he vast majority of children in the United States attend public schools. Although there is a trend toward increased home schooling and higher enrollment in private schools, the percentage of children attending public schools is still approximately 90 percent of all children in the United States.

Albemarle County

In Albemarle County, as in most areas of the United States, the public schools are under the direction of an elected School Board. The Albemarle County School Board consists of seven members who are elected by the people to represent the magisterial districts in the county. Once elected, they serve a four-year term. They may run for re-election upon completing a term of office.

Click here for more information about the School Board

School Board Responsibilities

The School Board is responsible for:

1) Setting the policies that govern the school system - instruction, personnel, students and administration are examples of areas that the School Board oversees. Policy manuals are available for the public to read.
2) Selecting the Albemarle County Superintendent of Schools
3) Budgeting

Superintendent's Responsibility

The Superintendent oversees the day-to-day operation of the school system and assures that School Board policy is enacted. There is an administrative staff that helps the superintendent and is responsible for the various aspects of school administration.

Administrative Staff

In Albemarle County, the Administrative Staff includes Instructional Coordinators who provide guidance and oversight in their areas of concern. The English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Instructional Coordinator is Ms. Lorelei Damron. It is the policy of Albemarle County Schools that all ESOL students enrolled in the county schools should have the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as other students. The goal of the program is "to integrate ESOL students into the educational and cultural mainstream through appropriate curricula and instructional, as well as assessment, strategies, that address the needs of individual students and their families."

Click here to learn more about the ESOL program.

How Public Schools are Funded

Public schools are funded primarily by the taxes of the people in the area the schools serve. The School Board in the area budgets the taxes. Parents do not need to pay for any costs for the children, with the exception of occasional minimal fees. All books, transportation, instruction, etc. are paid for by the school district.

How to Determine Which School Your Child Will Attend:

Children attend the school that serves the area in which they live. In order to determine the school, one looks at the address of the home. In the Charlottesville/Albemarle area, it can be confusing to determine because most people have a Charlottesville address, yet actually live in Albemarle County.

Click here to out the school district in which you are located.

How the Public Schools Are Divided

Public schools normally include elementary, middle and secondary/high school levels (Kindergarten to 12th grade). There are, however, some special programs for pre-school children, alternative education and other special categories. The public schools must provide free and appropriate educational programs for all handicapped children between the ages of birth and age 21 (Public Law 94-142). These programs are often referred to as "Special Education".

Click here to learn more about the Albemarle County Special Education program.

Transportation

The Transportation Department is comprised of four functional areas: Administrative, Operations, Maintenance and Transportation Analysis. They are responsible for:

1) Transporting all eligible students to and from school
2) Regular repair and maintenance of all county owned vehicle assets
3) Purchasing additional and replacement vehicle assets

Click here to learn more about transportation.

Cafeteria Programs

The Free and Reduced-Price Meals Program provides the opportunity for all qualified children to have two meals (breakfast and lunch) at school every day. The mission of the Child Nutrition Program is to provide high quality student meals in a cost effective manner.

Click here to learn more about this program.

Rules and Regulations

Students are expected to adhere to certain standards and follow various rules and regulations. These standards and rules may deal with issues such as dress policy, behavior, attendance, transportation, substance abuse and weapons. Each school publishes its own handbook, which discusses these concerns, and every student is given one at the beginning of each school year.