ACPS Celebrates Class of 2026

By Albemarle County Public Schools

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. — Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) capped off the academic year last week with several high school graduation ceremonies celebrating the Class of 2026. 

“To the Class of 2026, I welcome you to the end of high school and to the next big thing in your life,” Beth Costa, principal of Monticello High School, said at the school’s May 19 graduation ceremony. “You have made it to a very important milestone. You did it.”

Family, friends and faculty gathered to honor the academic and personal achievements of seniors from the division’s three comprehensive high schools as they walked the stage to receive their diplomas.

“Graduations come with a lot of advice for life,” Jennifer Sublette, principal of Western Albemarle High School, said at the school’s May 22 graduation ceremony. “Mine is just that you keep being full of energy and strong personality, and that you stay open to creating connections and relationships like you have here.”

Over the course of three days, ACPS sent more than 1,000 graduates into the world to begin the next chapter of their lives. 

“The entire ACPS community is incredibly proud of the Class of 2026. These students have shown remarkable resilience, creativity, and dedication to get to this moment,” Superintendent Matthew Hass said. “As they take this next big step into the world, whether they are heading to college, entering the workforce or serving our country, we wish them nothing but the absolute best. They leave a lasting legacy behind, and I have no doubt they will shape a bright future ahead.”

Also celebrating the work of seniors across the division were Community Lab School, the Charlottesville Area Technical Education Center and Albemarle Career Exploration Academy – Seminole Place Campus. Each program held a Completers Ceremony to honor the hard work of the Class of 2026 within its program.

“When I joined the School Board, I expected to learn many things. What I didn’t expect was just how much I would learn from students,” Albemarle School Board Chair Rebecca Berlin said. “Your passion, perspective and courage have truly inspired us. As you step into your next ventures, I challenge you to continue to be bold leaders, never hesitate to speak up for what matters and use your voice to shape the world around you.”

Albemarle High School Principal Damean Barfield left the Class of 2026 with the charge to jump into whatever comes next with vigor.

“Go further, reach higher, stretch beyond what feels easy and trust that everything you need to succeed is already within you,” Barfield said at the school’s May 18 graduation ceremony. “The world is waiting. Go meet it with courage.”