Key Dates & Winter Break Reminders

The 2024-25 School Year Calendar was revised on January 9, 2025, as follows:

• Friday, January 10, will be a flexible teacher workday. Teachers may work from home or in school buildings starting at 10 a.m., if able.
• The teacher workday previously scheduled for Friday, January 17, will now be a regular school day. This change prioritizes getting students back in school following closures due to inclement weather and helps reduce the need for additional makeup days.
• Friday, January 17, will now be the last day of the second quarter.

Seven Apply to Fill Rio District Vacancy

Seven residents of the Rio Magisterial District have submitted applications to the Albemarle County School Board, seeking appointment to serve for the remainder of the 2025 calendar year. This vacancy follows the sudden passing of Chuck Pace on December 18, who had represented the Rio District both as an appointee and as an elected member. As outlined by Virginia Code, the school board can appoint an interim member, and if they decide to do so, they must make the appointment within 45 days of the vacancy, with a deadline of February 3.

The seven applications were submitted by the January 7 deadline, and each candidate will be interviewed during a special meeting on Thursday, January 16, at 6:30 p.m. in Lane Auditorium, located at the County Office Building, 401 McIntire Road, Charlottesville.

The interviews will be open to the public. Each candidate will have two minutes to make an opening statement, followed by a question-and-answer session with board members. To ensure fairness, candidates will remain outside the auditorium until their interview begins. The interviews will be the sole agenda item for this meeting.

The candidates’ applications are publicly accessible in ElectronicSchoolBoard under the “School Board Candidate Interviews” items in the January 16 Special Board Meeting Agenda.

Public Input Opportunities

One week later, on Thursday, January 23, the board will hold a public hearing during its regular work session to gather community input on the candidates. This session will also begin at 6:30 p.m. in Lane Auditorium.

Members of the public who wish to speak at the hearing must sign up in advance. Online sign-up will open at 9 a.m. on Monday, January 20, on the School Board homepage. In-person sign-up will be available on the day of the hearing, beginning at 6 p.m. in Lane Auditorium. Written comments can also be submitted via email to schoolboard@k12albemarle.org or by mail to Albemarle County School Board, 401 McIntire Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902.

Next Steps in the Appointment Process

After the public hearing, the board will deliberate in a closed session before announcing its decision. The selected candidate will join the board for their first official meeting on February 13 and will serve through the end of the 2025 calendar year. A full four-year term for the Rio District seat will be determined during the November general election.