Charlottesville schools announce approved transfer of Federal Executive Institute at no cost to district

The Charlottesville City School Board announced May 1 that its application to acquire the Federal Executive Institute (FEI) has been approved at no cost to the school division.

Board leadership said the acquisition creates an opportunity to establish a centralized preschool, consolidate administrative offices and expand services for students in alternative education and special education. The board described the approval as the start of a multi-step process rather than a finished project.

The chair asked the meeting minutes to reflect thanks to staff and city partners. Superintendent Dr. Rosa (Doctor) Gurley specifically thanked Leslie Thacker and members of the executive leadership team for preparing the application and thanked City Manager Sam Sanders and Deputy Director of Public Works Mike Goddard for city collaboration. In remarks at the meeting, Dr. Gurley credited Thacker for assembling the application materials that were submitted to federal officials.

Board members and the superintendent noted there is substantial additional work required before the property is repurposed for classrooms or administrative uses. At the meeting staff said the next steps include planning, coordination with city partners and more detailed operational work; no formal timeline or final budget for renovation, staffing or programs was presented or approved at the May 1 meeting.

Public comments at the meeting touched on concerns about the city’s capacity to maintain additional acreage; a community member referenced the FEI parcel as roughly 14 acres and asked how maintenance responsibilities would be met given existing upkeep challenges on district properties. Board and staff responses at the meeting described the acquisition as a long‑term opportunity and emphasized that logistics and maintenance arrangements would be developed in coordination with city departments.

The board did not take a vote at the May 1 meeting to authorize specific expenditures or construction tied to the FEI property. Staff said future board actions will be required to approve any budget changes, program moves or facility renovations tied to the site.