Construction of an expansion of Buford Middle School is well underway with the first walls now emerging from the ground on what had been either a field or a gymnasium. The larger school will provide enough capacity to allow sixth graders to attend for the first time when construction is fully complete in the fall of 2026.
Now Charlottesville City Schools want input on a pressing matter—what should the mascot be called for a school that will no longer be named after Florence Buford? There’s a shortlist that came from public engagement last fall.
“District leaders have identified a shortlist of possible mascots to represent the future Charlottesville Middle School: Black Knights; another kind of ‘Knights’; Chargers; or Monarchs,” reads a press release sent out on Friday afternoon.
“Charger” was selected as a finalist due to the conveyance of energy and because it shares the first four letters of Charlottesville. “Monarch” was chosen because it’s similar to Charlottesville High School’s mascot of the Black Knight and because of the butterfly.
To further refine feedback, another survey is now live through April 30 to get feedback. Take the survey here!
A decision has also been made to use the same orange and black colors used at Charlottesville High School.
For more information on the construction project, visit the Charlottesville City Schools’ web page on the topic.
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