ACPS Marks Topping Out Milestone for New ACE Academy

New campus will expand hands-on career learning for high school students across Albemarle County beginning in fall 2026.

By Albemarle County Public Schools

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. — Albemarle County Public Schools marked a major construction milestone Wednesday with the topping out of the new Albemarle Career Exploration (ACE) Academy – Lambs Lane Campus, a facility expected to serve up to 400 high school students each day beginning in fall 2026.

During the ceremony, the final steel beam—signed by students, staff, community members and construction workers—was raised into place, symbolizing years of planning and the community’s investment in expanding career-focused learning opportunities across the division.

School Board Chair Dr. Kate Acuff said the event represents a turning point for the county’s long-term facilities planning. “This center, together with Mountain View Upper Elementary School, are the first two new structures that we are building in the county in almost 25 years,” Acuff said. “So this is a day of celebration … We can offer our students—in just a few months—modern, well-lit, well-built, environmentally friendly learning spaces for them to spend their time with us.”

Acuff said the academy will play an important role in the division’s Scholars Studios initiative, which connects students with hands-on programs aligned to career pathways. “These studios are based on career learning pathways, and students will be able to find their nexus with other students, with community leaders, with our educators to look at all sorts of job opportunities within each of these Scholars Studios,” she said. “ACE will draw students from all three of our traditional high schools as well as Community Lab School and will be a vital connection to community organizations and businesses.”

When complete, the 60,000-square-foot campus will house studios in fields such as business, engineering, robotics, health sciences, architecture, transportation, education and culinary arts. The building will also include an Innovation Hub, Learning Commons, outdoor courtyard and flexible instructional spaces shaped by student input. Sustainable design features include energy-efficient systems and environmentally conscious materials, along with building elements that bring natural light into learning spaces to support a healthy learning environment.

“It’s truly inspiring to be here and see this vision come to life,” said Meagan Maynard, the division’s curriculum coordinator for career and technical education. “Every detail in this design was shaped by student input. And while this building has extraordinary spaces, what matters most is what it will make possible: the next steps our students will take, the contributions they’ll make and the doors that will open because of the experiences that they have here.”

Maynard credited the community’s involvement in “day-to-day teamwork, collaboration and unwavering commitment to excellence” throughout the design and planning process. She said the academy represents an investment not only in students, but in the region’s future workforce. “Ultimately this building is a tool,” she said. “It’s one designed to elevate engagement, challenge students to think critically and immerse students in authentic experiences that build confidence and agency.”

Miya Mozie, an 11th-grade Scholars Studios student at Albemarle High School, said the program has helped them explore their interests and grow through the support of mentors. Reflecting on the future of the ACE Academy, Mozie said, “I want every student to have their person … to be able to surround yourself with people that think like you, that have the same goals, that have your same passion.”

Representatives from Quinn Evans and Jamerson-Lewis Construction, the project’s design and construction partners, also spoke at the ceremony.

“Very soon, 400 students per day will have access to a place with specialized content, hands-on experiences and spaces for them to build their futures,” said Charles Tilley, principal at Quinn Evans.

Jason Richardson, vice president of operations for Jamerson-Lewis Construction, called the project “one more milestone completed to help reshape the future workforce for Albemarle County.”

The ACE Academy – Lambs Lane Campus is scheduled to open in fall 2026.