizenship as community leaders. GRC, as a Virginia Beach City Public Charter School, is committed to providing all students with the necessary skills to thrive as 21st century learners, workers, and citizens. GRC has specialized focus on college and career readiness with an emphasis on knowledge, civic, social and personal development for students. The curriculum includes the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (MYP) (9-10), the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (DP) (11-12), the International Baccalaureate Career Certificate Program (IBCC) (11-12) and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) for all students.
School Administrator:
Barbara Winn, Head of School
Green Run Collegiate
1700 Dahlia Dr.
Virginia Beach, VA 23453
Phone: 757-648-5350
Fax: 757-431-4153
Email: barbara.winn@vbschools.com
School Division Contact:
Jill Gaitens, Director of Grants Development
Virginia Beach City Public Schools
2512 George Mason Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23454-0038
Phone: 757-263-1264
Fax: 757-263-1392
Email: jill.gaitens@vbschools.com
Richmond Career Education and Employment Academy – Richmond
- School Division: Richmond
- Grade Level: 8-12
- Number of students: 10 (40 at capacity)
- Opened: September 2013
The mission of Richmond Career Education and Employment Academy is to provide an intensive functional life skills curriculum that is oriented toward career education and competitive employment for Richmond students, ages 14-21. These students have significant cognitive disabilities, lack a functional communication system, demonstrate significant deficits in social competence, and typically graduate with a Special Diploma. The school will enhance the productive contributions and vocational capacities of youth with significant disabilities who have typically not been competitively employed nor been seen as having the ability to be competitively employed upon graduation. Students appropriate for the Richmond Career Education and Employment Academy typically will enter with poorly developed functional communication and social skills as well as severe academic challenges. Outcomes for all students will be competitive employment, enrollment in meaningful post-secondary programs, or other productive activity that contributes directly to the well-being of the community.
School Administrator:
Maurice Burton, Principal
4314 Crutchfield Street
Richmond. VA 23225
Phone: 804-780-6130
Fax: 804-780-5043
Email: mburton2@richmond.k12.va.us
School Division Contact:
Dr. Dionne Ward, Executive Director of Secondary Instruction
301 North Ninth Street, 17th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: 804-80-7720
Fax: 804-780-4538
Email: dward@richmond.k12.va.us
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