Albemarle County Public Schools Breaks Ground on the Albemarle Career Exploration Academy at Lambs Lane Campus

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Feb 27 2025

NEWS RELEASE

(ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Virginia)—Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) kicked off construction of the Albemarle Career Exploration (ACE) Academy at its Lambs Lane campus on Tuesday, February 25. Designed to house the expansion of ACPS’ Scholars Studios, the approximately 60,000-square-foot facility will serve up to 400 high school students daily.

ACE Lambs Ln - Scholars Studios Leads and Students — Scholars Studios lead teachers Caroline Chang (Thrive Studio), Jeremy Dove (Pulse Studio), Tim Hamlette (Venture Studio), and Trey Barlow (Link Studio) stand with Scholars Studios students in front of the project banner at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“Although we are here today to start laying a foundation, this Academy is not just a foundation,” Meagan Maynard, ACPS Career and Technical Education Coordinator, said. “It’s really a launch pad for our students and their futures.”

The ACE Academy Lambs Lane will host several of ACPS’ new Scholars Studios, which are designed to help students explore career opportunities that align with their interests. Of the 12 new Scholars Studios, six will be housed at the ACE Academy Lambs Lane, including the Savor, Venture, Solve, Thrive, Blueprint, and Impact studios.

“Today, we’re not just breaking ground on a building,” Dr. Matthew Haas, Superintendent, said. “We are breaking open new possibilities for our students. We are breaking down barriers to opportunity, and we are breaking through to a future where every young person has access to the tools to build a life of purpose and prosperity.”

Scholars Studios are designed for students who want to dive into their passions with a community of like-minded peers. The Studios aim to connect students with career opportunities that align with their interests and give them hands-on experience in those fields.

ACE Lambs Ln - Ceremonial Groundbreaking — *Scholars Studios students, along with community and school division leaders, officially break ground on the new space, marking an exciting milestone for ACPS.*

A team from Quinn Evans partnered with ACPS to design the space and spent many months gathering community input on the needs and desires for the new facility, which will include a range of flexible lab and studio spaces, project storage designed to double as a display of student work, seminar spaces where students can connect with local business leaders, and access to tools and technology throughout the building to support several of ACPS’ new Scholars Studios.

“Launching our Scholars Studios is a bold step,” Maynard said. “We are saying we’re ready to view school differently, we’re ready to redesign high school.”

Jamerson-Lewis Construction has been awarded the bid to build this new facility. A new parking lot will also be constructed on the northwest side of Albemarle High School (AHS) and adjacent to the Vehicle Maintenance Facility and AHS sports fields to support the ACE Academy Lambs Lane and other parts of the Lambs Lane campus.

“The ACE Academy Lambs Lane and the new Mountain View Upper Elementary School are the first two new school facilities we in the county have built since Baker-Butler Elementary in 2002,” said Dr. Kate Acuff, Chair of the Albemarle County School Board. “This is a wonderful step to providing our students with the tools and spaces they need to thrive.”

ACE Lambs Ln - Katina Dudley and Meagan Maynard — Health and Science Curriculum Coordinator Katina Dudley and Career and Technical Education Curriculum Coordinator Meagan Maynard pose with shovels in front of the project banner at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The Lambs Lane campus was identified as the ideal location for the ACE Academy Lambs Lane during a study undertaken in 2022 in partnership with DRL Group. The campus, which also houses Albemarle High School, Journey Middle School, Greer Elementary School, the Boys & Girls Club, and the Piedmont Regional Education Program (including Ivy Creek School), is centrally located near some of the county’s most densely populated neighborhoods.

Set to open for students at the start of the 2026-27 school year, the ACE Academy Lambs Lane will serve as a sister facility to Center I, which was approved for renaming as the Albemarle Career Exploration (ACE) Academy Seminole Trail in January 2025 and currently houses the Link Studio.

“Together, we are building something truly meaningful in Albemarle County: a stronger and more vibrant future for all,” Haas said.

For more information about the project, visit the High School Center II project page.

CONTACT: Dr. Helen T. Dunn, Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Officer
PHONE: 434-249-8379