The person who is currently overseeing the last cohort of 5th and 6th grade students at Walker Upper Elementary School will be on the ground in the call when both sets of pupils move up to the next school.
Dr. Summerlyn Thompson will be the principal of Charlottesville Middle School in the next academic year, the first year that the expanded and renovated school will include 6th grade students.
“We are very fortunate to bring Dr. Thompson to the helm as we officially complete reconfiguration and welcome 6th graders to the middle school this August,” said Dr. Royal A. Gurley, Superintendent of Charlottesville City Schools, in a March 6 press release.
Thompson began work for Charlottesville City Schools as a teacher at Trailblazer Elementary, formerly known as Venable. Before being named to lead Walker Upper Elementary, she was principal at Tall Oaks Elementary, formerly known as Johnson.
Thompson will succeed Rodney Jordan who has been principal since 2021 and will take another position in the school system.
“Charlottesville Middle School is already a great school thanks to the work of Principal Rodney Jordan, the CMS leadership team, and the staff,” Dr. Thompson is quoted in the release. “I am thrilled to join CMS and work alongside everyone as we move together into this next season!”
Walker will become the site of the Charlottesville Early Learning Center this fall. The capital budget currently under consideration includes $30 million for design and construction of a new facility at the same location.
The overall cost of the renovation of Charlottesville Middle School is $91.8 million including a $17.6 million grant from the Virginia Department of Education.
Before you go: The goal of Town Crier Productions is to increase awareness about what is happening at the local, regional, state, and federal government levels. Please share the work with others if you want people to know things. Paid subscribers cover the cost of conducting research for this article which was originally published in the March 17, 2026 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. You can either subscribe through Substack or make a charitable contribution.
Discover more from Information Charlottesville
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
